An international bookshop is opening in the heart of Sicily, in Mussomeli. An interview with Mia McTigue-Rodriguez, founder of “La Nostra Bookshop”

Mia McTigue-Rodriguez has opened an independent bilingual bookshop in Mussomeli, a small town of 10,000 inhabitants in the province of Caltanissetta, in the heart of Sicily. It is Mussomeli’s first proper bookshop.

Why did you decide to open a bookshop in Mussomeli of all places? What professional journey led you to take this pioneering initiative?

I first visited Mussomeli four years ago and fell in love with its atmosphere and its people. It’s got a wonderful blend of calm and chaos. At sundown, quiet streets fill with conversation and people of all ages stop to say hello. The cinema has been closed for a year, and aside from bars and restaurants, there aren’t many places to go during the middle of the day.

Professionally, I have worked with a bookshop in a small seaside town in the UK since it opened in 2022, and we’re currently organising the town’s first literary festival, Crime by The Sea. I have also worked in publishing (as Deputy Digital Editor of delicious magazine) and trained as a chef.

What were the ambitions behind the launch of La Nostra Bookshop, and what are its distinctive features?

The bookshop will be a community hub, a place where you can find a comfy seat to read, write, catch up with friends over coffee or attend an event or workshop. There is no dedicated bookshop here in Mussomeli, and I am so excited to be opening one.

There are 19 nationalities here, which means most people have to use Amazon to find books in their native language. As well as Italian fiction and children’s books, we’ll stock English-language and translated works. We’ll also stock bilingual books that can support language learning, as there is a real appetite for this, among locals and expats alike.

Which areas does La Nostra Bookshop aim to cover in particular?

We’ll sell both new and secondhand books for children and adults, across several genres. Our collection will also include stationery, homeware, local artwork and products (honey, wine, artisan goods). My particular passion is food writing (Ruth Reichl and Ella Risbridger write many of my favourites), so cookbooks, food memoirs and books about Sicily’s culinary history will form an important part of the collection. My grandmother is Italian, so immersing myself in and learning about Italian literature feels like a particularly special way to connect with my heritage.

What has been the local community’s reaction to the bookshop’s opening?

Incredibly positive! We’ve run several events attended by locals, expats and tourists, all of whom have expressed their excitement about our launch. We’ve collaborated with local charities and organisations, including The Good Kitchen (community kitchen) and Strauss APS (international volunteer organisation).

In Autumn, we’ll welcome chefs and food writers for our launch events, including Letitia Clark and Thom Eagle, and I’m excited to build a programme of author talks, children’s workshops, book clubs and more that encourage people to discover and engage with books in different ways.

What are your plans for the coming years?

One of my biggest hopes is that the shop encourages curiosity across languages. I’d love an English reader to leave with their first Italian novel and an Italian family to discover English-language children’s books they might never otherwise have picked up. Books are one of the easiest ways to begin conversations across cultures.

In March 2027, we’re going to be involved in ‘Five Films For Freedom’, the British Council’s annual global LGBTQIA+ short film festival, in partnership with the British Film Institute (BFI). We’ll screen films and host conversations on the topics too.

I’d love La Nostra to become a destination people travel to, to attend an author event or simply spend an afternoon reading. Sicily has an incredible literary culture, but many of the island’s best-known festivals and events take place in Palermo, Catania or Agrigento. I’d love for La Nostra to put central Sicily on the literary map too, giving readers another reason to visit Mussomeli and giving opportunities for authors, publishers and readers to meet.

Success won’t just be measured by book sales, but by creating a place that people are proud to have in Mussomeli. My goal is for the shop to grow and evolve, creating somewhere everyone feels welcome, to connect the international community over a shared love of words. That’s why I called it ‘La Nostra Bookshop’: it’s communal, multicultural, with books at its heart.

You can follow along on social media @lanostrabookshop