Feli Corvillo, bookseller: "There are no children or young people in our neighborhoods."

The manager of the Polifemo bookstore, Feli Corvillo , explained in the Pausa podcast , hosted by Marta García Aller on El Confidencial, how the passage of time has transformed not only its surroundings, but also the essence of her bookstore, located in one of Madrid's classic neighborhoods.

"It's true that I had a very difficult time being here," Corvillo confessed, referring to the Guindalera neighborhood, near Parque de las Avenidas, where Polifemo, a landmark bookstore for decades , is located. He explained that the aging population directly affected his business. "The neighborhood started to age," he explained with a mixture of resignation and melancholy.

Corvillo explained that this Madrid neighborhood was born in the 1960s and, like many other urban areas in the capital, was initially inhabited by young families who, over time, grew older without new generations arriving to replace them . “It started to become a neighborhood of older people, with no young people or children. And that, for a real bookstore, is fundamental,” he asserted.

Polifemo, located in the heart of Madrid, has survived fads, economic crises, and urban transformations, but for Corvillo, the aging of the neighborhood has posed one of the toughest challenges: the loss of vitality, of young voices, of street curiosity . That spirit that gives life to a bookstore.

The Pausa podcast episode has served to give voice to a silent reality: that of the merchants who resist, who watch from their shop windows how the city changes , and who fight to remain part of its history.

You can listen to the full episode of the Pausa podcast by clicking here or on Ivoox , Spotify , and Apple Podcasts .

The manager of the Polifemo bookstore, Feli Corvillo , explained in the Pausa podcast , hosted by Marta García Aller on El Confidencial, how the passage of time has transformed not only its surroundings, but also the essence of her bookstore, located in one of Madrid's classic neighborhoods.