Celebrating Bookshop Day UK: A Reader’s Guide to the Joy of Browsing

If you loved our blog on Indie Bookstore Day in the U.S. and Canada, where members of The Novelry team recommended their favorite bookstores, and you wished we did the same for the U.K., you’re in luck!

We’re back among the bookshelves of the United Kingdom for this annual celebration of beloved indies: Bookshop Day 2025. In this article, writing coach (and sometime bookseller) Evie Wyld reminds us why browsing and buying at your local bookshop makes such a big difference for authors, readers, and the community at large. And thanks to the help of our team members, we have another wonderful list of recommended bookshops for you to visit!

Let’s hand over to Evie and her expert guide to bookshops, from both behind and in front of the counter...

The Books Are My Bag campaign

In 2013, the Booksellers Association established a year-long campaign to celebrate bookshops of every sort in the U.K. and Ireland. Now in its 13th year, Books Are My Bag is made up of a range of events, including Independent Bookshop Week in June, Bookshop Day on the second Saturday in October, Irish Book Week (also in October), as well as the Books Are My Bag Readers Awards, the Indie Book of the Month, and the free biannual Booktime magazine.

The annual Bookshop Day campaign includes book signings and special events in shops, and every year there is a limited edition bag designed by a notable artist (previous designers include Jackie Morris, Charlie Mackesy, Orla Kiely, Grayson Perry, Sir Peter Blake, and Tracy Emin—this year’s theme is by Ashwin Chacko).

Falling in October, Bookshop Day is often also a good chance to (whispers): start your Christmas book shopping early...

Each moment of Bookshop Day is an opportunity to bring together bookshops, authors, publishers, and readers to celebrate and support bricks-and-mortar booksellers. It’s not just an annual celebration—it’s a chance to remind customers (us) how great it feels to shop in person at high-street bookshops, making sure we keep them at the heart of our communities.

Why local bookshops mean the world to writers

Many bookshops play a vital role in supporting writers, especially emerging and local voices. Unlike algorithm-shaped shopping experiences, bookshops offer a chance to discover new authors and champion new voices.

But more than that, bookshops and booksellers are an essential part of the publishing ecosystem. At The Novelry, we believe that reading widely and deeply is the key to writing well. And finding the best books so often comes from a visit to a bookshop.

When I worked full-time at Review bookshop in Peckham, I knew every title we had in stock and where it lived on the shelf. I knew that every book we stocked had been chosen by me or my colleague, and that meant I could match the book to the customer. With around 200,000 books being published in the U.K. per year, having your book selected and hand-sold by a bookseller who knows their onions (and their customers) is hugely valuable.

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How to support Bookshop Day: choose bookshops!

In 2025, this special bookish day lands on Saturday, October 11, and as many as a thousand bookshops will be participating. As Bookshop Day aims to celebrate your local bookshop, it’s really simple to get involved. You just have to walk through the door!

To help you mark Bookshop Day, the team at The Novelry has helped me put together a list of some of our favorite local bookshops across the U.K. so you can plan ahead. If there isn’t a participating shop near you, don’t worry—you can use the Booksellers Association’s shop finder to locate your nearest one.

Buying online may have become a large part of our cultural landscape, but this Saturday, think local and IRL—whether that’s your local Eason, Waterstones, Blackwell’s, Foyles, Daunt Books, or one of the many wonderful bookshops in our recommendations below.

In an era of fake news, alternative facts, and book bans, bookshops are an essential part of our culture and should be celebrated. But for those of us in The Novelry community, there’s an extra imperative. If we want there to be readers for the books we write, we need to support bookshops. It’s that simple.

As the late great Jonathan Main from The Bookseller Crow on the Hill in Crystal Palace always said:

Keep fighting evil; buy a book.
—Jonathan Main

The Novelry’s favorite local bookshops in the U.K.

At The Novelry, we’re proud to support Bookshop Day and celebrate the brilliant booksellers who keep our reading lives vibrant and our literary communities thriving.

Many of our writing coaches and editors live and work across the U.K., and they’ve shared some of their favorite indie bookshops—from bustling cities to quiet market towns. We hope you’ll discover a new favorite—a place to meet fellow book lovers, attend an author event, or simply immerse yourself in the joy of browsing.

Because bookshops aren’t just for one day a year—they’re for whenever you want to feel at home among books.

Review bookshop, Peckham, London

First up is my own! I managed Review for years, and wrote most of my first two novels at the counter. Now I’m behind the counter only if everyone else is off sick, but I still love dropping in for excellent Sci Fri recommendations from manager Ben Pope, wonderful literary fiction and short stories from Vida Adamczewski, books in translation, new writers, and everything weird and spooky by Roz Simpson. Very dog-friendly.

The Bookseller Crow on the Hill, Crystal Palace, London

Until recently, this landmark shop was run by the late Jonathan Main, a man famous in publishing circles for his kindness, intelligence, and enthusiasm. He was the first person I always took my newly published books to. The world of books mourns his loss, but we hope that Bookseller Crow continues to be a hub at the center of the community.

Every day apart from Christmas Day and Easter Sunday, they’re there—reading the books and selling the books. This shop is the lynch pin of the community, throwing events, writing courses, and a thriving book club with writer-in-residence Karen McLeod at the helm.

Jon was a great, dedicated bookseller who knew his stuff. It’s a sad time for literary culture in Crystal Palace. May his spirit and his shop endure. Bookseller Crow is a treasure trove.
—Yann Martel

Lala Books, Camberwell, London

Lala Books is a very new small bookshop. Lala was originally a delicatessen, and they still serve excellent coffee. They have an evolving selection of books, and one of the real advantages of being small is that the stock never gets stale! If you pass Lala Books on a warm evening, you can often find people spilling onto the pavement holding books and bottles of beer. A destination bookshop.

