Jul 6, 2026

Photos: 𝗟𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗢𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱'𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Wichita's Black bookstore has moved from downtown to northeast Wichita.

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Left On Read opens Tuesday, July 7 in its new location at Revolutsia, 2721 E. Central Ave. in Wichita. Photo by Aileen Rueda-DaCosta for The SHOUT.

By Emily Christensen

In November 2024, Latasha Eley Kelly opened her bookstore Left on Read in downtown Wichita's Gallery Alley. The store carries a wide range of titles by Black authors, and it doubles at the headquarters for Kelly's podcast operation TMBP Media, which produces shows like "BLACK in One Piece" and "Shelf Sabotage."

Left on Read's new location at Revolutsia, 2721 E. Central Ave., opens on Tuesday, July 7. Its features include a second-floor reading loft that can be used for book clubs.

Left on Read owner Latasha Eley Kelly closed her Galley Alley location on Saturday and worked over the weekend to get the new store ready for a Tuesday opening. *Photo by Aileen Rueda-DaCosta for The SHOUT*.

The stone building that was once a filling station was most recently occupied by Blush, a romance bookstore. *Photo by Aileen Rueda-DaCosta for The SHOUT*.

A second-floor space gives customers a place to hang out (and book-club members a place to meet). *Photo by Aileen Rueda-DaCosta for The SHOUT*.

Left on Read will also include goods from The Blackprint ICT, a selection of products by Black makers.

Left on Read also includes products from The Blackprint ICT, a selection of products by Black makers. *Photo by Aileen Rueda-DaCosta for The SHOUT*.

Mark your calendars: The store will celebrate the past and present of Black booksellers in Wichita during Black Bookstore Day on Saturday, August 29.

Left On Read's inventory includes books on history and social justice as well as children's books and fiction of all genres. All titles are authored by Black writers. *Photo by Aileen Rueda-DaCosta for The SHOUT*.

A view from the "reading loft" at Left on Read. *Photo by Aileen Rueda-DaCosta for The SHOUT*.

In the meantime, you can visit the store during its summer hours: noon-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.

The retail floor mid-move. *Photo by Aileen Rueda-DaCosta for The SHOUT*.

*Photo by Aileen Rueda-DaCosta for The SHOUT*.

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