Bookshop Day on Saturday (12 October) is the perfect opportunity to support local businesses and celebrate the stores in H&F that bring joy to thousands of people every year.
Such as Nomad Books at 781 Fulham Road (on the corner of St Maur Road), one of H&F’s longest-standing independent bookshops.
A multi-lingual bookshop
Founded by Harriet Morton in 1990, Nomad Books has been a fixture in Fulham Road for more than three decades.
It prides itself on reflecting Fulham's international community, and recently created a foreign language section selling books in French, Spanish and Italian. In 2023 it scooped the Best London Bookshop prize at the British Book Awards.
“We have loved watching Fulham develop and expand over the last 30 years, and we make sure to update our stock to match our customers' needs and requests,” said staff member Mia Hall.
“Shopping locally is so important for the high street, so get to know your local bookshop. A great part about the bookshop experience is knowledgeable staff – we like to think we can help everyone who comes in to find their next read.”
Nomad Books will host two in-store events this Saturday (12 October), including an exclusive signing with Katie Kirby, author of the popular Lottie Brooks series.
“Community is very important to us, and we work with many local schools and organisations. Bookshops are a great reflection of the local community, and you will get something different in each one,” added Mia.
Mia’s adult book recommendation: The Bee Sting by Paul Murray (fiction).
Her children’s book recommendation: Mouse on the River by Alice Melvin (children’s fiction).
The new kid on the block
Special Rider Books and Records recently celebrated its first birthday in Shepherds Bush Market.
Selling a mix of new, rare and used literature, founder George Wyndham said that the shop had been warmly welcomed into the community.
“Given that we sell what some might consider provocative literature, I wasn’t sure how we’d be received,” said George. “But from the first day we’ve been made to feel a part of the community by people of all cultures, religions and backgrounds. It’s truly a privilege.”
George believes the true value in book shopping comes from establishing a relationship between seller and customer; something that can’t be achieved online.
“You can’t replace the value of a real conversation with someone who has actually read a book and can match it to another person’s taste. The price of a paperback is roughly the same as two flat whites, but the value is far greater and longer-lasting,” he said.
“We always try to read what we sell, and that personal touch truly makes a difference.”
The small store is situated in the heart of Shepherds Bush Market. It’s impossible to miss its bright blue facade.
“I think that any bookshop is a more personal experience, and each independent bookshop, like each individual book, has a character of its own,” added Minoo Dinshaw, who works at Special Rider.
“There is a serendipity to it, going into a local bookshop and finding an unexpected book; finding some small piece of history or commentary that you wouldn’t have otherwise discovered without a helping hand. That’s really special.”
You can find Special Rider Books and Records at Stall 64 in the market, or follow Special Rider Books and Records on Instagram.
George’s book recommendation: Ghosts of The British Museum by Noah Angel (non-fiction)
Minoo’s recommendation: Melting Point by Rachel Cockerell (non-fiction)
Your choice of a million titles
And then there’s the grandaddy of them all, Hurlingham Books, right beside Putney Bridge tube station in Ranelagh Gardens, 91 Fulham High Street – the floor-to-ceiling cornucopia of secondhand treasures, many stacked in piles on the pavement.
King of the bookworms Ray Cole presides over a shop he opened in 1968; a shop which somehow combines themed shelves with the possibility of browsing unexpected corners and making completely random discoveries.
Backing up the huge selection in the shop is a vast subterranean storehouse nearby, packed with yet more volumes. In all, Hurlingham Books has more than a million titles!
Packed with surprises
The Amnesty Bookshop at 175 King Street, Hammersmith, not only supports the charity, but also offers a surprising range of remaindered brand new titles which are given to the shop by publishers.
A constantly changing display of books (well-ordered on shelves) makes this one of the most welcoming bookshops in the borough. Interestingly, it began life as a tiny stall in Hammersmith tube station.
It’s open seven days a week and also stocks LPs, CDs and cards.
The Polish dimension
Specialised but welcoming, the PMS Bookshop at 240 King Street, Hammersmith, is the bookshop within the POSK Polish Social and Cultural Association building, the largest centre of Polish culture outside Poland itself.
Open daily 11am to 6pm (Sunday hours are noon to 5pm), it stocks hundreds of Polish titles, including children’s books and academic books for Polish schools.
But there are also dual-language books, audio books and a smattering of English language books too. Author signings are regularly held. The next is on 21 October when a children’s writer will be the guest turn.
Not to be confused with the Polish Library, set up in POSK soon after the Second World War, which has a huge collection of Polish language books to borrow.
It’s on the 1st floor and is open each day except Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The bookshop in the mall
The UK’s leading bookshop chain Waterstones is in the Westfield mall, Shepherds Bush, next to Marks & Spencer, and is open 10am to 8pm.
As well as all major modern books, and regular three-for-two offers, the store stocks gifts, cards and stationery.
