Semicolon Books, which opened in 2019 and became "a cherished Chicago institution and one of the city's only Black woman-owned bookstores," closed its Magnificent Mile physical store yesterday, January 5, Chicago Defender reported. Proprietress Danni Moore made the announcement last Friday in an Instagram post, citing a slow holiday season as a prime factor behind the decision.
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| Semicolon's West Town will remain open for a few more months. | |
"The holidays did not do what we wanted them to do, and based on the amount of community work that we like to pour into the city and into the world in general, we are not sustainable as we should be," Moore said.
The closure "marks the end of a remarkable five-and-a-half-month run at its Magnificent Mile location," which Moore opened last fall, Chicago Defender noted, adding that the bookseller's West Town space "will remain open for a few more months, allowing customers to redeem gift cards and celebrate Independent Bookstore Day one last time."
"This has been quite the time. This has been quite the journey," Moore observed. "We feel like it has been an excellent run and can't wait to see y'all in whatever iteration we return as."
She is now "focused on closing this chapter with the same spirit that defined the bookstore's mission," the Defender wrote, adding that "while the bookstore's physical locations may be shutting down, its legacy of literacy and community empowerment will undoubtedly endure."
"We look forward to seeing y'all over the next couple of months, so we can go ahead and close out as beautifully and end a chapter that has really been a great one," Moore said.