Independent local businesses... bursting with books for all ages and tastes
It’s more important than ever that we support our independent retailers in the run-up to Christmas this year. We’re confident our fantastic local Lewisham businesses have all your festive shopping needs wrapped up. Here we’ve featured five fantastic bookshops from across the borough bursting at the seams with books that’ll make you laugh, cry and wonder. From picture books to biology, science fiction to autobiography, from vintage to new. Books make the most timeless gifts. If you’re planning to give one this Christmas, read on.
Moon Lane Books
Forest Hill
Moon Lane Books is located on the borders of Catford and Forest Hill. We are a children’s bookshop with a carefully curated selection of adult general fiction and non-fiction. Since opening in 2018, we have been dedicated to raising equality of access and representation. From picture books to general fiction, we endeavour to support books that are inclusive and represent the society we live in.
Recommended books:
Picture Book: Clean Up! by Nathan Byron and Dapo Adeola
Young Fiction: A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll
Young Adult: Clap When you Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Adult: On Earth, We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Crofton Books
Crofton Park
We set up Crofton Books in 2016 to share our love of books both vintage and new. And to use books to celebrate important developments, such as Black Lives Matter and the need to reuse. We believe books are a visual delight and seeing them in the flesh inspires people. It’s why we’re so excited to open our very own bookshop on Brockley Road soon. Follow us on social media for the latest developments.
Recommended books:
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
On Connection by Kate Tempest
Kirkdale Bookshop
Sydenham
We have been open since 1966 – making us probably the oldest independent bookshop in SE London! We sell an eclectic range of new, second-hand and children’s books, as well as greetings cards and gifts. This year has been rather odd – but you can always rely on books to get you through!
Recommended books
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo is definitely our favourite this year. Magnificent.
Entangled Life by Martin Sheldrake. Mushrooms will change your life.
Visit the Kirkdale Bookshop website
The Bookshop on the Heath
Blackheath
The Bookshop on the Heath is one of South London's oldest second-hand bookshops. We offer a range of out-of-print titles in most subjects, including literature, art, history, travel, biography, children's books, guidebooks and local history, with many signed first editions. Also many maps and prints of Blackheath and Greenwich, framed and unframed. Recent arrivals include first editions of Stephen King, facsimile reprints of Agatha Christie and several dozen Baedecker Guides to European countries and beyond, from the 1880s onwards, in first-class condition.
Visit The Bookshop on the Heath website
The Word
New Cross
Welcome to The Word, a cosy, buzzing independent bookshop in New Cross. We're bulging with wonderful books to dive into or give as presents. There's fantastic new and popular fiction for grown-ups, children's books for toddlers to teens, and a great selection of poetry and graphic novels. We've also got plenty of serious, and not so serious, non-fiction - from biographies to books on politics, history, race and gender. If we haven't got it in stock, we can always order it for you.