Despair Books

des pair books is an independent bookstore and small-press project founded in New York in 2019. According to the company's own account, it began as a small press dedicated to publishing emerging authors and to building connections within the East Coast literary community. That origin distinguishes it from a conventional retail bookstore: the publishing and community-building activity came first, with the physical retail space arriving later as an extension of the project. In 2021 the project relocated from New York to Los Angeles, where it expanded into a physical bookstore in Echo Park. The Echo Park shop was known for a rotating presentation of work by practicing artists, blending bookselling with a gallery-like exhibition program. In Fall 2022, des pair books opened a second location inside Jeffrey Deitch Gallery in West Hollywood, placing the bookstore within a prominent contemporary art gallery and reinforcing its ties to the art and design world. The business has been covered by a range of mainstream and cultural publications, including GQ, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Coveteur, C Magazine, Cultured Magazine, Los Angeles Magazine, Flaunt Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and The Eastsider, as well as podcasts such as Animal Blood, Say You Swear, and You Should Probably Read More. In Spring 2026, des pair books closed its physical doors in order to focus full time on library curation. The company now serves private clients, retailers, hotels, home staging professionals, designers, and others, offering curated book selections and library-building services rather than operating as a walk-in retail store. Inquiries are directed to hello@despairbooks.com. The brand therefore represents a shift from a hybrid small press and bookstore toward a service-oriented curation practice, while retaining its identity as a book-focused commercial entity.

des pair books was founded in 2019 in New York. The project began as a small press focused on publishing emerging authors and building connections within the East Coast literary community. This early phase established the brand's identity as a literary and community-oriented endeavor rather than a purely commercial retail operation. In 2021, des pair moved to Los Angeles to expand into a physical bookstore in Echo Park. The Echo Park location featured a rotating presentation of work by practicing artists, positioning the shop at the intersection of bookselling and contemporary art. The move to Los Angeles marked a significant geographic and strategic shift, placing the brand within the city's art and design ecosystem. In Fall 2022, des pair opened a second location inside Jeffrey Deitch Gallery in West Hollywood. Operating a bookstore within a major contemporary art gallery further embedded the brand in the art world and expanded its physical presence in Los Angeles. Over the following years, des pair books received press coverage from outlets including GQ, Coveteur, Vogue, Vanity Fair, C Magazine, Cultured Magazine, Los Angeles Magazine, Flaunt Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and The Eastsider, as well as podcasts such as Animal Blood, Say You Swear, and You Should Probably Read More. In Spring 2026, des pair books closed its doors to focus full time on library curation for private clients, retailers, hotels, home staging, designers, and more. This transition ended its run as a physical bookstore and repositioned the brand as a curation service. The company continues to invite inquiries at hello@despairbooks.com.

• des pair books founded in New York as a small press focused on emerging authors and the East Coast literary community.

• Moved to Los Angeles and expanded into a physical bookstore in Echo Park with rotating artist presentations.

• Opened a second location inside Jeffrey Deitch Gallery in West Hollywood.

• Closed physical doors to focus full time on library curation for private clients, retailers, hotels, home staging, designers, and more.

An independent, art- and design-adjacent book project that evolved from a small press and bookstore into a bespoke library curation service.

• Library curation services

  Curated book selections and library-building for private clients, retailers, hotels, home staging, designers, and more.

• Small-press publications

  Publishing emerging authors as part of the original small-press project.

• Artists' books and rotating artist presentations

  The Echo Park bookstore featured a rotating presentation of work by practicing artists.

1. 1des pair books official websitedespairbooks.com
2. 2About – des pair booksdespairbooks.com
3. 3des pair books – Wikidatawikidata.org