Bookworms, bibliophiles, and – well… anybody that enjoys banging on about how great London is as much as I do; you’re going to want to hear this. The best independent bookshops on the planet have just been crowned by Cultured magazine, and a beloved bookshop picture-perfectly perched over in London Fields has earnt itself a rather comfy spot on the list.
Cultured magazine curated its list by asking some of the world’s biggest book-buffs to put their two cents in on the matter. They contacted 11 of their favourite independent bookstores from across the globe, asking each of them to recommend their top spot in the world of book-sellers. Basically, the literary locales that landed themselves on this list are your favourite bookshop’s favourite bookshops. They’re the Chappell Roan of bookshops, if you will. And if that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about them, I honestly don’t know what will.
Donlon Books
The London bookshop to nab a seat at the table is tucked away over in Broadway Market. Donlon Books has been entertaining east London with its ‘idiosyncratic range’ of books since opening its doors in 2008. Donlon Books has earnt itself a rather brilliant reputation on London’s bookish scene; beloved for stocking an eclectic collection of unique and rare-to-find titles, spanning a range of genres from fashion and photography to counterculture and critical theory.
Donlon Books are avid supporters independent publishing, frequently hosting events, book launches, screenings and readings, with the likes of Wolfgang Tillmans, David Armstrong, Sara MacKillop, Paul Buck, and Viviane Sassen all having graced the store with their presence.
Credit: @donlonbooks via IG
Donlon Books earnt itself a place on Cultured‘s list of the world’s best independent bookshops courtesy of Aimee Ballinger (the brains behind Burning House Books in Glasgow). She said: “The selection at Donlon Books is absolutely perfect and there isn’t a single thing in the whole store that could be considered boring. I was lucky enough to work there for a bit many many years ago but I think I was bad at my job.” Well, Aimee, the fact that Burning House was also hailed one of the world’s best independent bookshops certainly suggests otherwise. But hey, we love a humble queen.
The best independent bookshops in the world:
- Librairie des Femmes, Paris
- Abu Fatima, Baghdad
- After8Books, Paris
- Neurotica Books, Los Angeles
- Dashwood Books, New York
- Codex Books, New York
- Yvon Lambert, Paris
- Burning House Books, Glasgow
- A Balzac A Rodin, Paris
- Monograph Bookwerks, Portland
- Donlon Books, London
📍You can find Donlon Books at 75 Broadway Market, E8 4PH. The closest station is London Fields.
You can have a browse of Cultured’s full list of the world’s best independent bookshops here.