Remembering Felipe Ossa: A Pillar of Colombian Literature and National Library Heritage

Felipe Ossa, former manager of Librería Nacional, passed away; the news was announced on July 22 – credit @IvanDuque

On July 22, the news of Felipe Ossa’s passing was announced, who had been at the helm of Librería Nacional for several years.

His figure was widely recognized throughout the country as one of the most influential booksellers in Colombia’s history. Due to his remarkable career and contributions to the world of books, Ossa was known as ‘the greatest bookseller’ or ‘the dean of Colombian booksellers’.

As of now, no additional details have been revealed about the circumstances of his passing. Over more than 50 years, he was closely linked to Librería Nacional, where he held the position of general manager, although he started his career as a warehouse assistant and bookseller.

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It was former President Iván Duque who, through his account on the social network X (formerly known as Twitter), reported Felipe Ossa’s passing. Duque maintained a close friendship with Ossa and took it upon himself to share the sad news with his followers.

In his message, Duque expressed his sorrow over the departure of Felipe Ossa, whom he considered a great friend. He also described Ossa as a great intellectual, bookseller, and lover of culture. In his message, Duque highlighted the close friendship he shared with Ossa, who was for years the general manager of Librería Nacional.

“I receive with pain the death of my great friend Felipe Ossa. He was a great intellectual, bookseller, lover of culture, and for years the general manager of Librería Nacional. I shared his friendship with my father, and spending time with Felipe was always an adventure of knowledge and reflection on his unparalleled human quality. We will miss you very much, dear Felipe,” commented the former head of state on his X account.

Iván Duque lamented the passing of Felipe Ossa and called him “a great intellectual” – credit @IvanDuque

He concluded his post by saying: “Solidarity to his family, whom we accompany in prayer, especially to his wife Claudia and his son Andrés Ossa, who has proudly followed in his father’s footsteps.”

Former President Iván Duque expressed his condolences to Felipe Ossa’s family after his passing – credit EFE

Although Felipe Ossa was born in Bogotá, he grew up in Buga, his father’s hometown, where at the age of five he began his love for reading through comics and stories. Initially, he took drawing classes with the dream of becoming an illustrator and cartoonist, but eventually left this path to fully dedicate himself to his true passion. For Ossa, these publications represented an indelible memory of his childhood in a large house in a small, quiet town, as well as the endearing image of his father bringing him books and comic magazines.

At the age of six, he started his hobby of collecting comics and graphic novels, although he took a break during his teenage years. He resumed this practice at the age of 18, coinciding with his entry into the bookstore. Over time, he managed to amass a collection exceeding 3,000 magazines, graphic novels, and related books.

However, according to El Espectador, he did not finish high school due to his expulsion from school; he decided to focus on his learning outside the academic environment and immerse himself in reading books as his main source of knowledge.

In that regard, he said in an interview with the aforementioned media that: “I never went back to any school or anything. I am self-taught. Yes, I studied a lot on my own—history, philosophy, literature, science, and art. Sistematically, I set out to study the fields of humanities, but I did not finish high school. I also had no intention of entering university. My true university has been books.”

Also, he published three books dedicated to the study of the ninth art: “The World of Comics,” “Comics and Their History,” and “The Paper Heroes.” He was also part of the editorial team of the Colombian magazine Click, specialized in the analysis and dissemination of comics, which had seven editions between 1979 and 1984.

At the age of six, Felipe Ossa began his hobby of collecting comics and graphic novels, although he took a pause during his teenage years. He resumed this practice at the age of 18, coinciding with his entry into the bookstore. Over time, he managed to amass a collection exceeding 3,000 magazines, graphic novels, and related books – credit EFE/ Carlos Ortega