Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Fourteen London Bookstores


Yep, I just counted, and I visited 14 different bookstores while I was in London. It was a fabulous thing to do. Though the British people I talked to tended not to believe me, I nevertheless am firm in the conviction that bookstore culture is alive and well in, if not the UK as a whole, at least in London--or at least a whole lot more massive and vibrant than it is stateside. Here's where I went.

Above, Daunt Books--really just the perfect bookstore, my forever London favorite


Foyles--massive, independent, amazing (a bit like the Strand or Powell's, but more sleek)--great comics section


KK Outlet--great currated selection of art books and zines


Waterstone's the UK's main book chain has come back from the bring of near extinction by making their stores actually appealing. Go figure


Hatchards--apparently the bookstore of the establishment


Tachen--honoring David Bowie, as well they should


Blackwells--nice enough shop, good for readers, but nothing like the massive book mecca that Blackwells is in Oxford


Assouline--high end cafe plus bookshop


Artworks--great art book store


Notting Hill Bookshop--they actually have a blue plaque for being the bookshop in the movie Notting Hill


Persephone Books--another favorite--they publish and sell forgotten books by women, all in the same quietly beautiful gray covers


Libraria--very hip and cool with DIY plywood shelving and reading nooks to sit in, mirrored ceiling, books organized thematically for discovery rather than location, and no cell phones allowed


Potterton Books--used and rare art, design, and fashion books


Tenderbooks--new kid on the block, hip art bookshop in a row of old fashioned antiquarian booksellers (I wonder how they feel about that)


Waterstones, Hatchards, Blackwells, and Persephone photos borrowed from their respective websites because I lacked the presence of mind to take a good one while I was there (too distracted by books!)

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