Exploring Burma’s Bookshops: Myanmar Book Plaza
Billed as the biggest of its kind in South East Asia, Yangon Book Plaza is certainly large. Opened in 2017 by Myay Hmone Lwin, a writer and award winning publisher himself, the 20,000 square feet showcases nearly a dozen bookshops in an open plan floor area.
The plaza can be hard to find, but if you take the larger entrance on Lanmadaw street rather than the smaller one on 17th, go right up the stairs to the fifth floor (above the snooker table seller and the haunted floor which has nothing but rusting rickshaws) the plaza can be found through set of glass double doors. To the right is a small art gallery and workshop space, where live readings, poetry nights and talks are often held (check the plazas facebook for regular announcements). In the south-east is a small caf where you can buy a coffee.
Only one of the featured shops has English language books by Myanmar writers and almost all of those books can be found elsewhere. The more interesting shop is in the far north east corner of the plaza where one of the owners of the second hand pallet books stalls from 37th street was encouraged by Myay Hmone Lwin to open. Here, as usual, there are several interesting items dating back to the 50s including poetry, guide books and a novel or two.
Open: Daily from 9 am to 7 pm
Address: 5th Floor, Than Zay Market, Lanmadaw Street, Lanmadaw Township, Yangon
Tel: 95 9 767 019926