In celebration of Independent Bookshop Week, the VERVE Books team want to shout out their favourite indie bookshops up and down the country. If you’re looking for a way to support indie bookshops this week, why not visit one of the below – and improve your weekend and theirs by investing in some new books while you’re there…
Gay’s The Word, London (@gaystheword)
If we’re talking about our favourite indie bookshops, we of course need to mention Gay’s The Word. A small but well-stocked bookshop tucked between a phone shop and a cute café on Marchmont Street near Russell Square, Gay’s The Word is London’s oldest LGBT+ bookshop. Its walls are overflowing with queer literature in every genre, from graphic novels that will amuse you endlessly to essays that cause you to question our society and its expectations of us (I personally gravitate to the works of Black sapphic scholars and queer poetry). However, what sets Gay’s The Word apart is its real desire to foster community, holding monthly meetings such as TransLondon, Black Lesbian Discussion Group, The London Ace Book Club and Trans Masc Reading Group. Holding its doors open to all, Gay’s The Word, to me, is the only place in London where you can find and lose yourself from the moment you step through the doors.
Demi, Publishing Assistant
Mount Florida Books, Glasgow (@_mfbooks)
Nestled within the shell of an old tattoo studio lies Mount Florida Books, my favourite local bookshop in Glasgow’s Southside. It’s a cosy, intimate space that houses a wonderful selection of books – from contemporary literary fiction to poetry, art, politics and cookery books – from publishers big and small. Plus, they champion books by prominent Scottish/Scotland-based authors and publishers (see Chris McQueer, Elle Nash, Douglas Stuart and Callum McSorely) and frequently host book events, which are a treat when you live anywhere outside of London. They aim to reinvest their profits into literary and literacy projects in Glasgow, which I think is an impressive goal. This includes providing funding for school libraries, working with prison charities to provide incarcerated people with access to books and providing space for adult learners to showcase their work. Also, the owner is always up for a chat and gives great recommendations – the last one I received was Julia Armfield’s Our Wives Under the Sea, and I was not disappointed. Mount Florida Books my favourite place to spend time and money.
Jenna, Editor
Barter Books, Alnwick (@barterbooksuk)
One of the UK’s largest second-hand bookshops with an archive of over 350,000 titles, Barter Books is charming and wonderfully quirky, boasting a sprawling and comprehensive collection. Housed in Alnwick’s Victorian railway station, the building is full of original features alongside modern murals celebrating British literature, and even includes a miniature train speeding above the shelves. The staff are always happy to share recommendations, there’s a café and ice cream parlour to refuel midway through your visit, and the bookshop is family- and dog-friendly, with plenty of seating, reading nooks and cosy fireplaces dotted around. It’s alarmingly easy to lose an hour or two wandering amongst the shelves so be sure to visit with ample time; you’re guaranteed to discover some new (or old) authors and leave with an armful of books to add to your TBR. The best part: Barter Books are true to their name and also run a book swap scheme allowing customers to exchange their past reads for store credit!
Ellie, Production Controller
Books on the Hill, St Albans (@booksonthehill)
We are really lucky to have the lovely independent bookshop Books on the Hill in St Albans, which is just a short journey from our office. It is a veritable treasure trove, crammed full of a well-curated selection of new books alongside some beautiful second-hand editions. The quirky interior has a comfortable reading corner to curl up with a book, alongside a fantastic selection of children’s books. They also host storytelling mornings for pre-schoolers during the week and have a great selection of author events too, plus a monthly book club and a cosy café upstairs, which is a good place for meetings or just to while away the time with a coffee and good book.
Lisa, Communications Director
Rare Birds Books, Edinburgh (@rarebirdsbooks)
Starting off as a book club for women, Rare Birds created its first in-person bookshop in 2017 and has settled itself among the independent businesses of Stockbridge in Edinburgh. Focussing on fiction, Rare Birds champions exclusively women authors and creates a great shopping experience for any woman who wants to look for a book that clearly has them in mind. It boasts books for all ages, so all women and girls feel welcome there. The shop is regularly used to host themed shopping nights, author events and other community-orientated events that help build their curated safe space for women. Not to mention that you can leave with plenty of bookish, feminist merchandise.
Susie, Intern