The logo for the prospective bookstore was designed by Ashley Westrich.

There’s a new bookstore coming to downtown Ann Arbor in early 2013. Hilary Lowe, a former account manager at Simon & Schuster and her novel-writing fiance Michael Gustafson have plans to open a general independent bookstore to fill the void left by Borders and the closing of Shaman Drum in 2009. They’ve named it Literati Bookstore and the logo features a typewriter modeled after Gustafson’s grandfather’s Corona typewriter. The idea of the typewriter also relates to their dedication to physical books in a digital age:

We’re still believers in the physical book browsing experience. A place where people can find interesting titles, talk about books, connect around ideas, and have a concrete sense of community. Maybe some people call that old-fashioned in this digital age, just like a typewriter. But we think bookstores these days are reinventing themselves in ways that are new and exciting, while still supporting an age old tradition. We hope to join them.

Just as Brooklyn-based Greenlight Books did when they launched plans to open their successful store, Lowe and Gustafson are documenting their journey to opening day on a blog. Lowe reached out to Greenlight co-owner Rebecca Fitting for advice about their business plan and the process of opening a bookstore, spending a few shifts learning how to do the day-to-day tasks of shelving books, working the register, and working the inventory management system.

On Monday, the AnnArbor.com website posted an article with speculation that Lowe and Gustafson are frontrunners to buy Michigan governor Rick Snyder’s former campaign office at 214 E. Washington Street in downtown Ann Arbor.

“We are in lease negotiations for the space right now,” co-owner Hilary Lowe said Monday.

“… We wanted something downtown because there are a bunch of great niche stores, but nothing has really replaced Borders as a general bookstore. We wanted to be in that walkable area, and it’s been a challenge to find the right space at the right price.”

While physical space is yet to be secured, you can find Literati Bookstore on Facebook and Twitter.