Popular Berkeley Bookstore Goes Up For Sale

BERKELEY, CA — The owners of a popular independent Berkeley bookstore announced they’re putting Mrs. Dalloway’s Bookstore up for sale.

Co-owners Marion Abbott and Ann Leyhe on Thursday announced their plans on the store’s Facebook page.

“We’ve decided it’s time to pass the torch and begin to think about what might be next for each of us. It wasn’t a sudden decision after our difficult Covid year; this is not a fire sale,” they said.

“It’s something we’ve been reflecting on for some time. We're excited for the future of the bookstore under new stewards who will carry their energy and vision beyond what we created.”

Abbott and Leyhe launched the Elmwood neighborhood bookstore in 2004 following the closure of Avenue Books.

“Many of you may remember the widespread anguish felt when Avenue Books went dark,” Abbott and Leyhe wrote.

“The prospect of our neighborhood without a bookstore was unthinkable, said friends and neighbors.

“So, with our combined experience in book and magazine publishing, and the support of friends, neighbors and family, we decided to create something entirely new that would reflect the interests of our beloved Elmwood neighborhood where we’d both lived with our families for more than twenty years.”