Brussels, have you had a pumpkin spice latte yet?
There’s so much going on in my life right now; where do I even start 😅 A month ago, I recorded my first-ever U.S. podcast (!!!) about organising events - you can listen to it on Spotify or watch it on YouTube. And since I could literally talk about events all the time, I’m teaming up once again with european campaign playbook to offer an online training on organising EU policy events - beginner workshop on 20 October (perfect for junior event roles, newbies to the policy side of events, and people organising events even if it’s not their core role) and an intermediate-advanced workshop on 22 October (perfect for those who want to get to more nitty-gritty details and strategies).
I’m also happy to announce we’re organising another edition of the Brussels Vintage Shops Tour with Tena on 24 October! Several of you said you couldn’t join the tour in May, so here’s another opportunity for you. It’s exactly the same tour as back then, so those who have already joined don’t have to come 🙂 Don’t miss your chance and register here.
In this issue:
📖 10 bookshops for a cosy autumn day
🍂 Your autumn idea list
🗓️ Upcoming events in Brussels (1-14 October)
Don’t miss Copenhagen in Brussels!
This is a barter collaboration between The Bridge Theatre and Living Brussels.
They were friends before the world went to war. Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg once worked closely to unlock the secrets of the atom. Then war placed them on opposite sides. It’s 1941. Heisenberg visits Nazi-occupied Copenhagen to meet his former mentor, Bohr, and wife, Margrethe. What passed between them has never been agreed upon. As the three revisit that fateful evening, memories clash, motives are questioned, and certainty proves elusive.
Starring Eva Fontaine (Amandaland, BBC), Peter Hald (The Bridge, SVT/DR), and Manuel Klein (War Horse, National Theatre), Michael Frayn’s multi-award-winning play Copenhagen returns one of the greatest mysteries of the Second World War: Why did Heisenberg come?
Directed and designed by Robert Chevara
15 October - 6 November 2026, Tuesday-Sunday at 19:30 plus Sunday matinee at 14:30
La Maison Qui Chant - Rue du Viaduc 122, Ixelles
Language: English
Tickets: 25€ - 45€
For more information and tickets: https://thebridge.brussels/copenhagen
10 bookshops for a cosy autumn day
I LOVE books. I have loved them since I was a kid (thanks to my bookworm mom), and I would even borrow the same books in a local library, just to read them over and over again. As an adult, I just keep buying them, and my mom always asks what I will do with all of them once I move apartments 🙈 So, this list is as much for you as it is for me, because I have to admit that I haven’t been to most of these places! And they all have some English books on offer.
Waterstones (city centre; soon Louise, too) - a completely English bookshop, open on Sunday (!), and yes, it’s the same one as you would find in the UK. Even the loyalty card works in both Belgium and the UK (and lets you get a discount after a certain number of purchases). Waterstones hosts all book categories, as well as board games, stationery, gifts, or magazines. The staff is always very friendly, and I have to contain myself not to spend all my money there.
Tropismes (city centre) - tucked away in Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, it’s crazy I haven’t been there yet, given the breathtaking interior. However, the choice of English books is limited.
Filigranes (Porte de Namur) - once located between Arts-Loi and Trône, it has moved to Porte de Namur. Filigranes is the largest independent bookshop in Belgium, is open every day, and offers a decent selection of English books.
Passa Porta (Dansaert) - so small that you could miss it! But that doesn’t make this place any less beautiful. It promotes itself as a multilingual bookshop, so you may even score some books in your native language.
Librebook (Matongé) - not just another multilingual bookshop on the list, but also a café and a place for organising events (including hiring the space for your own).
Candide (Brugmann) - apparently a decades-long staple in this area, Candide offers many travel and cookery books, as well as novels, and a children’s corner. And the Voltaire café is just next door.
Schaerbook (Plasky) - I’m a hardcore Schaerbeek/Plasky stan, and happy that I can share a place on this list from this part of Brussels as well. While the selection of English books might be limited, and the workshops and literary events are held in French, don’t let this keep you from visiting, as this bookshop also includes a café.
La Librairie Européenne (Merode) - this bookshop may be small and very simplistic, but it is the holy grail for EU nerds. If you have ever looked for EPSO practice tests, books on navigating the institutions and public affairs, or political books, this is the place to be.
Tulibris (Matongé) - if you want to save money or relish buying pre-loved books, then you might want to check out this second-hand bookshop. And the reviews for this place are very high.
Pêle-Mêle (Tenbosch) - and we’re finishing off this list with another second-hand bookshop (and apparently, you can sell your books there, too). This place comes highly recommended by various Brussels online forums.
Your autumn idea list
Since this newsletter has been around for a year now, and I was honestly struggling with topics and time for this issue, let me bring back some tips that you can use for this autumn.
🎄 30 group restaurants for your team Christmas dinner (you seriously need to book one now!)
Upcoming events
🤝 = networking/meeting new people; 🎨 = crafts and workshops; 👚 = fashion; 🎸= music; 🎉 = parties and festivals; 🎭= theatre, musicals and performing arts; 🚶 = walking and hiking; 🏀 = sport; 🎥 = film festivals and screenings; 🏋️ = fitness; 🎤 = talks; 🍔= food and drinks; 🖼️ = exhibitions; 😂 = comedy; 🛒= shopping and markets; 🎮 = games and quizzes
🎤 1 October: Algorithmic Bias | Who Wins, Who Loses and Why It Matters @The Nine (link)
🎸 1-11 October: FrancoFaune 2026 @various locations (link)
🖼️ 1 October-12 December: Icons, 20 years Designer of the Year @MAD Brussels (link)
🍔 2 October: A Man Walks Into The Nine | New Menu Cocktail Tasting @The Nine (link)
🤝 2 October: FxF Turns 5: Brussels Networking Drinks @Le Super (link)
🖼️ 2-4 October: ArtOnPaper @Tour & Taxis (link)
🖼️ 3-11 October: ANTE Festival @various locations (link)
🎨 4 October: Cookies & Cream Workshop @Wolf (link)
🏋️ 4 October: ELLE Running Club 2026 by KBC Brussels @David Lloyd Brussels (link)
🎨 4 October: Commons Hub OPEN DAY @Commons Hub Brussels (link)
🖼️ 4-23 October: ARTONOV Festival @various locations (link)
🎤 5 October: Lessons from a Journalist: How to Secure Media Coverage @BeCentral (link)
🎸 8-10 October: In.out.sider Festival 2026 - 5th edition @LaVallée (link)
🎨 9 October: From idea to reality - Masterclass & Vision Board workshop @WOMADE (link)
🎉 11 October: The Belgian Drag Monarch Ball @Cardo Brussels (link)
🎉 11 October: Booma Club x La Tricoterie @La Tricoterie (link)
❗ 12 October: Public services strike
😂 12 October: Comedy Night @Wolf (link)
🎨 14 October: Charms Workshop x Cherry PaoPao @Wolf (link)
🍔 14-24 October: Brussels Oktoberfest 2026 @Parc du Cinquantenaire (link)
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