Dedicated to the delight of discovering a new book.
We hatched the idea for Celia Bookshop in the summer of 2023 during a phone call when Beth asked, “Don’t you think Swarthmore needs an independent bookstore?” Beth has spent years teaching at the Wharton Business School, while Rachel writes novels. Together, we’ve dreamed up a place where people can come together to create community around books, reading, ideas, and stories.
We named the store after Joseph Celia, an Italian immigrant who built 102 Park Avenue in Swarthmore in the 1920s. His family ran a shoe business there until the 1970s, even crafting braces and shoe lifts for wounded soldiers during World War II. While Celia Bookshop is currently virtual, we’re excited to open in the former cobbler shop in fall 2025.
Beth Murray, OWNER
Beth has taught in the communication program at the Wharton School of Business for over 20 years, and now she’s eager to pivot from talking about business strategy to talking about books. When traveling, Beth’s first Google search is always “bookstores near me.” She believes every neighborhood needs a good bookstore where people from all walks of life feel welcome. She loves the idea that the right book in the right hands at the right time can change a life and hopes to make Celia Bookshop a place where lives are changed for the better, everyday.
Rachel Pastan, MANAGER
Rachel has been a novelist, a writing professor, a newspaper editor, and an art museum blogger. She grew up in a house where the question, “What are you reading?” was often the first thing anyone asked, and where trips to local bookshops were on the itinerary for every vacation. She particularly loves literary fiction, mysteries (not too violent), science fiction, biography, children’s books, and books about animal psychology and dog training. She is excited to connect you to the next book you’re going to love.