FREE-RANGE EXPERTISE

In our last issue we invited Fellows and Members to name their favourite independent bookshops across the country. These are their recommendations.

BERKSHIRE

Wordplay, Prospect Street, Caversham, Reading, Berkshire RG4 8JG (0118 948 2800)

‘Run by the delightful, professional and helpful Julia and Chris King, this shop combines books and toys. Their really strong point is their superb ordering service’ – Leslie Hughes

DEVON

The Bookshop, 100 High Street, Crediton, Devon EX17 3LF (01363 774740)

‘This is an attractive independent bookshop, small but big enough to offer many titles you won’t find elsewhere. Devotedly and efficiently run, it’s a pleasure to patronise’ – William Trevor

GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Borzoi Bookshop, Church Street, Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire GL54 1BB (01451 830 268)

Recommended by: Miranda Mackintosh

Chipping Camden Bookshop, Dragon House, High Street, Chipping Camden, Gloucestershire GL55 6AG (01386 840944)

Recommended by: Gerard Noel

GWYNEDD

Browsers’ Bookshop, Stryd Fawr, Porthmadog, Gwynedd LL49 9EU (01766 512066)

Recommended by: Jan Morris

Palas Print, 10 Palas Street, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL55 1RR (01286 674631)

‘Warm and welcoming bilingual bookshop with strong community attachments’ – Emyr Humphreys

HAMPSHIRE

October Books, 243 Portswood Road, Southampton SO17 2NG (02380 581030)

Recommended by: Harold Bagust

One Tree Books, Lavant Street, Petersfield, Hampshire GU32 3EL (01730 261199)

‘I cannot speak too highly of it: its owner, Tim O’Kelly, and his superb staff of women. Nothing is too much trouble, orders are available almost instantly, anything difficult is traced – in other words delightful, efficient people who really care about books and (God knows how, with four children, in Tim’s case) READ, ADVISE, ENTHUSE’ – Jill Balcon

‘Recently celebrated its ten years of existence, an occasion marked by the presentation of a book of poetry and prose written by its satisfied customers’ – John Batstone

P. & G. Wells, 11 College Street, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 9LZ (01962 852016)

‘Lovely premises in an attractive street, a few doors away from the house where Jane Austen died. Very nice staff, and an exceptionally good children’s department upstairs’ – Wendy Cope

KENT

The Deal Bookshop, 7 Broad Street, Deal, Kent CT14 6ER (01304 366084)

‘Such a helpful little bookshop which is also very efficient and reliable and can get you ANYTHING however difficult and remote’ – Charlotte Ackroyd

LONDON

The Brook Green Bookshop, 72 Blythe Road, London W14 0HB (020 7603 5999)

Recommended by: Maggie Fergusson and Julia Abel Smith

Books for Cooks, 4 Blenheim Crescent, London W11 1NN (020 7221 1992)

Recommended by: Thomas Ponsonby

Daunt Books, 112-114 Holland Park Avenue, W11 4UA (020 7727 7022)

‘What a relief to see an enticing display of books face out on shelves, plenty of back-list books, as well as recent bestsellers and an excellent, well-stocked children’s section. Staff are knowledgeable, ordering easy’ – Shirley Hughes.

Also recommended by: Margaret Meek Spencer

Daunt Books, 83 Marylebone High Street, London W1U 4QW (020 7224 2295)

‘A rich source for travellers and those who want their travel to be from the written word and, as well as new books, it has an excellent second-hand list’ – Charles Fitzherbert

Daunt Books, 51 South End Road, NW3 2QB (020 7794 8206)

‘Lovely knowledgeable staff, small and welcoming atmosphere – book-buying is a pleasure again’ – Piers Plowright

Village Books, 1D Calton Avenue, Dulwich Village, SE21 7DE (020 8693 2808)

‘Helpful, efficient, welcoming – there is simply no room for improvement’ – Amanda Brookfield

Foyles, 113-119 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0EB (020 7347 5660)

‘The range of titles is excellent and you stand a better chance of tracking down books where the ink is at least dry’ – Yen-Chung Chong

