If you happen to be wandering down London's Gloucester Road this evening, might I recommend that you knock on the door of No 46? Oxfam's newest bookshop is opening its doors there tonight, at 7pm tonight. The charity, which is committed to ending poverty and suffering around the world, is Europe's largest second-hand book retailer, and its new flagship store is apparently stocked to the gills with the best the second-hand book market has to offer - from barely-read bestsellers, to proof copies of new books, and even a first edition of Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse.
"There are many collectable items, as well as some wonderfully quirky books which, while not being particularly valuable, are special enough to fly off the shelves," says the shop's manager, Bob Carroll. "The number of the people who have popped in to voice their encouragement and support over the last week - or even donate their time - has been heartwarming."
At last: a way to shop for Christmas and simultaneously glow with virtue (rather than just sweat). And for those of you who aren't within striking distance of the Gloucester Road, stop sulking: use our database of independent bookshops to track down a top notch local shop.
