I’ve been to Dog Ears twice, so this is not exactly a first first impression, but rather an amalgamated version of the two – owing to poor memory, not some literary trick.
The two visits were almost exactly a year apart, as I was in Goa for the Serendipity Arts Festival on both occasions. I was staying at a friend’s place in Panjim, and he drove us all the way to Madgaon just so I could scratch the vacation bookstore itch. What did I ever do to deserve such friends, I don’t know.
Madgaon, or Margao, is a fairly suburban city, one of the few places in Goa that doesn’t feel touristy at the outset. Maybe that means Dogears gets a better fare of regular locals than passing tourists.
The shop has an “oh that’s so pretty” kind of presence on the street, without being an obvious stand-out. They had Christmas decorations up when we were there, with a naughty or nice signboard out front. You’re supposed to leave your shoes outside, like when you enter someone’s home or a place of worship. Certainly makes you more mindful of the place, and well, keeps the dirt out, which was probably the point.
I recognised the lady at the counter from the store’s Instagram. This tells you two things – one, they make rather fun reels, and two, I need to get off my phone more. We said hello to her, and promptly got to browsing.
The store was chock-full of books, but elegantly. Nothing was overflowing per se, and yet there were books in every direction. It seemed like every little bit of space had been cleverly devised into a shelf - walls, tables, portions of the floor, windowsill, even stairs. I sincerely hope to see some hanging off the ceiling on my next visit.
We decided to go upstairs first and work our way down. The first floor was divided into two sections - children’s books, and a pleasant surprise, used books. This was the first time I’d ever seen used books so well organised. For once I could actually try and find something, instead of throwing out a prayer and hoping for the best. There were “staff picks” here too, two book towers worth of them. They even had books on sale, three books for as little as Rs. 100. They’re certainly doing their part for making books accessible.
The ground floor was new books with some merch and cultural tidbits thrown in between. The sections weren’t your usual “Fiction - Literary” but witty phrases - The Japanese section was titled “From the land of the rising sun”, the sci-fi section was “Your portal to other realms”. The store was full of recommendations in the form of handwritten notes – with their rendition of blurbs. There was a separate shelf called “Pardon my French” - full of English translations of French literature. I know where to get my next Proust if I ever do manage to finish the one I started years ago.
While my friend and I were busy pointing at books we’d read and being rather pleased with ourselves, Leo, who owns the store, walked in lugging a box of books. Being a bookseller must be a back workout in itself. I besieged the poor guy before he had time to catch his breath. I tend to get unduly confident at the most inopportune moments. We introduced ourselves, complimented the store, spoke about the art festival. I requested Goa specific recommendations and he showed me to a full shelf of exactly that. The books he picked out, and I got, were -
Goa: A Daughter’s Story by Maria Aurora Couto. A history of Goa told through one family’s memory.
The Bitter-Fruit Tree and Other Stories by Prakash Parienkar - A collection of short stories rooted in Goa, translated from Konkani
The Brave New World of Goan Writing and Art 2025 — a collection of stories, poems and essays from Goan writers, edited by Selma Carvalho. It’s published by CinnamonTeal, a publishing house run by none other than the wonderful people of Dogears. Can I now brag I’ve met publishers? I know, I’m rather fun at parties.
Leo, we soon learned, doesn’t just run a bookstore and a publishing house, but is also part of Independent Bookshops Association of India, which is, well, what the name suggests. I suspect Hermione may not be the only one with a time-turner. He also mentioned a list of independent bookshops in India, that he and a blogger named Zigzackly had put together – Link
While we were getting our books stamped and pocketing the complimentary store bookmarks, we had a look at the merch and other items in the front half of the store. My friend got a wonderful map of the festivals of Goa. I, on the other hand, found an amazing tote bag featuring Mr. Proust himself.
This photo was taken the next day at Larder & Folk, Panjim, which is only the best café in all of Goa.
On the drive back, I was going through zigzackly’s list on my phone. Barely a hundred stores, in a country of a billion people. It is as unsettling today as it was then.
Thank you for this flattering piece. We are so glad you enjoyed your visits. We hope you can return soon.
- Leo