G. Heywood Hill, 10 Curzon Street, London W1J 5HH (020 7629 0647)

‘For a small and intelligent choice of new writing, for finding books which alas are out of print, and (if once in a blue moon one can afford such razzmatazz) for beautiful editions of the greatest writers of the past’ – William Rivière

‘Always filled with exciting books, new and old, and the most engaging and friendly staff’ – Virginia Surtees. Also recommended by: Hugh Thomas, Thomas Ponsonby

Kirkdale Bookshop & Gallery, 272 Kirkdale, Sydenham, London SE26 4RS (020 8778 4701)

‘Very small, but well designed for spending many happy hours in its interesting nooks and crannies’ – Dorothy Lloyd

The Owl Bookshop, 207-209 Kentish Town Road, London NW5 2JU (020 7485 7793)

‘Its stock is well chosen and attractive (with a large children’s section) yet no book seems too obscure or foreign for the helpful, literate staff to obtain for an individual customer’ – Gillian Tindall

The Pan Bookshop, 158 Fulham Road, London SW10 9PR (020 7373 4997)

‘This is a wonderful bookshop they will get anything for you . spend hours on the computer looking things up. Find books for me which is specially useful as I don’t know the alfabet and have troubel following the shelves. Above all they are always pleased to see you’ – Nell Dunn

Primrose Hill Books, 134 Regents Park Road, London NW1 8XL (020 7586 2022)

‘Run by booklovers, excellent stock and always helpful beyond the call of duty’ – Diana Athill

Prospero’s Books, 32 The Broadway, London N8 9SU (020 8348 8900)

‘It embodies the smell and feel of a traditional bookshop. It’s slightly cluttered and the staff is sometimes abrupt, but it has character’ – Dana Gornitzki

Review, 131 Bellenden Road, London SE15 4QY (020 7639 7400)

‘An unusual and intriguing collection of paperbacks, and the more interesting newly published hardbacks, as well as art books and magazines’ – Clare Colvin

John Sandoe Ltd, 10 Blacklands Terrace, SW3 2SR (020 7589 9473)

‘Is short of space and therefore must stack discriminately, but the tabletop of new and recent books offers the best browse in London. The staff are knowledgeable and often outnumber the browsers.’ – Tom Stoppard.

‘Has been a wonderful independent bookshop for almost 50 years. It carries a very wide range of books, and the witty and informed staff go to immense lengths to get you anything not in stock. Don't know where I’d be without it – Julian Mitchell.

Also recommended by: Philip Hensher, Yen-Chung Chong, Venetia Newall, Vanessa Davis

The Travel Bookshop, 13-15 Blenheim Crescent, London W11 2EE (020 7229 5260)

Recommended by: Margaret Drabble, Sir Michael Holroyd, Thomas Ponsonby

NORFOLK

The White House Bookshop, Market Place, Burnham Market, Near Kings Lynn, Norfolk PE31 8HD (01328 730270)

Recommended by: Angela Huth

ORKNEY

Stromness Books and Prints, 1 Graham Place, Stromness, Orkney KW16 3BY (01856 850565)

‘A small shop, stuffed with the latest must-reads alongside classics, cookbooks, local titles, art books, children’s...well, you name it. The owner, Tam MacPhail, is a splendidly enigmatic figure, and he and his number two Sheena are always ready with recommendations. It’s an oasis of literature for Orcadians and visitors alike’ – Lesley Glaister

OXFORDSHIRE

Bell Bookshop, 52 Bell Street, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 2BL (01491 572583)

‘All that a small bookshop should be’ – Christopher Hibbert

The Bookhouse, Prama House, Summertown, Oxford OX1 1BP (01865 510887)

Recommended by: Richard Harries, Angela Huth

The Bookshop, 8 West Street, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire OX7 5AA (01608 641033)

‘Though it is not spacious, it always seems to have just what I want. The buying is wonderfully astute and up-to-the-minute, and cleverly angled towards the local community. And if they do not have the book you want they get it in 24 hours’ – John Carey. ‘Small but excellent’ – Jeremy Treglown

QI Bookshop, 16 Turl Street, Oxford OX1 3DH (01865 261507)

