Independent Bookshop Week is a celebration of independent bookshops in the UK, highlighting the vital role independent bookshops play in their communities. The campaign was launched in 2006 by the Booksellers Association.
To celebrate Independent Bookshop Week taking place in the UK this week (17-24th June), we asked members of our team to share their favourite independent bookshop, and why, and here are their answers:
Lola Onasanya, Publishing Support Assistant
“Queer Lit in the Northern Quarter. They stock a great range of titles, LGBTQ focused (as the name suggests), and has a section specific to each identity, including authors of colour. The bookshop itself is cosy and the staff are lovely!”
Katie Evans, Assistant Editorial Controller
“News from Nowhere is a radical & community bookshop in Liverpool, a co-operative with an impressive range of socio-political books for all reading levels, championing environmental, workersâ and LGBTQ+ rights and actively rallying against racism and discrimination â a bookshop with a big heart and big ideas.”
Emma Brennan, Editorial Director
“Chorlton Bookshop is small and friendly with a good range of books and cards for all ages and a constant sale on classic fiction titles. Excellent for last-minute gifts or a leisurely browse (also there is often a dog).â
Becca Parkinson, Marketing Coordinator
“A trip to Edinburgh is never complete without a visit to Lighthouse Bookshop, a radical bookshop which hosts amazing events throughout the year, including their Radical Book Fair and Edinburgh Book Fringe. As Scotland’s leading politics bookshop, they have a huge range of titles, but have a particularly excellent selection of activist, intersectional, feminist, antiracist, and LGBTQ+ books.”
Laura Swift, Assistant Editor
“Rare Mags are leading the pack in Stockportâs burgeoning independent scene with an impeccably curated selection of books and magazines, and a steady supply of hard-to-find design and culture magazines from all over the world.”
Matthew Frost, Senior Commissioning Editor
“It is great to see House of Books and Friends open up in Manchester city centre. It is staffed by genuine, enthusiastic booksellers, and the ambience of the cafĂ© and the events room make it a must-visit destination for any reader.”
Rhian Davies, Marketing Coordinator
“The Bookshop By The Sea in Aberystwyth is a beautiful community focused bookshop on the western coast of Wales. Not only a bookshop, the space offers access to live music, poetry reading, childrenâs story times and so much more. The mission of the bookshop is to make a lasting positive impact on the community, using stories and books as a way to connect people. Aberystwyth is a small town with a big personality and large university population. The Bookshop By The Sea personifies the townâs identity of community, education and culture. The bookshop owner, Freya Blyth has opened the bookshop relatively recently, having returned to Wales during COVID after running childrenâs libraries in Jerusalem and working in bookshops around the world and is an overall lovely person to chat to.”
Shannon Kneis, Senior Commissioning Editor
“Storysmith champions indie presses, puts on an amazing and broad range of events, hosts a fantastic queer book club (which includes wine) â whatâs not to love. They have knowledgeable and friendly staff who give great recommendations (which was particularly appreciated with hand delivered books during lockdowns), and are committed and embedded in the south west literature scene. Itâs easy to see why they won The British Book Awards regional South West independent bookshop of the year!”
Lianne Slavin, Editorial Services Manager
“Tough to pick just one but for new books I would opt for Lighthouse in Edinburgh: principled, informative, bright, airy, and they put on some wonderful events. For second-hand books I love the warren-like Scarthin Books in Derbyshire. It also has a lovely cafĂ©!”
Jen Mellor, Digital Production Manager
“I am obsessed with one of Manchesterâs newcomers to the bookshop scene, House of Books and Friends. Itâs like they crept into my brain, figured out everything I want in a bookshop, and then made it real! A brilliantly curated array of fiction and non-fiction, lots of seating, an excellent cafĂ©, and a couple of old typewriters thrown in for good measure â itâs my new happy place. And I shouldnât really say this in case you all steal my idea, but my favourite time to visit is early on a Saturday morning before the rest of Manchester is properly awake â itâs nice and quiet, and my favourite chair is always available. No offence, but I hope never to see you there!”
Chris Hart, Sales and Marketing Director
“My favourite independent bookshops are BookBar, London Review Bookshop, Gay’s the Word and House of Books and Friends. All four are more than just a place to buy books. They are community, âthird placeâ spaces, offering both sanctuary and interaction with likeminded souls. They show us that while reading books is often done in private, our love of books is a shared experience, and an opportunity to enrich our lives.”
Bethan Hirst, Marketing Coordinator
“My favourite bookshop is Richard Booth’s Bookshop in Hay on Wye. The bookshop is housed in a stunningly beautiful building on one of Hay on Wyeâs main shopping street and venturing inside is like stepping back in time. It was opened by Richard Booth, the self-titled âKing of Hayâ who was also instrumental in setting up the Hay literary festival. As well as selling new books, the bookshop also stocks an amazing variety of second hand titles too, on topics as diverse as theology, welsh literature and true crime. Thereâs also an amazing childrenâs area where kids are welcome to relax and on comfy mini sized chairs.”