Results tagged “bibliotext”

Over the last nearly-a-year we've visited 35 of the capital's best independent bookshops - and we've barely scratched the surface. Not ones for being undaunted (we're booky people; we spend winter hibernating surrounded by paperbacks and tea) we're taking a hiatus. But in light of another big chain demise last week, we thought we'd leave you with our map of the places we've visited so you can maybe do the same. more ›

Continuing our amble round London's independent bookshops Black Gull Books is a bit of an institution in Camden Market; owner Chris has been there as a stallholder from the market's birth. His second hand and antiquarian books have a more all-weather home these days and a sister shop in East Finchley. more ›

Continuing our amble round London's independent bookshops Opposite Highgate tube station is a tiny little treasure trove. Although it's got a bit of a reputation for being a children's bookshop, Ripping Yarns actually carries a wide range of fiction, magazines (old copies of Shoot or Melody Maker, anyone?), plays, theatre ephemera, politics and poetry - as is only fitting, since owner Celia Hewitt is Adrian Mitchell's widow (and so, we assume, the inspiration behind Mitchell's Celia, Celia). more ›

Continuing our amble around London's independent bookshops Stoke Newington Bookshop is another of London's independent stalwarts, having been going strong for 20-something years. Its TARDIS-like interior - so much bigger than it looks from the outside, plus it's blue - contains a great children's section (as befits such a nappy valley-ish area), large travel and local history sections and a fantastic fiction selection. more ›

Continuing our amble round London's independent bookshops Charing Cross Road used to be the heart of the second-hand book trade in London. One of the all too few remnants of the those glorious days, is Any Amount of Books at No 56. There has been a second-hand dealer in the premises since the 1920s (and probably well before that). more ›

Continuing our amble round London's independent bookshops Biblion is kind of like a showcase opportunity for antiquarian and rare book dealers in the heart of Mayfair. In the middle of Grays Antique Market, tucked away behind Bond Street tube, it's an unexpected goldmine, a place that brings together lots of covetable items under one roof. more ›

Continuing our amble round London's independent bookshops It's a two-for-one deal this week as we visit Artwords Bookshop(s). The Rivington Street shop has been open since 2001, and feels a bit like being invited into someone's special stock cupboard. By which we mean it's tiny, yet enterprisingly packed full of stuff on contemporary visual art (one entire wall is taken up just with magazines). We really like the dinky atmosphere, a bit like bookshops of yore but in a whitewashed, arty setting. more ›

The tale of Clapham Books is one of triumph over adversity. In 2006, a team of plucky bibliophiles bought a failing bookshop on the site of the current store, changed its name, spruced it up and - despite not taking salaries for the first few months and some hairy rent negotiations - made a roaring success. more ›

Strictly speaking, Hatchards isn't an independent bookshop (it's owned by HMV, which makes it a sister to Waterstones; albeit a much older, more sophisticated sibling), but this is our game and we'll change the rules if we want. Opened in 1797, it's London's oldest bookshop and was independent for most of its life. more ›

Continuing our amble round London's independent bookshops We're back after our summer break, and in leafy West Dulwich. Opened 27 years ago, Dulwich Books has very strong sections on fiction, art, biographies and crime, even including translations of criminal goings-on from France, Germany and Scandinavia. more ›

Continuing our amble round London's independent bookshops We've visited some quite old and venerable bookshops over the last few months, so perhaps it's fitting that this week we bring you a newborn. Clerkenwell Tales in Exmouth Market has only been open three - three! - weeks. more ›

Set up in 1936 as a book club and lending library (and based in Buckingham Street until 1986), Grant and Cutler is now the largest foreign language bookseller in the UK. more ›

Continuing our amble round London's independent bookshops "What's the difference between an 'esoteric' and an 'occult' bookshop?" we asked Atlantis co-owner Geraldine Beskin. "Nothing," came the reply. We like simple answers. more ›

Simon Key and Tim West used to work for Waterstones; they'd barely settled in as managers of the Wood Green branch when they were informed the chain was closing the store down, leaving the area with no bookshop at all. So they decided to do something about it and the Big Green Bookshop was born. more ›

Continuing our amble round Cecil Court's independent bookshops more ›

Continuing our amble around Cecil Court's independent bookshops more ›

Continuing our amble around Cecil Court's independent bookshops more ›

Continuing our amble round Cecil Court's independent bookshops more ›

When we wandered in to investigate Cecil Court a couple of years ago we didn't really stop to look in the shops (we're busy people, things to do, people to see). But we thought it was time to remedy that - with knobs on. more ›

Continuing our amble round London's independent bookshops more ›

After last week's venture to Joseph's Bookstore unleashed our thirst for knowledge, we decided to check out Westbourne Grove's Al Saqi Bookshop, which is the UK's largest Middle Eastern Specialist bookseller. It first caught our eye after having done a double-take walking past it on the way to grab some coffee. more ›

Continuing our amble round London's independent bookshops more ›

Continuing our amble round London's independent bookshops more ›

Coincidences are funny, aren't they? Last Wednesday, Londonist reader Jill Butcher emailed to tip us the wink about the London Review Bookshop, and would you believe we were just putting our shoes on to swing by and visit? We're all clearly on the same wavelength. more ›

Continuing our amble round London's independent bookshops more ›

Continuing our amble round London's independent bookshops more ›

Continuing our amble round London's independent bookshops more ›

Continuing our amble round London's independent bookshops more ›

Continuing our amble round London's independent bookshops more ›

Continuing our amble through London's independent bookshops more ›