Forum Books, Corbridge
Forum used to have separate children’s and adult bookshops in the Tyne Valley village but brought them together in an old methodist chapel in 2018 (with the pulpit now a reading den).
The shop first opened in the 1970s and has come on in leaps and bounds since being bought by Helen Stanton in 2011.
Forum is much loved by the many local writers who perform readings there, with Vera writer Ann Cleeves going one step further and setting a short story there earlier this year. It has won a number of awards in recent years.
Barter Books, Alnwick
For book lovers, there is probably little better than spending an hour or two browing the shelves of second-hand editions at Alnwick’s Barter Books. The shop is owned and run by Stuart and Mary Manley and attracts around 350,000 visitors a year, many of them from outside the area.
It is housed in Alnwick’s 19th Century former station house and was described as “the British Library of second-hand bookshops” by the New Stateman magazine.
The shop hit the headlines in 2000 when Mr Manley discovered a wartime poster with the slogan Keep Calm and Carry On in a box of old books. The slogan has been taken up – and altered by thousands of people – but the original poster remains in the Alnwick shop.
Waterstones, Newcastle
Something of an anomaly in a list of independent bookshops, Waterstones makes it onto our list primarily because of its beautiful building.
For a while, Waterstones had two very attractive stores in the city a stone’s throw apart, but closed the old Mawson, Swan and Morgan building in 2008 to concentrate on Emerson Chambers, on Blackett Street.
Built in 1903-4 with an internal iron frame, it originally featured a range of shops across five storeys. Little remains of the original interiors but its Art Noveau shop front is much loved.
Drake the Bookshop, Stockton
Named the best bookshop in the North of England for two years in a row, Drake has been described as a “beacon of inclusion and reading for pleasure in one of the most deprived areas of the country”.
The shop on Stockton’s Silver Street opened in 2105 and is run by Richard Drake and Melanie Greenwood.
It is very much a community hub, running book groups and a writing group for young adults with special needs, and spearheading a crowdfunding campaign to give free books to schools in the Tees Valley.
Oxfam bookshop, Jesmond
The Oxfam bookshop on Jesmond’s St George’s Avenue is a cut above most second-hand outlets, possibly due to the area’s large student population.
The shop opened in 2010, having previously been part of a more general Oxfam shop across the road and has thousands of books on offer.
It has also extended recently to have a decidated music room with an extensive vinyl connection.
Cogito Books, Hexham
When Hexham was named as the happiest place in the country last year, this independent bookshop was named as one of its particular treats.
According to Tatler magazine: “If a bookworm could describe its idea of heaven it would HAVE be this independent Hexham bookshop”.
Opened in 2001, Cogito has been nominated for a number of bookshop prizes (along with other entries on this list).
The Guisborough Bookshop, Guisborough
This gem in the Teesside town has a fantastic range of books, but is perhaps best known for its extensive children’s section.
It also has a monthly book group and has hosted a number of high profile author signings.
One fan said: “The turnover of shops on the high street is worryingly high, but this bookshop survives - it’s just what the town needs.”
Keel Row Books, North Shields
Established in 1981, Keel Row Books is one of the leading antiquarian and second-hand bookshops in the North of England.
The old Victorian property sells thousands of second-hand, rare and antiquarian books and also hosts events and readings.
It also organises training sessions for people wanting to be antiquarian book sellers.
McNabs, Barnard Castle
Formerly known as Curlews, McNabs was re-launched earlier this year and re-named in honour of the owner’s late mother.
Much of the appeal of McNabs is its adjoining cafe, giving people the opportunity to browse and have a cake at the same time.
The shop also hosts readings and other literary events.
Seven Stories, Newcastle
The national centre for children’s books in Newcatle’s Ouseburn celebrates the best of writing for children with regular exhibitions on popular writers.
But it also has one of the largest children’s bookshops in the country, with a selection that ranges from picture books for babies up to young adult fiction.