Recommended by: Angela Huth, Jeremy Treglown, Janie Hampton

SOMERSET

Bailey Hill Bookshop, Fore Street, Castle Cary, Somerset BA7 7BG (01963 350917)

‘It has an interesting, eclectic and imaginative stock, not merely dependent on what is “hot” at the moment, but also everything one wants to read and maybe missed when it first came out. Excellent children’s section, and a second-hand dept upstairs. Well-informed and friendly staff’ – Victoria Glendinning

Rare Books & Berry, High Street, Porlock, West Somerset TA24 8PT (01643 863255)

‘Michael Berry sells books old and new and has interesting special offers for signed copies of new titles. There are very few bookshops in this part of the West Country so he is much valued.’ – Margaret Drabble. Also recommended by: Jill Murphy

SUFFOLK

The Aldeburgh Bookshop, 42 High Street, Aldeburgh, Suffolk IP15 5AB (01728 452389)

Recommended by: Hugh Thomas, Thomas Ponsonby

Browsers Bookshop, 60 The Thoroughfare, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 1AL (01394 388890)

‘Excellent well-stocked bookshop, strong on recent literary titles, with café, and with children's bookshop at 33 The Thoroughfare’ – Richard Barber

SURREY

Houben’s Bookshop, 2 Church Court, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1JL (020 8940 1055)

‘Invaluably helpful and friendly’ – Ann Williams

Kew Bookshop, 1-2 Station Approach, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3QB (020 8940 0030)

‘A small but very comprehensive bookshop…unfailingly courteous and helpful’ – Mike Springate

The Lion and Unicorn Bookshop, 19 King Street, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1ND (020 8940 0483)

‘For almost 30 years one of the most comprehensive and stimulating specialist children’s bookshops in this country, or anywhere’ – John Clark

The Open Book, 10 King Street, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1ND (020 8940 1802)

‘Brilliantly run by the friendly and knowledgeable Helena Caletta, this bookshop (something of a meeting place too, like all good local bookshops) has thrived for years within 100 yards of a large Waterstones’ – Bamber Gascoigne.

‘A good reason to live in this part of west London. It’s welcoming, smallish but with a well-judged stock of new books and classics’ – Sheila Hale.

Also recommended by: Patricia Caunter, Ann Williams, John Clark

SUSSEX

Barnett’s Bookshop, High Street, Wadhurst, East Sussex TN5 6AA (01892 783566)  

‘An interesting independent shop with caring and intelligent staff who are prepared to research and order any book one might desire’ – Ann de La Grange Sury

The Mint House, 94 High Street, Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex BN6 9PX (01273 832694)

‘I used to live in Hurstpierpoint, and although it is now a 45-minute drive for me, I still buy my books there because it is such a delightful place to do business with’ – Dawn Lowe-Watson

Much Ado Books, 1 Steamer Cottage, High Street, Alfriston, East Sussex BN26 5TY (01323 871222)

‘Sells both new and old books, and organises excellent literary lunches’ – Geoffrey Woolley

WEST MIDLANDS

Bondsbooks, 97a High Street, Harborne, Birmingham, West Midlands B17 9NR (0121 427 9343)

‘It’s a very small general bookshop in a suburban shopping street which struggles manfully (or womanfully, since it is owned by one) against the competition of the big chains. It cannot carry a large stock because of limited space, but has a very efficient ordering system and can obtain most books in a couple of days. It features local authors in its window displays’ – David Lodge

YORKSHIRE

The Bookcase, 29 Market Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire HX7 6EU (01422 845353)

Recommended by: Juliet Barker

Rare and Racy, 164/166 Devonshire Street, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S3 7SG (0114 270 1916)

‘Wonderful, long-running and much-beloved’ – Philip Hensher

Ken Spelman in Micklegate, 70 Micklegate, York, North Yorkshire YO1 6LF (01904 624414)

‘It sells more old than new books, and is always a treasure-trove of books on art and literature, of old prints, fine rare hardbacks and serendipitous paperbacks, and a haven of peace for browsers’ – Hermione Lee