[Interview] Nourishment for the Soul is Here, TextCalorie

Interview with Lee Minseop, CEO of TextCalorie

With just about 100 days left until the end of the year, it’s time to start reading those books you’ve been putting off. Perhaps, the gentle breeze and warm sunlight make this the perfect season for reading. If you’ve decided to nourish your mind over the next 100 days, there’s a place you must visit. It’s Text Calorie, a bookstore with a grocery store concept. Just as you select healthy ingredients at a supermarket, here you can choose texts that enrich your mind and soul.

Located in Sojedong, Daejeon, and the Gyeongui Line Book Street, Text Calorie is an independent bookstore born from the collaboration between Ikseon Dada, which transformed Ikseon-dong into a hot place, and Mungcle Story, a publishing company led by CEO Lee Minseop that turns ordinary people’s histories into autobiographies. CEO Lee was drawn by the stories of ordinary people tied to the old downtown Sojedong, which faces the threat of redevelopment. Believing this space could gather and share diverse stories, he decided to open a bookstore here. Inspired by the idea of books as nourishment for the mind, he named it ‘Text Calorie.’ The first store opened in January 2021, and in August, a second store was launched as a pop-up booth on the Gyeongui Line Book Street.

“The first store, with its spacious layout, allowed clear separation of each section. So, we arranged it so visitors could carry a shopping basket placed at the entrance and browse through the goods and book corners. However, since the second store is relatively smaller, we kept thinking about how to make the space more densely organized. Then, we came up with the idea of dividing it into corners like a convenience store. That’s how the Fresh Corner, Well-being Corner, Snack Corner, Specialty Corner, and Instant Corner were created.”

True to its name, the first store in Sojedong is designed with a supermarket concept, while the second store adopts a convenience store concept. Yellow milk crates are placed throughout the bookstore, and goods are displayed in an ice cream freezer. As much care was put into branding, so was the book curation. Initially, books curated by authors with deep knowledge were featured, but to suit visitors’ preferences for lighter, fresh, and lively books, they stocked a variety of books including independent publications.

Currently, the store is divided into corners like a supermarket, each showcasing books suited to its theme. The Fresh Corner features new releases, the Well-being Corner introduces non-fiction books that nourish the mind, and the Snack and Specialty Corners are filled with literature and independent publications that can be enjoyed without burden. Lastly, the Instant Corner offers books with unique formats that feel like goods, as well as ‘Instant Books’ that can only be found here.

“Among the five corners, we put special effort into curating the Specialty and Instant Corners. We want to introduce as many fresh and attractive books as possible. The first store stocks over 170 kinds of independent publications. For the Instant Corner, to catch visitors’ eyes, we created a unique atmosphere resembling a kitchen using a microwave and other appliances. It’s a place where you can find wonderful books called ‘Instant Books’ created through writing workshops.”

Text Calorie’s writing workshops aim to help participants publish their own books after about five weeks of classes. They cover various genres and themes such as novels, essays, prose, and children’s stories. The ‘Instant Books’ produced through these workshops are short story series that are quick, simple, enjoyable, and easy to read?much like instant food. Since the bookstore also operates its own publishing and distribution, editing, marketing, sales, and book publication are all done quickly and conveniently. The name ‘Instant Book’ reflects the delicious writing contained within attractive covers. CEO Lee expressed his hope to develop ‘Instant Books’ further through collaborations with food franchises and delivery companies, creating books that can be easily read while eating.

When asked for book recommendations for readers who want to nourish their minds, CEO Lee confidently recommended the essay collection Actually, It Was a Very Small Anxiety by actor Baek Sumin. He explained that it resonates with and comforts the 20s and 30s generation who are struggling with anxious feelings. He also mentioned unique independent publications that are fun to read, such as Sandwich Encyclopedia in Movies, which collects scenes of sandwiches appearing in foreign films, and Only Fried Eggs, filled with photos of fried eggs.

Wrapping up the interview, we asked CEO Lee how he would like the bookstore to be remembered. He replied that he hopes it will be remembered as a place where people can comfortably enjoy books as content. It was a moment that revealed his deep affection for the bookstore.

“Many visitors tell me they’re grateful that we’ve transformed an old neighborhood into a place they want to remember. That’s truly rewarding. I want to showcase many enjoyable and meaningful book contents through collaborations here. Above all, my goal is to run Text Calorie as a space that records and shares many people’s experiences and lives.”

Photo = Text Calorie