We all know that you should never judge a book by it’s cover. Judging a bookshop by its beauty, on the other hand? Absolutely fine. Especially when two London bookshops are considered to be among the best-looking in the world. That’s right, folks: two of the capital’s best-loved literary locales have earned themselves a comfortable spot on a recent list of the world’s most beautiful bookshops. And we’re feeling pretty darn pleased about it, to be quite honest with you.
This recent ranking comes courtesy of the online community of book-lovers over at 1000 Libraries. Back in May, the team nominated 19 bookshops for the beauty contest (which just so happens to be the largest global competition of its kind), based on factors including social media engagement and online reviews.
Each of the shortlisted stores are doing an incredible job of keeping the magic of books alive, despite the ongoing challenges of cost-of-living crises and – well… the internet. But only ten of them could make the final cut. Over the past few months, the community has been voting for the stores that they believe to be the most gorgeous of all. A whopping 200,000 votes were recordedwith literary-lovers from across the globe putting their two cents in on the matter. And the verdict has finally be delivered. So, without further ado, these are the London bookshops that are serving up both great books and great looks.
Having been making a splash on London’s literary scene since 2011, Word on the Water is certainly one of the city’s most unique bookshops. Bobbing along on Regent’s Canal, it’s London’s only floating bookshop – and can be found on board a beautiful 1920s barge.
Word on the Water is filled to the brim with a huge collection of new and used books, with exciting titles waiting to be discovered inside every nook and cranny. The book-barge also offers an entertainment programme as fully stacked as the bookshelves; giving Londoners the chance to hop aboard and enjoy the likes of talks, open-mic nights, live music, and poetry readings. Word on the Water was named the 5th most beautiful bookshop in the world – and look, it’s certainly not hard to see why.
📍You’ll find Word on the Water at the Regent’s Canal Towpath, N1C 4LW.
Coming in at number eight on the list of the world’s most beautiful bookshops is Daunt Books. No stranger to a shiny accolade; this jaw-droppingly gorgeous bookshop’s name is frequently thrown about in conversations regarding London’s best bookshop. Housed within a beautiful Edwardian building; Daunt Books boasts stunning architecture, dreamy decor, and a rather impressive glass roof that drenches the entire store in natural light.
Whilst there is now several branches, the original Daunt Books is picture-perfectly perched over in Marylebone, oozing history and old-school charm. Bursting at the seams with an expert selection of books (interestingly arranged by country), there really is no other place quite like it in our capital city.
📍You’ll find Daunt Books at 83-84 Marylebone High Street, W1U 4QW.
You can have a browse of the full list of the world’s most beautiful bookshops here.
