The capital's quirkiest bookshops

Since 2007, the number of independent bookshops in Britain has fallen by nearly 40 per cent from 1,424 to 894, according to the Booksellers Association. To celebrate London Book and Screen Week, we’ve bookmarked the capital’s quirkiest independent booksellers.

Books for Cooks

This gastronomic sanctuary does exactly what it says on the tin, stocking over 8,000 culinary-related books. Recipes are trialled daily in house using ingredients from Portobello Market. Arrive by 11:30am for lunch.

Check the @booksforcooks Twitter account for the daily menu. 4 Blenheim Crescent, Notting Hill, W11 1NN. Open 10am – 6pm, Tuesday to Friday.

The Great Diary Project

Not a bookshop, but the words “Keep out!” will pique your curiosity. Britain’s only archive for unwanted diaries has over 4,000 journals, the oldest a vicar’s from 1731.

Archivist Stefan Dickers recommends perusing a young girl’s wartime diary, detailing her mother’s “nocturnal activities” with American GIs. Prefer pictures?

Find the self-portraits which one diarist sketched daily.

See thegreatdiaryproject.co.uk for more information. 230 Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 4QH. Open 10am – 5:30pm, Monday to Friday.

Housmans

Since 1945, London’s leading radical bookshop has promoted peace, even surviving IRA attacks in the seventies.

With over 10,000 books and 200 political magazines, it’s the country’s largest such collection. Topics include anarchism, pacifism, political children’s books and literature not found elsewhere.

Don’t miss the £1 second-hand basement with one-off gems on subjects like Mormon feminism and the mafia.

This month’s stand-out event is author Brett Henning’s “The End of Politicians” talk. On Wednesday 15 March at 7pm, Brett discusses sortition, the idea of replacing politicians with randomly selected citizens. Entry costs £3. 5 Caledonian Road, Kings Cross, N1 9DY. Open 10:30am - 6:30pm, Monday to Saturday.

Claire de Rouen Books

Hidden above a betting shop, it’s renowned amongst fashionistas. You’ll feel like a bibliophilic magpie in this style enclave.

Designer Giles Deacon has gushed about its chic photo books, self-published magazines and limited editions.

For more information, see clairederouenbooks.com. 1st Floor, 125 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0EW. Open 12pm – 7pm, Tuesday to Saturday.

#Rosanna #Short