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You don’t have to walk very far in London before stumbling upon a gem of a bookshop. The city’s rich spread of indie bookstores has something for everyone, whether you’re after new novels, rare zines, antique classics, translated treasures or queer catalogues. And they’re always full of character, created out of genuine love for the written word. Now, one of London’s bookshops has been named one of the best in the world.
Cultured magazine has just unveiled its pick of the 11 greatest indie bookshops on the planet, chosen by the people most qualified to do so – bookshop owners themselves. Alongside stores in Baghdad, Paris and New York, Donlon Books in London Fields made the cut.
Founded in 2008, the Broadway Market store is known for its idiosyncratic selection of books and magazines covering counterculture, art, photography, music and fashion, many of which are rare and sourced directly from indie publishers and individual creators.
It also regularly hosts book launches, screenings and readings, with previous events involving the likes of Wolfgang Tillmans, Stephen Gill, Eileen Myles, Viviane Sassen and The Archive of Modern Conflict. In Time Out’s list of London’s finest bookshops, we said that Donlon was the best in the city for ‘edgy reads that’ll make you instantly feel more cultured’.
It was nominated for Cultured’s list by Aimee Ballinger, founder of Glasgow’s Burning House Books (which also made the cut). 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.’
You can explore Donlon’s collection here and have a browse of Cultured’s full list of the best independent bookshops in the world here.
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