Heloola

Heloola is an Italian editorial project that combines three activities: an online bookshop, a monthly subscription book club, and, since 2025, a publishing house focused on contemporary foreign fiction. The company operates under TBR Media Srl (VAT number 11981990960) and describes its aim as putting books back at the centre of conversation. Its shop lists only titles that have been read and selected by the team, with contemporary fiction priced roughly in the €18-22 range.

The book club is built around a monthly selected title chosen from recent Italian and international releases. Subscribers receive the book in print or e-book format (EPUB delivered by email), and the title is accompanied by exclusive supporting content including podcasts, author interviews, reading guides and an in-depth digital library, plus a community comments section and an end-of-month digital discussion event. Subscribers may skip any month free of charge from their second month, with the next title announced on the 20th of each month and a skip window through the 23rd; subscriptions renew automatically.

Heloola Books is the company's independent publishing imprint, publishing translated contemporary fiction. Announced titles include Dominic Amerena's "Storia di un'amicizia bugiarda" (translated by Claudia Durastanti, 300 pages, release 9 September 2026), Holly Bourne's "Molto felice per te" (translated by Rachele Salerno, 456 pages, 27 May 2026) and John Patrick McHugh's "Fine primo tempo" (translated by Bianca Rita Cataldi, 384 pages, 25 March 2026).

Founding story

Heloola was founded in 2019 by sisters Giada and Alice Cancellario as an editorial project intended to put books back at the centre of conversation. It grew out of the founders' book club community (described as Le Girls / Le Ragazze Book Club), which had over 100,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok. Alice Cancellario holds a degree in Economics and Management for Art, Culture, Media and Entertainment from Bocconi University in Milan and previously worked in the entertainment sector, including at The Walt Disney Company and TikTok; Giada Cancellario is described as director of the company.

Business model

Heloola sells curated books through its online shop and operates a recurring-revenue subscription book club in print and e-book tiers, while also publishing its own translated fiction under the Heloola Books imprint, whose titles also feed the book club (for example, "Storia di un'amicizia bugiarda" as the September book of the month).

Revenue comes from single-title book sales in the online shop and from auto-renewing book club subscriptions. Print plans are priced at €13.50 for one month, €38.00 for three months and €150.00 for one year; e-book plans at €23.50, €68.00 and €260.00 respectively. Free shipping is offered from two books upward.

Traction

Its social community on Instagram and TikTok exceeded 100,000 followers, and the company reports that 85% of the community say their reading choices are influenced by Heloola's selection. The company was one of seven Italian startups to complete the B4i - Bocconi for innovation acceleration programme in July 2022. Headcount is listed as 1-10 employees at pre-seed stage.

Latest developments

Since 2025 Heloola has operated as a publishing house focused on contemporary foreign fiction under the Heloola Books imprint, with announced 2026 releases including "Fine primo tempo" by John Patrick McHugh (25 March 2026), "Molto felice per te" by Holly Bourne (27 May 2026) and "Storia di un'amicizia bugiarda" by Dominic Amerena (9 September 2026), the latter serving as the September book club selection; sales of the September title have closed and "Il gioco della conta" by Sinéad Nolan is the October book of the month.