Independent Bookshops
UPDATED MARCH 2026
When it comes to literary cities, they don’t come much bigger than London – just think how many novels have been set here and writers who have worked here – so it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the capital is bursting with bookshops. Yes the big chains are all here but there are a ton of fantastic independent bookshops that are well worth exploring.
There are specialist shops like Gay’s The Word, which is the oldest independent LGBT+ bookshop in the UK; and Round Table Books, a Black-owned bookshop in Brixton that specialises in children’s literature with diverse characters (in terms of race, gender and disability) and inclusive stories.
And then there are bookshops that just like to do things a bit differently, like Liberia by Second Home, which arranging the shelves by broad themes like ‘Wanderlust’, ‘Utopia’ and ‘The City’, rather than by category to encourage discovery, and Word On The Water, which is a floating bookshop moored on the canal.
This floating bookshop on a 100-year-old Dutch barge actually used to make its way up and down the canal but now it’s moored by Granary Square (so at least you know where to find it). Go for the books – they have a range of second-hand tomes and new releases plus some quirky titles, as you’d expect from a bookshop on a boat – stay for the dog and one of the live music performances on the roof if you’re lucky.
This Black-owned bookshop in Brixton specialises in children’s literature with diverse characters (in terms of race, gender and disability) and inclusive stories. The shop actually started life as a pop-up to celebrate the first anniversary of Knights Of, the publishing company run by founder Aimée Felone, but it was such a success that she turned it into a permanent store.
Brick Lane Bookshop has been around for more than 40 years and it’s been an integral part of the local community ever since – it was born out of protest and collaboration and it’s kept that spirit intact. They even run an annual Short Story Prize to give new and emerging writers the opportunity to be published. The shop stocks fiction, non-fiction, children’s books, poetry, travel, essays, classics and more, and the team are more than happy to give recommendations, so defo ask if you need a little guidance.
Located just off Portobello Road, Books for Cooks has become a destination for bibliophiles who are also serious about food. The shelves are overflowing with thousands of tasty titles sure to satisfy your cravings. And it’s not just recipe books on the menu – the shop serves up a broad selection of foodie fiction, history, biography, and art titles. The cherry on top? Sandwiched between shelves at the back of the store is its very own test kitchen. Four days a week at 12pm sharp, the resident chefs bring recipes from the page to the plate to help customers decide which books to takeaway to try at home.
Climax was established in New York in 2020 by former Dazed editor-in-chief Isabella Burley as a seller of rare and revered books and publications. Now, with a sister branch in London, it has evolved into a cult cultural space. It may have expanded its offering into stationery and wearables, but the mission remains the same: presenting a collection of the very best – and very coolest – cultural ephemera. Stepping through the iconic pink doors, you’ll find a gold mine of film, fashion, photography and arts titles. From David Lynch retrospectives to Japanese erotica, whatever your niche, you’ll discover something new.
Photo credit: @climaxbooks
Gay’s The Word is the oldest independent LGBT+ bookshop in the UK. It was set up as a community space (Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners held their first meetings here during the strike of 84-85) and community events are still held in the store to this day. The shelves are packed with a range of books spanning fiction, non-fiction, classics, plays, poetry, history, graphic novels, queer studies and more.
Pages of Hackney is an award-winning independent bookshop on the Lower Clapton Road. You’ll find a right mix of titles of their shelves, including contemporary and classic fiction, as well as children’s books, politics, environment, art, cookery and second-hand books too. If you can’t get to the actual store, you can also browse their books online and order them for collection, local delivery (by bike) and nationwide delivery.
Dulwich Books have been around since 1981 and since the beginning they’ve been committed to offering a quality service to the community, including local schools and colleges. They stock a wide range of books and have access to over 650,000 titles (most of which can be collected by the end of the next day), including fiction, non-fiction, young adult and children’s books. Their team are mega experienced and helpful so take advantage of their recommendations.
New Beacon was the UK’s first black publisher, specialist bookshop and international book distributor founded back in 1966 by John La Rose and his partner Sarah White. These guys make poetry, literature, non-fiction, history and children’s books from Africa, Caribbean, Asia, African America, Europe and South America available to the community and this Finsbury Park bookstore has played an important role in the Caribbean Artists Movement as well as in Black British culture in general.
A bookshop from the team behind co-working spaces Second Home, Libreria does things a little differently by arranging the shelves by broad themes like ‘Wanderlust’, ‘Utopia’ and ‘The City’, rather than by category to encourage discovery and help you stumble on something you may not have found otherwise. There are little nooks throughout the space where you can dive into a book and Libreria has a packed cultural calendar of events to get involved in too.
Opening in summer 2025, Saucy Books is London’s first bookshop dedicated to romance. Founded by Sarah Maxwell, the Notting Hill spot has a simple mission: giving shelf space to a genre that’s massively popular but often overlooked. The shop is a love letter to romance in all its forms, stocking everyone from Jilly Cooper to BookTok’s latest obsessions. It also hosts author talks, “sip and sign” events and a regular romance book club. From queer love stories and slow-burn novels to fiery romantasy and spicy historical fiction, there’s plenty here to feed your desires.
Ever since Hugh Grant’s travel bookshop set the scene for his romance with Julia Roberts in Notting Hill, there’s been an inescapable charm about travel writing. Founded in late 2025, Marylebone-based Travellers’ Tales is now carrying on the story. Every globetrotter should have it on their list. The shelves are stacked with memoirs, novels, guides and coffee table books, all primed to transport you across the globe and fuel your wanderlust. And when inspiration strikes, the in-house team can help design a bespoke itinerary for your next adventure.
Maktaba is the Bookshop-in-Residence at Ibraaz, the institution dedicated to art, culture, and ideas from the Middle East and North Africa. Curated by the Palestine Festival of Literature, the shop offers an expanding catalogue of books, all based around a core collection of Palestinian literature which extends out through the Arab world and beyond. You can explore special selections on Kashmir, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt and more as well as the store’s permanent collection of zines from Gaza and Arabic children’s books.
Bàrd Books bills itself as “more than just a bookshop” and it’s not wrong. The Roman Road spot is part brilliantly curated bookstore (all killer, no filler), part cafe and bar, and part local hangout for coffees, pastries, working sessions, author talks and live music. Plus, the shelves are stacked with titles the booksellers have actually read or are genuinely excited about, so you’ll leave with a proper recommendation for your TBR. And with a packed events calendar, you’ve always got a reason to swing back.
Running out of a tiny kiosk in Clerkenwell, Exmouth Cultural Kiosk is a secondhand bookstore and self-publishing project that sells books for as little as £2. The selection rotates often and can include everything from Tennyson to its own guide to Clerkenwell pubs. The paperbacks on sale are a fiver and these include a £1 donation to Great Ormond Street Hospital. There are even CDs on offer too for all you old-school music fans. The kiosk has been operating since October 2023 and it’s built a loyal local following. It’s an unexpected delight and worth swinging by for a lunchtime mooch to pick up your next read.
Nearly 20 years after first launching above Soho Original Books on Charing Cross Road, Claire de Rouen has opened a new home in Shoreditch. The space at 11A Kingsland Road sits beneath the Overground tracks in a former tattoo parlour and will host exhibitions, talks, launches and signings alongside its shelves of hard-to-find books, magazines and ephemera. Founded by the late Claire de Rouen in 2005, the shop became a pilgrimage spot for photographers, fashion students, artists and magazine obsessives hunting down rare monographs, erotic publishing and independent print. Over the years, everyone from Alexander McQueen to young CSM students passed through its cramped Soho space.
