"Every bookshop is a condensed version of the world," says Jorge Carrion, a Spanish writer and literary critic who roams the globe in his study of unique and culturally influential bookshops.

Having traveled to over 1,000 bookstores, Carrion has put all his anecdotes and meditations into the recent work Bookshop: A Reader's History. As it has been translated into Chinese, the writer came to Beijing this May to chat with Chinese literati and visit some of the local bookstores.

In his interview with China Daily, Carrion reiterates the role of traditional bookshops in the post-digital era, which reminds us of the magic of the written word.

Guest: Jorge Carrion

Reporter: Li Wenrui

Camera: Zhou Bing

Copy editor: Jocelyn Eikenburg

Subtitles: Yang Shan

Producer: Li Wenrui

Executive producer: Feng Minghui

Contact the producer at [email protected]