The best LGBT Bookshops in london
Dreaming of a world where being LGBT is not a privilege and there is no fear, shame or discrimination? Well, we couldn’t be more proud to introduce you to these amazing independent bookshops. Not a voracious reader? Not a problem, stay a bit longer and give us the opportunity to explain why you still need to include this in your London itinerary.
Lately Bruno and I have been reflecting a bit more on the following topics. As we were traveling the World, we started to realise that we have been extremely fortunate and privileged. Privileged not only for having each other and this love that transcends our own physical existence, but also for having the most wonderful family and friends who always ensured we never knew another language other than the most beautiful language in the entire World: the language of love. We are now finding our voices to ensure we contribute to many other souls having the same fate as ours!
As we entered these unique places, we were impressed by their diversity! Dear universe, how we love diversity! It is so frustrating to live in a World that doesn’t understand that being different is what makes us stronger. Different, together, stronger. Simple, right?
We could see people from different backgrounds, different colors, different religions, different genders and yet one thing in common: the eagerness to belong. The eagerness to dive into the next exciting story that will make their imagination wander far far away. Looking for the next story that will make them dream, love, laugh, live and believe. Believe that one day it will be possible to LOVE, to EXPRESS, to simply EXIST freely.
Gay’s The Word
Gay’s The Word is the oldest LGBT bookshop in the UK and it is undoubtedly an important reference for the LGBT community in London. It opened its doors in 1979 (yeah, you read it right!) and since then it has been feeding the minds and imagination of thousands of readers, across a wide range of topics and literature genres.
Gay’s the Word proudly supports LGBTQIA+ authors and readers and has created amazing discussion groups where you can expect to socialise, discuss and reflect alongside like-minded people. We can’t wait to join them in a future meeting!
But don’t be fooled, Gay’s the Word is not only about bursting shelves and endless stories! We are suckers for unique and special initiatives and we were so excited when we learned about some of them during our visit. If you are a book lover, you need to subscribe to the Queer Book Box! Having an amazing book from your favourite bookshop at your doorstep couldn’t be easier! From as little as 10£ you can join hundreds of readers who anxiously check their mail boxes every month clueless of what their next adventure will be!
But do you really want to know what was our favourite part of this visit? We learnt that you can donate whatever amount of money towards a “tag” that someone, who may be short of funds to buy their next book, can use on their purchase! Remember when we said that you needed to add this to your itinerary even if you were not into books? This is your chance to really change someone’s life!
We really believe books have the power to change mindsets, cultures and ultimately lives!
Ready for story time? You know we will do it anyway, so relax and just carry on reading!! (Kidding, we think you will like this one!)
I (Rui) visited Gay’s The Word for the first time back in 2021 and as we entered we noticed a young girl reading a book in a corner in an attempt to merge herself with the filled shelves and go unnoticed. Mission accomplished: we rapidly got distracted looking for our next purchase and completely forgot about her. At least until we wanted to pay for our books. Accidentally (or maybe not!) I heard her asking for the book’s price followed by a “It’s ok, I won’t take it. Maybe next time”. But I could feel sadness, grief even. At the time I thought “I will pay for the book” but found myself overthinking the situation and debating “what if she feels ashamed by my intervention” or “what if she gets upset because I was hearing the conversation?” (I know, I know, I am a hopeless over-thinker). By the time I was able to silent my inner questions, the little girl had left unnoticed. Obviously I felt terribly bad and sad I couldn’t act differently at that time and I thought about that episode for a couple of days.
This time, as Bruno and I were walking towards the bookshop, I was telling him about this episode and how sad I was about it, only to learn later about the possibility of leaving the aforementioned tag which someone could use to pay for their books. Immediately I knew this was my chance of redeeming myself and making a difference. It was my second chance and I couldn’t be happier!
What goes around comes back around! 🤍
The Common Press Bookshop
As they say in their website, “The Common Press is a lot of things to a lot of people”, and we could really feel that during our visit! From LGBTQIA+ authors to black history, feminism to poetry and even children’s books, there’s a book for every taste!
The shop is well organised and there are multiple cosy reading spots where you can just grab a book and spend a couple of minutes skimming through it. Beyond the bursting shelves, there is a small bar where you can grab a drink or a treat (with vegan options!) to keep your stomach as busy as your brain and imagination. Coffee + books, can you think of a better combination? Naaah, if you can, we don’t believe you!
Similar to Gay’s The Word, there are different subscriptions you can choose from and have your next favourite story delivered to you for as little as 150£ per year. You will receive a book every month based on your interests and reading preferences. The team at Common Press will carry out a quick consultation to understand what you are fond of when it comes to reading and off it goes, the first book in your doorstep!
We really hope you like this kind of post here, and above all we hope you find your visit to these unique bookshops as inspiring as we did! Please share with us your thoughts through our social media channels and we would love to know if you have any different recommendation.
