My Favourite Bookshops: East London

Happy Independent Bookshop Week!

Since moving to London five years ago, I have been spoilt for choice when it comes to bookshops. From huge flagship stores, to charity shops lined with Booker winning novels and, of course, beautifully curated independent shops; we are spoilt for choice in the capital.

I have lived in Hackney, East London, ever since I moved South and have fallen in love with the bookshops here. So to celebrate Independent Bookshop Week, I’ve compiled a list of my absolute favourite books to pop into.

Pages of Cheshire Street, Cheshire Street

It’s no secret that Pages of Hackney in Clapton is my favourite bookshop in London. Lovely staff, amazing events and absolutely cracking recommendations, I love dropping in. Excitingly, they’ve now opened a second branch just off Brick Lane, Pages of Cheshire Street.

The bookshop only sells books by women and non-binary writers, all displayed in a beautiful store, complete with cosy chairs and reading nook. Like the original shop, there are plenty of handwritten book suggestions and a whole host of fascinating events in the diary (Sophie Mackintosh and Rowan Hisayo Buchanan are both making appearances this year).

Best for: feminist fiction and finding your next favourite author.

Artwords bookshop, Broadway Market

On Saturday mornings, Broadway Market is bustling with delicious food stalls, dog walkers and tourists crowding round cheesemongers. It is one of my favourite streets in London to visit, helped by the fact that it is home to three bookshops. If you are looking for fiction, the Broadway Bookshop can be found near the canal-end of the street, however for me, Artwords is the real gem.

Stocked with a range of non-fiction titles, this store offers everything from cookbooks, to adorably illustrated children’s stories to philosophical essay collections. This is a great spot for people interested in the creative industries. Shelves are dedicated to fashion, graphic design, photography and so much more. This is a shop that will almost certainly leave you with the motivation to do more.

Best for: Non-fiction that inspires creativity and last minute birthday presents.

Burley Fisher, Kingsland Road

Situated in Haggerston, Burley Fisher has gained a fantastic reputation since opening its doors a few years ago. With half the space used as a small coffee shop, this not only stocks great books, but smells amazing while doing it. Alongside the classics and big name contemporary titles, Burley Fisher can be relied upon to stock a whole list of lesser-known titles. It is here that I have found short story collections that have passed me by, novels that are rarely sold in the UK and absorbing non-fiction.

Best for: finding amazing books that you have never heard of before.

Church Street Bookshop, Church Street

It took me a long time to find a second-hand bookstore that I loved. Charity shops, yes; I am all for a colossal Oxfam books. But most used book shops left me cold. Prices were usually still high, there’s often a tendency to stock more classics or antiquarian books, and the organisation of them can sometimes be a bit difficult to navigate.

That all changed when I visited Church Street Bookshop in Stoke Newington. Reasonably priced with incredibly well stocked shelves, this is a booklovers paradise. They also regularly sell signed editions, as well as incredibly recent releases (I once found Sedaris’ Theft by Finding on sale just a couple of days after its release).

Best for: almost-new second hand books.