please empty your brain below
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I picked up a copy of "The London Bookshop Map - 100 Independent Bookshops" at the Whitechapel Gallery recently. If you can get hold of a copy it's well worth it. Free.
dg writes: Also available online - try clicking on the word "bookshops" in the post (or here)
Paul Parkinson | 13.10.12 - 7:06 a.m. | #
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Nomad books on Fulham Road, SW6 (between Fulham Broadway & Putney Bridge) was still there last time I went past, only a few weeks ago. The former Pan bookshop in Chelsea is now a Daunts but as far as I know it's still there.
dg writes: Both added, thanks.
CP | 13.10.12 - 7:10 a.m. | #
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The Book Box, 53 Chatsworth Road, E5 www.bookboxonline.co.uk
dg writes: Now added, thanks.
Mike Murnane | 13.10.12 - 7:30 a.m. | #
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Wimbledon Books and Music, SW19: http://www.wimbledonbooksandmusic.co.uk/
dg writes: Now added, thanks.
Will | 13.10.12 - 7:38 a.m. | #
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What do you mean by "independent" here? Foyles is a chain of bookshops with its head office in London and shops both in and out of London. Waterstones is a chain of bookshops with its head office in London and shops both in and out of London. Why include one but not the other?
Mike Scott | 13.10.12 - 7:47 a.m. | #
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Mike: I've includes both Daunt and Foyles because they're individual independent bookshops, focused in London, that have since opened a handful of other branches. Waterstones not so.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 13.10.12 - 7:55 a.m. | #
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West End Lane Books... Small and good.
dg writes: That's already in, Pete.
Pete L-L | 13.10.12 - 8:05 a.m. | #
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" Those small-ish friendly bookshops with knowledgeable assistants..."
Most Waterstones are exactly like that. The one in Notting Hill Gate, for example: I've always had truly friendly and informed service there. I go often to the one in Gower Street for remainders and to browse the latest arrivals (which, depending on the price, I'll then proceed to purchase there or on Amazon).
Imho, independent bookshop or chain, both are for profit and both promote culture. I am not partial to one or the other.
barbara jacob | 13.10.12 - 8:11 a.m. | #
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barbara: I have nothing against Waterstones, they are indeed friendly places to browse and buy. But they have more than 30 branches in London, so if I included them they'd totally dominate the map.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 13.10.12 - 8:22 a.m. | #
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Lutyens & Rubinstein Bookshop, 21 Kensington Park Road, W11 2EU.
They have a website
dg writes: Now added, thanks.
Gordon | 13.10.12 - 8:38 a.m. | #
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There's a fairly recently opened shop in Bernondsey Square - Woolfson & Tay
dg writes: Now added, thanks.
Rob The Builder | 13.10.12 - 8:46 a.m. | #
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Ink & Folly - Eltham (SE9)
http://www.inkandfolly.co.uk/
dg writes: Now added, thanks.
Dm | 13.10.12 - 9:30 a.m. | #
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don't know if you want this one, in Woodford Green on the border of London and Essex;
http://www.thevillagebookshop.co.uk/5.html
dg writes: Now added, thanks.
amber | 13.10.12 - 9:42 a.m. | #
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I was amazed to see there are only 54 bookshops in your chart: that means there is one shop for every 150,000 in the population.
If you disregard chains (Foyles and Daunts) there are only 44.
Outside the London postal area it's even worse - apart from the little cluster in Kew you only seem to have found three - one each in Upminster, Beckenham and Twickenham
timbo | 13.10.12 - 10:05 a.m. | #
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The Pitshanger Bookshop in Pitshanger Lane, W5.
http://www.pitshangerbooks.co.uk/
dg writes: Now added, thanks.
HoosierSands | Homepage | 13.10.12 - 11:20 a.m. | #
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Was hoping to add the lovely Crockatt & Powell to your list but I see it's closed down since I left London (the two facts may not be unrelated ... a goodly part of my salary used to go in that shop)
disgruntled | Homepage | 13.10.12 - 11:48 a.m. | #
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I like bookshops and am a great book collector. I don’t care what I read, fiction or non-fiction, as long as it’s interesting :-) However, I must admit I rarely support bookshops. Unfortunately the price of books is generally just way too high for me to buy new from the High Street. Like many people, I buy the occasional special books I particularly want from Amazon. Occasionaly Poundland have something worthwhile.
I could never resist second-hand bookshops and that was where most of my purchases came from. Sadly most of these have disappeared, with charity shops and their very little choice taking their place (although sometimes a gem can be found cheap).
I would buy from local bookshops if they were cheaper, as no doubt would other people, but then if they were cheaper, they probably couldn’t afford to be in business. It’s a catch 22 situation really.
Roger | 13.10.12 - 11:59 a.m. | #
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Regency Bookshop, Surbiton (KT6)
regencybookshop.com
dg writes: Now added, thanks.
michaelH | 13.10.12 - 12:05 p.m. | #
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Does this count? http://goo.gl/maps/fAmQF
I'm sure there's another off the East side of the Chalk Farm road but couldn't find a reference.
And there's a guy with a mountain of secondhand books in the basement of the North end of Camden Market.
