My 10 Favourite London Bookshops
It's #bookshopday!
I didn’t know this was a thing until this morning. So I celebrated with a visit to charmingly messy John Sandoe Books.
It’s been there for over 60 years, but feels like you’re in the 19th century. Their apparent business model is having one of each book. The staff constantly piles up more books, as if they’re losing a battle against boxes that keep arriving. Adorable.
London’s bookshops are the single best thing about this city. That is just a fact. Almost every neighbourhood has a good one, the releases keep coming, the editions are beautiful and… I can't prove it, but a lifetime of bookstore visits tell me that books in the UK are cheaper than anywhere else.
Entering a great bookshop feels like arriving home after a long trip. Even better: it feels like a hug.
So put down that Kindle. Here are my 10 favourite London bookshops:
10. Hatchards Piccadilly
187 Piccadilly, W1J 9LE
The oldest bookshop in London and probably the most imposing. It feels like you’re entering a very rich person’s library.
It’s incredibly beautiful (that spiral staircase! the lighting on the shelves!). I probably only ever bought one or two books there — it's a little intimidating.
9. Gosh!
1 Berwick St, W1F 0DR
I can't say I'm a big graphic novel fan, but Gosh!’s selection is so great that I always end up buying something. It has your average Spider-Man comics, but also hardcover poetic graphic novels and almost Xeroxed indie zines.
It’s in the heart of Soho, so it’s perfect to kill 20 minutes before your movie starts. Just make sure you bring some cash. Things can get expensive.
8. Artwords
20–22 Broadway Market, E8 4QJ
No visit to Broadway Market is complete without a little browse at Artwords.
While their strength is magazines, they have a really great selection of newly-released hyped books. It's also great for books like "111 Coffee Shops in London That You Must Not Miss" or books about foraging food in parks. (I have both.)
7. Wellcome Collection Shop
Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, NW1 2BE
The Wellcome Collection has a great museum bookshop, particularly for scientific and nature books. But what catapults it to this list is the Reading Room. It's probably my favourite place to read anywhere.
It’s just the perfect combination for a winter afternoon: get a coffee, buy a book, then go to the Reading Room and lie on one of their big pillows.
Best news: it reopens next week!
6. Waterstones Piccadilly
203/206 Piccadilly, W1J 9HD
The mother of all bookshops. It's the largest in Europe, but that takes nothing away: each square foot is adorable. I wish I lived here. Beautiful, beautifully organised, super nice staff. Went there the other day and the cashier convinced us to get a different book from the same author.
I have to deduce a few points for not being independent, but, still… wow. (Sadly, reading chairs have been taken away due to Covid.)
5. Libreria
65 Hanbury St, Spitalfields, E1 5JP
The coolest bookshop in London, with decoration so quirky and instagrammable that they (correctly) prohibit smartphones. Small and mighty. Mandatory visit if you’re around Brick Lane.
What sets it apart are the “theme shelves”. Instead of organising things as fiction vs non-fiction and putting books in alphabetical order, they have special shelves about “death” or “the sea” or "curated by Alain de Botton".
Fun fact: Alain chose four of his own books for his shelf.
4. London Review Bookshop
14–16 Bury Pl, Holborn, WC1A 2JL
Oh, the high shelves! And the little staircase you move around to get books from the top! When I think of a London bookshop, I think of this one. Awesome selection, beautiful organisation—it does feel like being hugged.
Bonus points for the lovely coffeeshop and the funniest Twitter account of all.
3. Bookmongers Brixton
439 Coldharbour Ln, Brixton, SW9 8LN
Confession: I've always hated second-hand bookshops. But Bookmongers won me back. It’s messily organised enough that you’ll always find something.
Prices are cheap, books are in good condition, they'll take your used books and give you some decent store credit. And, most importantly, no old bookstore smell. The owner is adorably grumpy and so is the cat.
2. Clapham Books
26 The Pavement, Clapham Common, SW4 0JA
I’m biased: this is *my* bookshop. Ok, I don’t own it. But it’s the closest one, the one I visit at least 2x a month, where I see what’s been released, where I get books delivered. Nice staff too. The last bookshop I visited before lockdown, and the first I visited when it opened up again.
When we were considering moving to Clapham, we definitely said "Well, Clapham Books is there…."
1. Daunt Books Marylebone
Well, it was always going to be Daunt Marylebone at the top, right?
It’s just too beautiful, too cool, too perfect. The best bookstore in a city full of fantastic bookstores. Makes me thankful for living here.
If you're curious about what I liked (and didn't like) reading in 2019, check out the 5th Motti Literary Awards.
