I’ve pointed readers before to this international list of independent bookstores. Now I’ve finally got around to a UK-specific list.
These are booksellers in the UK, including mini-chains, where you should either be able to find Hild or they’ll order it for you. (I’m assuming you all know where your local Waterstones is: they’ll order the book, too.) The organisation is a little eccentric (especially the London section). I decided not to break things up by country or county, just alphabetically by city. The links are eccentric, too: some bookshops seem to have been taken over by a mini-chain but not changed their URL—assuming they’d bothered with a website in the first place (I’ve had to resort to Twitter and Facebook links here and there).
There are some lovely-looking bookshops here. No doubt I could add more. This list is far from complete: a mix of info from friends, readers, and my publisher. I’m relying on you to help me fill in gaps. What’s your favourite bookshop in the UK?
* Aberdeen: Blackwell’s
* Abbingdon: Mostly Books
* Aldeburgh: Aldeburgh Bookshop Ltd.
* Banchory: Yeadons
* Bath: Mr B’s Emporium
* Bath: Topping and Co Booksellers Ltd
* Brighton and Hove: City Books
* Bristol: Blackwell’s
* Bristol: Foyles
* Cambridge: Heffers Academic and General
* Carlisle: Bookends
* Chepstow: Chepstow Bookshop
* Chipping Norton: Jaffe and Neal Ltd
* Colchester: Red Lion Books Ltd
* Cochester: Wivanhoe Bookshop
* Edinburgh: Blackwell’s
* Edinburgh: Word Power
* Edinburgh: Transreal Fiction
* East Grinstead: The Bookshop
* Elgin: Yeadons
* Ely: Topping and Co. Booksellers Ltd
* Exeter: Blackwell’s
* Falmouth: Falmouth Bookseller
* Glasgow: The Milngavie Bookshop
* Guisborough: The Guisborough Bookshop Ltd
* Haverfordwest: Victoria Bookshop Limited
* Hebden Bridge: The Bookcase
* Hexham: Cogito
* Ilkley: The Grove Bookshop
* Keswick: Bookends
* Ledbury: Ledbury Books and Maps
* Leeds: Blackwell’s
* Leeds: Radish
* Liverpool: News From Nowhere
* London: Blackwell’s (x2)
* London: Forbidden Planet
* London: Gay’s the Word
* London: Foyles Ltd (x many)
* London: Daunt Books (x several)
* London: The British Library Bookshop
* London: Primrose Hill Bookshop
* London: Owl Bookshop
* London: Muswell Hill Bookshop
* London: Brick Lane Bookshop
* London: The Broadway Bookshop
* London: Newham Bookshop
* London: Pages of Hackney
* London: The Riverside Bookshop Ltd
* London: Belgravia Bookshop
* London: John Sandoe (Books) Ltd
* London: Slightly Foxed
* London: Barnes Bookshop
* London: Village Books
* Lowdham: The Bookcase
* Ludlow: Castle Bookshop
* Lytham-St-Anne’s: Plackitt and Booth Booksellers
* Manchester: EJ Morton
* Monmouth: Rossiter Books
* Newcastle: Blackwell’s
* Norwich: The Book Hive
* Norwich: Jarrold and Sons Limited
* Nottingham: Five Leaves
* Oxford: Blackwell’s
* Penarth: Windsor Bookshop
* Penzance: Edge of the World Bookshop
* Petersfield: One Tree Books
* Petworth: The Petworth Bookshop Ltd
* Plymouth: University Bookseller
* Richmond: Kew Books Ltd
* Ross-on-Wye: Rossiter Books
* Saltaire: Salt’s Mill
* Sheffield: Rhyme and Reason
* Sheffield: Blackwell’s
* Sherborne: Winstone Books
* Spalding: Bookmark
* St Peter’s Port: The Lexicon Ltd
* St Ives: The St Ives Bookseller
* Stockport: Simply Books
* Tetbury: The Yellow Lighted Bookshop
* Totnes: Totnes Bookshop
* Whitby: Whitby Bookshop
* Woodford Green: Village Bookshop
Nicola Griffith 
:( no Sheffield… maybe a day out to Leeds is in order.
Mostly Books in Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Norwich: I ordered my copy of Hild from http://www.thebookhive.co.uk/
Perhaps there is a bookshop in Sheffield but I didn't see one.
Great. I've added it.
Excellent! Thank you.
The Wivenhoe Bookshop nr Colchester
Ta. I'll list it as Colchester.
The Bookcase in Lowdham: http://www.thebookcase.co.uk/
BTW also see Guardian directory: http://www.theguardian.com/books/bookshop/independent-bookshop-directory
Got it, ta!
I've looked at it but it would take way too long to use, mainly because many of them are rare books and/or second-hand books which, frankly, don't suit my purpose. I want a list of places t hat sell new novels where readers could reasonably expect to either find Hild or order it.
Wouldn't surprise me if we don't lol
I've just added two: Rhyme and Reason and Blackwell's.
The Bookshop, East Grinstead.
Thanks.
One more, Five Leaves in Nottingham: http://fiveleavesbookshop.co.uk/
There's Simply Books in Bramhall, Stockport:
http://simplybooks.tbpcontrol.co.uk/tbp.direct/customeraccesscontrol/home.aspx?d=simplybooks&s=C&r=10000115&ui=0&bc=0
Oh nice one… ta! :)
Ta!
Lovely. Thank you.
Milngavie Bookshop, on the edge of Glasgow. http://milngaviebookshop.co.uk
Milngavie Bookshop, on the edge of Glasgow. http://milngaviebookshop.co.uk
Fab, thanks.
Well, I'd ask at Morten's (6 Warburton Street, Didsbury, Manchester M20 6WA), which I've been using for nearly fifty years, but I don't think they've got a website yet.
I was in a local Independent bookshop (Readings in Carlton) here in Melbourne Australia today and saw “Hild” prominently displayed with a Staff Recommendation sticker. Link to review is here
I’d recommend Transreal Fiction in Edinburgh. They specialise in SF & fantasy but they’re very happy to order any book. http://www.transreal.co.uk
Got it. Thanks.