Dulwich Books, West Dulwich, London

I always liked Dulwich Books when I was living in London!
—Tash Barsby

The Common Press, Bethnal Green, London

A wonderful queer bookshop. Explicitly inclusive, entirely independent, Black-owned, and also acts as an LGBTQ+ community hub.
—Tasha Suri

Owl Bookshop, Kentish Town, London

This shop has a great children’s and YA section, and a good program of regular events. It’s not uncommon to see local authors Michael Palin and Bella Mackie popping in to sign books, and you’ll spot the Owl’s iconic tote bag hauling books around this part of North London.

During Covid, with shops closed, the Owl Bookshop drove around and hand-delivered books to my front step! I held the launch for my second novel there and really appreciated the team’s enthusiasm.
—Katie Khan

The Word, New Cross, London

Part of the fabric and community of Goldsmiths College, University of London, The Word works in a collaborative relationship, closely liaising with teaching staff and responding to students’ needs. They have a great selection of contemporary fiction and a good non-fiction selection, from biographies to books on politics, history, race, and gender. A really helpful place.

Daunt Books, Marylebone, London

A really beautiful shop. A lot of book launches happen here—and they do their own book festival too, which is always excellent. Daunts is an independent chain with nine other stores, and while most are in London, they also have stores in Essex, Buckinghamshire, and Oxford.

I loved Daunt Books when I lived in London. I’d take all visitors there on my tour of ‘best London things.’
—Tara Conklin

Gay’s The Word, Bloomsbury, London

Gay’s The Word is the oldest LGBT bookshop in the U.K. and a touchstone for the broader LGBT community. The bookshop was set up in January 1979 by a group of gay socialists as a community space where all profits were funneled back into the business. This ethos continues today, in a shop where shelves burst with books and the space is used for book and community events.

Kibworth Books, Leicester

A beauty! And the owner is great at getting writers in for live events.
—Mahsuda Snaith

Baggins Book Bazaar, Rochester, Kent

Recommended by editor Natasha Qureshi, Baggins Book Bazaar is the largest secondhand bookshop in England, with a range of titles appealing to all tastes and ages, set out in labyrinthine rows of books. There is something here for everyone!

Booka Bookshop, Oswestry, Shropshire

Probably my favorite. It’s gorgeous, and a community spot too.
—Bea Fitzgerald

Maldon Books, Maldon, Essex

My hometown shop. When they opened, I wasn’t sure a bookshop could survive there but they’ve aced it, expanded, and got so many authors to come down too.
—Bea Fitzgerald

Bags of Books, Lewes, East Sussex

I pop in whenever I’m there; it’s super cute with lovely displays and wonderful staff.
—Emily Kitchin

Storysmith, Bristol

A GEM.
—Emylia Hall

Rare Birds Books, Edinburgh, Scotland

This shop champions female authors. Its mission is to help you discover brilliant books you’d never have otherwise heard of, and to help you make space on your bookshelf for women’s writing across every genre.

Mount Florida Books, Glasgow, Scotland

They stock the best in literary fiction, poetry, politics, cookery, and more with a strong social conscience—and are dedicated to reinvesting their profits into literary and literacy projects in Glasgow.

The Book Nook, Stewarton, Scotland

A vibrant independent bookshop founded in 2020. It stocks a wide range of books for children, teens, and adults, plus non‑fiction. The shop hosts regular community events: book clubs, storytimes, author visits, and workshops.

The Wee Bookshop, Dollar, Scotland

A warm, community‑focused independent bookshop and cafe. They stock a wide selection of fiction, children’s books, travel, and nature titles.

Far From The Madding Crowd, Linlithgow, Scotland

A charming, two-floor bookshop set in a Georgian building. With curated fiction, children’s titles, and a dedicated Scotland Room, it’s a haven for readers of all ages. Regular events, book clubs, and a warm community vibe make it more than a shop—it’s a literary destination.

The Cleeve Bookshop, Bishop’s Cleeve, Gloucestershire

A small bookshop in the heart of Bishop’s Cleeve, near Cheltenham, this is the favorite of writing coach Amanda Reynolds.

This is my local indie, and Will is brilliant! So supportive of authors and launches and events.
—Amanda Reynolds

Bert’s Books, Swindon, Wiltshire

Apart from everything else that makes them lovely, they tie their postal orders in ribbon that’s color-matched to the book.

Imagined Things Bookshop, Harrogate, North Yorkshire

A beautiful store filled with lots of bookish gifts as well as great reads.

Griffin Books, Penarth, Wales

They recently took over the shop next door to create a huge children’s section, and they do fantastic author events.
—Clare Mackintosh

Your initial plans this weekend: choose bookshops! 

We hope this has given you even the smallest preview of all the wonderful British high-street bookshops out there, whether in your local area or a little further afield. While this blog is helping to mark Bookshop Day ahead of the celebrations, remember that you can browse a local bookshop at any time. Christmas book shopping, in particular, is always a wonderful experience that can’t be replicated online.

It might not always be completely possible to choose bookshops over the alternative, but it’s worth remembering that these are special places run by special people, filled with special books to enjoy.

What could be more magical than that?

Wherever you are on your writer’s journey, we can offer the complete pathway from coming up with an idea through to ‘The End.’ Our novel writing programs include personal mentorship from published authors, live classes, and step-by-step self-paced lessons to inspire you daily, and we’ll help you complete your book with our unique one-hour-a-day method. Learn from bestselling authors and publishing editors to live—and love—the writer’s life. Sign up and start today. The Novelry is the famous fiction writing school that is open to all!