India GOBookstores in Pune
Pune's book shopping comes in three kinds. Two old general bookshops, International Book Service at Deccan Gymkhana and Express Book Service in Camp, carry the city's history in their visitor books. Appa Balwant Chowk in the old city is a whole crossroads of shops and stalls for Marathi books, second-hand novels and textbooks. And Pagdandi in Baner is the independent bookshop-cafe with an events calendar.
Two old bookshops and an indie cafe
The first two are small, long-established general bookshops; the third is a newer place to sit and read.
International Book Service, Deccan Gymkhana
Opened in 1931 beside the Deccan Gymkhana post office and usually named as Pune's oldest bookshop, it was a pioneer in importing British and American titles; Nehru, Ambedkar and Radhakrishnan are among the visitors on record. About 1,500 sq ft and some 26 subject sections, from the humanities to yoga, now run in association with BookGanga. Come for the backlist rather than for a megastore browse. More about International Book Service.
Express Book Service, East Street, Camp
A Camp bookshop from the Poona days: local accounts trace the trade to the 1940s and the present East Street premises to the early 1960s. Its guestbook includes Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel, and the service is still the kind where someone walks you to the shelf. Broad general-interest stock. After Manney's closed, it is one of the last of Camp's old bookshops. More about Express Book Service.
Pagdandi Bookstore Cafe, Baner
Opened in 2013 by a couple back from years of backpacking. New titles lean towards independent publishers, and a community library of second-hand books can be borrowed or bought. Book clubs, poetry open mics, writing workshops and acoustic evenings fill the calendar, and a wall shows local artists. Chai and snacks are served.
Second-hand and Marathi books: ABC (and vinyl at Juna Bazaar)
Appa Balwant Chowk, which everyone calls ABC, is the crossroads in Budhwar and Narayan Peth that has traded in books since the 1950s, when L. N. Godbole opened the shop that started it. Today dozens of shopfronts and pavement stalls sell Marathi literature, classics, second-hand novels, textbooks and exam guides, usually at a discount. Late morning on a weekday is the best time to browse, and haggling over used books is normal. It is a short walk from Tulshibaug and Laxmi Road.
Juna Bazaar, the flea market near Shaniwar Wada, is not a book market, but it is where Pune sells vinyl records and gramophones, along with brass, old cameras and second-hand furniture. It runs only on Wednesdays and Sundays; come in the morning, look closely at what you buy and bargain.
Fold a bookshop into a walk
Express Book Service sits on East Street, the same street as Kayani Bakery, so it fits a Camp morning. International Book Service is in the student quarter of FC Road and Deccan, with its pavement book stalls and Hong Kong Lane close by. ABC belongs to an old-city morning with Tulshibaug, Mahatma Phule Mandai and Laxmi Road. More in markets of Pune and cafes.
FAQ
Which is the oldest bookshop in Pune?
International Book Service at Deccan Gymkhana, opened in 1931, is usually named as the oldest.
Where can I buy second-hand books in Pune?
At Appa Balwant Chowk (ABC) in the old city, where shops and pavement stalls sell used novels and textbooks at a discount, and in Pagdandi's community library in Baner.
Where can I buy Marathi books in Pune?
Appa Balwant Chowk is the main place: dozens of shops carry Marathi literature alongside classics and textbooks.
Is there a bookshop cafe in Pune?
Pagdandi in Baner combines a bookshop, a borrowing library and a cafe, with book clubs and readings on its calendar.
What are the best book shops in Pune for browsing?
For an old-style general bookshop, International Book Service or Express Book Service; for crowds of stalls and bargains, ABC; for new independent titles, Pagdandi.
Facts checked: 15 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.
The full catalogue, hidden spots and districts on the map, plus “nearby” mode.
Open in India GO