A new mobile bookstore will be rolling around Northern Virginia. Dumfries resident Stacie Malinowski has launched Owl & Ink. The van will sell nearly 800 titles, plus merchandise such as bookmarks, tumblers, t-shirts, tote bags, candles, and reading journals.
Malinowski says the bookshop will specialize in fiction, with a focus on fantasy, sci-fi, historical fiction, romance, and mystery/thrillers. “I also have a rotating selection of DMV indie authors that I will feature routinely,” she says.
Career Pivot
Malinowski’s career background is in commercial real estate. “I have always been a voracious reader, but too often I focused on work reading instead of reading for pleasure — I missed that,” she says.
As she was scrolling “Booktok” for recommendations, she says “I kept coming across a few mobile bookshops opening across the country. I was intrigued. I started talking to a few of the owners and I realized what a perfect next chapter this could be for me.”
Through her new venture, Malinowski’s hoping “to establish strong relationships with partners in the NoVA area to really build community. I want returning book lovers coming to find me event after event.”
Events and Future Plans
Owl & Ink will make its debut on Monday, July 20, at a Bookworms & Brews event at The Casual Pint in Vienna. “I want to focus on recurring monthly engagements with wineries, breweries, coffee shops, and fitness concepts throughout NOVA,” Malinowski says. “It’s about creating a shared, fun, and memorable experience for people.”
Through Owl & Ink, she also offers “Blind Date with a Book” subscriptions. “I hand pick, wrap, and stuff each one tailoring it to the reader; it’s never the same,” she says.
She’s also collaborating with The Silent Book Club of Dunn Loring to surprise individuals with book-themed gifts through a “bestowal library.” You can anonymously nominate someone through the Owl & Ink website. Nominations are limited to Fairfax County residents, but Malinowski hopes to eventually expand to other areas.
Feature image courtesy Stacie Malinowski