Dave Hodgkinson | Homepage | 13.10.12 - 12:32 p.m. | #
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Bookcase London on Chiswick High Road: http://www.bookcaselondon.com/Shop.asp
There are several other stores in the area, but most probably get disqualified because they specialise or have a large proportion of second hand books (eg Fosters www.fostersbookshop.co.uk), or are too specialist (eg Tango http://www.tangobooks.co.uk/ with their great front page animation)
Rich | 13.10.12 - 1:27 p.m. | #
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'Off the East side of the Chalk Farm Road' may well mean, quoting their website, WALDEN BOOKS 38 Harmood Street (off Chalk Farm Road), London NW1 8DP. It's interesting but predominantly secondhand.
Gordon | 13.10.12 - 1:38 p.m. | #
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Langtons in Twickenham has closed, sadly.
dg writes: Now removed (sigh)
David | 13.10.12 - 2:17 p.m. | #
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Bookshop on the Heath, SE3
http://www.bookshopontheheath.co.uk/
Alan Burkitt-Gray | 13.10.12 - 2:36 p.m. | #
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Amber's beaten me to it already - I too was going to mention The Village Bookshop (www.thevillagebookshop.co.uk) which, although it gives its address as being "Woodford Green, Essex", is actually very much in the London Borough of Redbridge.
Richard M | 13.10.12 - 2:58 p.m. | #
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There's Barnard's Bookshop on Windsor Street in Uxbridge.
dg writes: Now added, thanks.
Adam S | Homepage | 13.10.12 - 4:03 p.m. | #
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Hi DG. Shouldn't you be joining forces with Kake Pugh? She has a bookshop set on Flickr - photos link to a Google Map.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/sets/72157604955619855
Not forgetting the free Randomness Guide to London. (Which I seem to recall Kake wrote the software for.)
http://london.randomness.org.uk/
On the general issue of vanishing bookshops, your readers might want to consider the view of Housmans Bookshop about the downside of buying from Amazon. http://www.housmans.com/
If you're in or near Wood Green you might enjoy a chat with Tim West & Simon Key at the Big Green Bookshop about their success in running a wide range of book-related events in the shop.
http://www.biggreenbookshop.com/
I'd guess many other bookshops have a similar survival strategy.
Alan Stanton | 13.10.12 - 5:15 p.m. | #
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There's Belgravia Books on Ebury Street SW1. They do have a specialism in English translations of French crime fiction (published by Gallic Books) but also have a broad selection of best sellers, classics, non-fiction and children's books. As they are my local bookshop I am happy to be able to put their name forward for your grid as I want them to succeed!
http://www.belgraviabooks.com/
dg writes: Now added, thanks.
Dianne | 13.10.12 - 5:20 p.m. | #
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All the indies I know down Sutton way are used or specialist, I'm afraid.
Chz | 13.10.12 - 6:27 p.m. | #
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The New Leaf Bookshop in Bridge Street, Pinner (HA5)
dg writes: Now added, thanks.
Stephen Bird | 13.10.12 - 10:06 p.m. | #
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There is The Bookshop, 135 Station Road, North Chingford E4 6AG, www.bookservice.biz.
dg writes: Now added, thanks.
Andy Gryce | 14.10.12 - 12:42 a.m. | #
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I'm a great fan of The Bookcase in Chiswick, as mentioned by Rich, but it's a remainder specialist and I didn't think it would qualify.
Going through the list more carefully I notice that the Bolingbroke Bookshop on Northcote Rd in Battersea is also missing. A quick google doesn't find a website, though lots of listings, so I think it's still there. It's definitely not a secondhand shop as some sites appears to think.
dg writes: Now added, thanks.
CP | 14.10.12 - 8:53 a.m. | #
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I also meant to mention the Barnes Bookshop. I was there about 2 weeks ago, so that's definitely still in business.
dg writes: Now added, thanks.
CP | 14.10.12 - 8:59 a.m. | #
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is Palmers Green bookshop still going? It doesn't seem to have a website if so...
disgruntled | Homepage | 14.10.12 - 10:49 a.m. | #
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One more for the list: Rye Books SE22
http://ryebooks.co.uk/
dg writes: Now added, thanks.
Steve Brown | 14.10.12 - 6:21 p.m. | #
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DG - I think you may have miss-typed that link to The Village Bookshop in IG8 (currently, it's trying to find co.ukl).
dg writes: Oops, sorted now, thanks.
Richard M | 14.10.12 - 9:26 p.m. | #
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Hatchards is a splendid bookshop, but it is part of Waterstones.
Jonathan Wadman | 14.10.12 - 9:55 p.m. | #
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Herne Hill books in SE24 has been around for about a year (sister to Clapham Books)
Placecholder website at:
http://www.hernehillbooks.com/
but more info at:
http://www.hive.co.uk/shop/london/herne-hill-books/
dg writes: Now added, thanks.
Lang Rabbie | 14.10.12 - 10:30 p.m. | #
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DG - the link to The Bookshop in E4 goes to Swann Books in RM14 rather than to www.bookservice.biz.
dg writes: Now fixed, thanks.
Andy Gryce | 15.10.12 - 11:20 p.m. | #
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http://www.mysheenvillage.com/shops-and-shopping/shopping-in-sheen/sheen-bookshop/
Sheen Bookshop. According to the link a sister shop to Barnes & Kew, I didn't know that.
CP | 18.10.12 - 12:37 a.m. | #
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Archive Bookstore, Bell Street Marylebone where you will be greeted by the owner who will very likely offer you a hot drink or something stronger as you wedge yourself between the tall bookshelves whilst browsing the huge selection of secondhand titles to be found here.
Chris | 12.02.17 - 1:07 p.m. | #
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https://phloxbooks.com [E10]
Richard M | 22.09.18 - 10:17 p.m. | #
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