Nearly a year after BK Reader first introduced readers to Gladys Books & Wine, Brooklynites are rallying to help save the beloved Bedford-Stuyvesant bookstore, cafe and wine bar after repeated flooding threatened the business's future.
The storefront on Malcolm X Boulevard opened in 2025 as a gathering space centered on books, conversation and community for Black feminist and queer literary culture. Founded by Tiffany Dockery, the business honors Dockery’s grandmother, Gladys, a Mississippi sharecropper who inspired her lifelong love of reading and storytelling.
In recent months, repeated flooding caused extensive damage to the shop, leaving the business with mounting repair costs, damaged inventory and disruptions to daily operations. Worsening flooding conditions in Brooklyn, combined with ongoing infrastructure issues inside the building, created growing financial strain for the independent business.
“We’ve been dealing with repeated flooding in our basement and it isn’t a one-time accident. It’s a pattern,” said Tiffany Dockery. “Each storm brings new damage and we’ve spent months trying to get our landlord to take it seriously and make the repairs that are their responsibility.
But as news of the bookstore’s struggles spread, supporters across Brooklyn quickly stepped in.
A GoFundMe launched to support Gladys Books & Wine has raised more than $50,000 from community members hoping to preserve what many consider an important cultural and literary space in Bed-Stuy. Donations poured in from readers, neighbors, creatives and longtime customers who view the store as more than a business.
The fundraiser will help cover repairs, improve flood protection measures and stabilize operations after months of setbacks.
The response reflects the strong connection many Brooklyn residents have formed with the bookstore since it first opened. Gladys Books & Wine regularly hosts literary events, gatherings and community conversations that bring together readers and creatives from across the borough.
Independent bookstores and cafes throughout Brooklyn continue facing rising rent, staffing and supply costs as consumers spend more cautiously. For Gladys Books & Wine, those broader economic pressures were compounded by climate-related flooding concerns increasingly affecting small businesses across the city.
Even amid uncertainty, the overwhelming community response has helped keep the bookstore moving forward. For many supporters, saving Gladys Books & Wine means preserving a rare neighborhood space centered on culture, accessibility and connection in a rapidly changing Brooklyn.
