A little hidden book cave situated on the main street of Oia – the tiny picturesque village at the edge of the Santorini Caldera – has been ranked the number one bookshop in the world for 2016, according to National Geographic’s book Destinations of a Lifetime.
It all started more than a decade ago when then students and bookworms Craig Walzer and Oliver Wise left England during term break to visit Santorini.
“Truth is, we were literally running out of books to read, so it became a running joke between us, that we would eventually return to Santorini to fix the problem,” explains 35 year-old Craig, one of the original founders.
Craig and Oliver came one step closer to fulfilling their dream when, together with some friends from England, the USA and Cyprus who were similarly interested in “doing something a little bit weird and a little bit different”, they returned to one of the most popular tourist destinations on earth, looking for that one golden window of opportunity.
After months of hard work, a few bottles of wine, settling debts and overcoming the infamous Greek bureaucracy, the six young bohemians built a unique bookstore overlooking the caldera sunset.
Atlantis Books, the hidden little gem with the tightly-packed handmade bookshelves and irregular, crisp white walls, finally opened its doors in 2004.
Since then Craig, who was born in Canada but grew up in Tennessee, spends the majority of his time in Santorini, recognising that none of this would have happened without the support of the locals.
“We are very grateful for the awards and kind words we receive,” he tells Neos Kosmos.
“Our aim is to keep doing what we are doing and laugh about it along the way, because – clearly – someone likes it.”
For Craig, who is now the sole owner of the store, Atlantis is more than just a bookshop; it is a cultural and unique experience, in which two basic principles are exercised; empathy and creativity.
“People are on holidays and revert to being kids again; they remember that books are cool and realise pretty quickly that when they walk into our bookshop they can be free, and loud, and funny and take a memory home with them, with or without a book.
“If, in the end, they buy something from the shop, then I have to make sure it is really good,” he says.
Atlantis has gained international attention for its eclectic collection of books of literature, poetry, translated Greek masterpieces and rare gems from all over the globe.
Australians and Greek Australians are frequent customers.
“Generally they make their presence known with their accent and sun-kissed hair; they are fun and great book buyers, because books are not cheap in Australia,” says Walzer.
Of course, things haven’t always been this easy for the small-size, seasonal business.
In 2011, as the financial crisis was well at its peak, Atlantis was nearly lost.
On the cusp of closing down, Craig made the decision to give the bookshop a really hard shot. Thankfully, the bookshop survived and is now at its best.
As summer season is approaching, everyone in the whitewashed, clifftop villa is frantically joining together the various book puzzles.
“It is a long season and we work around the clock with an unusual demographic but the rewards and feeling of satisfaction is well worth it in the end,” explains Craig, revealing that most of his customers’ requests include books of Greek mythology and Greek poets “because so many of the tourists wish to understand more about the Greek culture”.
Walzer, who has also studied philosophy, political science and law, says that in Santorini there is a lot that doesn’t reflect Greece as a whole.
He feels that this unique island is so modern, so recently developed and touristic, that the inherit culture ends up hidden behind this new era.
“Although it only takes the visitor 15 seconds to recognise that there is something very interesting going on here, artistically, architecturally, historically and culturally, at the same time, the modern tourist boom obfuscates that feeling.
“People come in and look for those books to learn and be reminded of the voices of the people that used to live in this country thousands of years ago,” he explains.
The store also hosts readings on the terrace, bookbinding classes, and food and film festivals such as the Caldera Arts & Literature Festival, injecting the local and international community with culture and inspiration.
“In 12 years we have also had two tzatziki festivals and we will do another one soon; when you put the word tzatziki out there, there is no more that needs to be done,” jokes Craig.
Atlantis is not just another bookshop.
It is a venerable landmark and a little drop of joy in a white and blue heaven; a hidden little treasure that takes any visitor on a powerful and touching journey in one of the most beautiful places in the world; Santorini, Greece.
THE TOP TEN BOOKSTORES IN THE WORLD:
1. Atlantis Books, Santorini, Greece
2. Cafebrería el Péndulo,
Mexico City, Mexico
3. Munro’s Books, Victoria, Canada
4. El Ateneo Grand Splendid,
Buenos Aires, Argentina
5. Powell’s City of Books, Portland, Oregon
6. Prairie Lights, Iowa City, Iowa
7. Shakespeare and Company, Paris, France
8. Gertrude & Alice, Sydney, Australia
9. Librairie Avant-Garde, Nanjing, China
10. Cook & Book, Brussels, Belgium