By Chloe Brown, Faith Manalili, Laila Hulatt, Mollie Boardman and Megan Levick
For all your magical and mystical bookish needs this Halloween season, we’ve collated a list of independent bookshops that really get into the spooky spirit of the holiday. Peruse them and treat yourself to some weird reads.
Wonderland Bookshop, 64 Carolgate, Retford, DN22 6EF
If you’re looking for somewhere with furniture on the ceiling and exciting stories on the shelves, this is the place for you this Halloween season.
In North Nottinghamshire, you will find the most enchanting specialist children’s bookshop, first launched on 4 May 2019 (Star Wars Day) and reopened in November 2019 by Helen Tamblyn-Saville (previously a bookseller in the shop). The owners’ sentiments that “books for children and young people are magic. They change lives. They give children something that is theirs” are actively reflected in-store. Inclusivity is shown through designated dyslexia-friendly and LGBTQIA+ shelves, as well as through knowledgeable conversations with those running the show. Finding a children’s independent bookshop overflowing with passion for titles, from picture books to young adult stories, is truly a treat. In 2022, Wonderland Bookshop won Children’s Bookseller of the Year and was the regional winner for the Midlands Independent Bookshop of the Year. In line with the passing of Bookshop Day (12 October 2024), be sure to support the people who make magical adventures into folklore (and much more!) a reality in-store or online.
Argonaut Books, 15-17 Leith Walk, Edinburgh, EH6 8LN
This independent bookshop in the north of Edinburgh may be an ordinary bookshop/cafe, but it is also the perfect place to visit during the spooky season!
As self-proclaimed lovers of horror, this bookshop has a trove of Halloween events throughout the month. This weekend, horror editor Dan Pitersen will lead a book club discussion session on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and an author talk featuring Alyson Greaves and Eris Young. Next week, on the evening of the 30th, Argonaut will host a reading by authors Andrew Donaldson and Amaris Chase. See more information here.
If you are looking for your next thrilling or magical read, Argonaut’s website also has two categories specifically for Horror and Witchcraft & Occult books. In the horror section, you’ll find non-fiction titles, classic and contemporary novels and short story collections. The Witchcraft & Occult section includes essays, myths and retellings, tarot cards, fictional works and books on herbalism, astrology and magic. Happy (and spooky) reading!
People’s Bookshop Durham, 19 High St, Durham, DH1 3UJ
The People’s Bookshop is hidden off Durham’s cobbled high street and is a haven for second-hand book-hunting fiends. This little bookshop is volunteer-run and stocks fictional books as well as progressive non-fiction about climate change, trade unions, migration and borders and feminism.
As we draw closer to the spooky season, the bookshop has collated together a huge array of Halloween-themed books for their window display. Some special mentions are Stephen King’s suspenseful Thinner and Misery, PD James’ mysterious homage to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Death Comes to Pemberley and Agustina Bazterrica’s dystopian novel Tender is the Flesh. This bookshop also stocks the classic horrors such as Jekyll and Hyde and Dracula, as well as the light-hearted fantastical Twilight Saga.
The Haunted Bookshop, 43 Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3PY
A newly brewed independent bookshop in Bristol, The Haunted Bookshop offers a taste of the spooky season all year round. It specialises in witchcraft, folklore, the occult, fantasy and horror and provides a wide selection of eerie, magical and outlandish books for the curious soul.
In addition to books, The Haunted Bookshop sells a variety of curiosities, including crystals, sage, witch’s mugs and more! There’s even merchandise for patrons to show their support, sporting the shop’s ghost mascot, Crofty. Tarot readings have also started being held in the bookshop for anyone who wishes to learn more about what their future holds. The owner hopes to eventually open a café and bar, serving pumpkin spice lattes and mulled wine all year round!
This bookshop welcomes the weird and unusual and provides a space for local witch and occult communities to stock themselves up on whatever they desire and meet fellow black sheep of the family. If you gravitate more towards the strange, The Haunted Bookshop is the place for you!
Treadwell’s Books, 33 Store Street, London, WC1E 7BS
Treadwell's is a renowned occult bookshop located in Bloomsbury, London. This quirky independent bookshop is highly acclaimed for its extensive collection of books on esotericism, magic, witchcraft and the occult – all of which are chosen “with the experienced occultist, the curious academic and the young student in mind”, according to their website. The upcoming spooky season makes for an ideal time to visit Treadwell’s and is the perfect way to immerse yourself in the mystical realm this Halloween.
Along with their curated selection of esoteric literature, Treadwell’s offers a range of in-store and online events, with many exciting events coming up this month. These include psychedelic magic, tarot reading, candle magic, effective spell crafting and an interesting online lecture from Dr Shai Feraro on occult bookshops as places of feared publications and the ideas within them. For sale at Treadwell's, you can also find occult supplies and gifts, including incense, crystals, candles, tarot cards and cauldrons.
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