The Persistence of Informality: An Ethnographic Account of Tirana’s Outdoor Book Markets

This chapter explores the social world of Tirana’s informal economy with a particular focus on a group of independent entrepreneurs who specialize in the sale of second-hand books. Starting from the concept of books as artefacts with their own socio-historical narratives, the discussion connects the experiences of independent booksellers in Tirana to broader issues of urban inequality and the legitimacy of governance in Albania. Drawing on ethnographic research conducted in Tirana between 2015 and 2023, the discussion moves from street-level reporting to a social analysis with implications for contemporary studies in urban anthropology on issues of work, informal economy, and getting by in post-socialist late capitalism. The chapter concludes with two related recommendations. First, urban policymakers in Tirana can and should do more to support second-hand bookselling in the city. Second, booksellers themselves might do well to form a professional association to advocate more openly for their interests.