Having spent many summer holidays immersed in books during her childhood, translator Nguyen Huong Lan was puzzled to see her children not sharing her love for reading. One day, she decided to open a small bookstore, hoping to inspire her children to embrace the joy of reading just as she once did.
A bookstore of a book-loving mother
In Lan’s memory, her summer holidays were spent at the Hanoi Library, where she would absorbed herself in one book after another. Even after getting married and having children, she maintained her passion for reading and nurtured a reading culture within her family. As a book translator, she stayed connected to literature, translating works like Little Nicolas and several novels by Marc Levy and Guillaume Musso.
However, like many children their age, her kids were not fond of reading. Despite this, they excelled in English, recognizing its importance in school. To encourage their love for literature, Lan often took advantage of her business trips abroad to bring back foreign books for them.

Translator Nguyen Huong Lan is owner and founder of InBook. Photo courtesy of InBook

In 2017, during a business trip to Hong Kong, Lan stumbled upon a foreign language bookstore that exclusively sold English children's books. She was captivated by it and envisioned opening a similar store in Vietnam—not only to meet her own children's needs but also to support other mothers facing the same challenges. Owning a small bookstore had been a cherished dream of hers since childhood.
She had the opportunity to open Blue Horizon, a small bookstore at The Gioi (World) Publisher in Hoan Kiem District. As the demand for her books grew, the cozy space of Blue Horizon became insufficient to meet her customers' needs. In 2024, she opened a new, more spacious location called InBook on Thuy Khue Street in Tay Ho District.
Her eldest daughter had graduated from high school and was an avid reader. She now plays a key role in selecting books that resonate with young readers, guiding Lan on what to buy and sell at the store.
"Selling books isn’t a way to get rich," Lan said. "But when people reach a stable point in their lives, they often seek to do something meaningful. First, it’s about creating value for their children, and then it extends to the community."
Connecting Vietnam to the world
Over time, through a passion for books and persistent efforts, the bookstore has earned the trust and enthusiastic support of its readers. Today, as it positions itself as a premier foreign-language bookstore, InBook boasts a community of over 10,000 readers and a collection of 7,000 titles in English and French, all imported directly.
According to Lan, InBook's inauguration not only marks a new stage of development for the bookstore but also reflects the growing demand for English and French reading materials within the Vietnamese reader community.

This is the favorite space for Vietnamese and foreign book lovers who seek for famous titles.

“Our book catalog will be continuously updated and expanded to bring a wide range of new and exciting foreign language books of all genres for readers to explore,” Lan said.
From the very beginning, the bookshop established partnerships with foreign publishers.
"This is not an easy task," Lan said. "As a small bookstore from a distant Asian country, we have to navigate numerous paperwork and verification processes to import books from international publishing groups,” Lan said.
To date, after many years of cultivating business relationships, Green Horizon Company has become a reputable partner to over 40 leading publishers worldwide, including major names such as HarperCollins, Hachette, Penguin, Didier, Usborne, Nathan, and Gallimard.
To stay up-to-date on the international book market and catch the latest trends, Blue Horizon has actively participated in major international bookfairs such as the Frankfurt Book Fair and the Salon du Livre de Paris. The company also is a member of the International Association of French-Language Bookstores, which is sponsored by the French Ministry of Culture.
In next three years, the InBook bookstore has a plan to expand their business to become a publisher and literary agent to support emerging Vietnamese writers.
Lan noted that at the annual international book fairs, publishers are actively seeking new authors and emerging voices. In recent years, several Vietnamese-origin authors living abroad have found great success with their works, drawing attention and acclaim in the literary world. 
“Through our work with foreign publishers and participation in international book fairs, we have recognized the significant potential for cultural development. With the right attention and promotion, these opportunities can help introduce Vietnamese authors to the international market,” she said.
InBook has become a favorite place for Vietnamese and foreign readers who want to find best-sellers and newest books in the world.
Reader Julien Audin, manager of Multimedia Library, French Institute in Hanoi highly appreciated Lan’s effort in opening the bookstore.
“We at the French Institute support foreign language bookstores like InBook because they share the same cultural mission of introducing and promoting the French language and culture to the Vietnamese community,” said Julien Audin.

Ngo Minh

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