Favorite indie bookstores around the world

Independent Bookstore Day is happening this weekend, which always makes me reflect on my favorite indie bookstores both here in the U.S. and beyond. One of my favorite things about traveling is discovering the local literary scene. This can take various shapes depending on the location: perhaps it’s the perfect work-from-the-road bookstore/café, or discovering a local author or title that’s hard to find in the U.S. Once when I was in Hanoi, Vietnam, I found myself serendipitously present during a national book festival.

I’ve also discovered the side benefits of mapping out a new city by way of its indie bookstores. These gems are frequently co-located with other attractions, like great local breweries or coffeeshops, unique boutiques, and charming neighborhoods. 

And while my success in local book selection is often tied to the local language, the dominance of English as a publishing language is absolutely in my favor. I’m typically able to find at least one local bookstore with a shelf of books in translation, although in some cases it’s mostly a large assortment of international or U.S.-originated bestsellers instead of translations of works by local writers. I’m always looking for that sweet spot of an unknown author, a locally-rooted story, or a perspective on a country’s history or culture that I wouldn’t find anywhere else. While the power and influence of the western publishing industry is strong, I’ve been excited to discover platforms and titles supported by regional and independent publishers like Australia’s UQP, which is known in part for their titles featuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories.

Today I’m sharing a selection of my favorite indie bookstores that I’ve discovered over the past few years while working as a digital nomad around the world. While I’ve been fortunate to travel to many countries not listed here, I’m not always lucky enough to find a local bookshop due to location, time constraints, or even seasonal closures. As I look back over my literary travels, this list represents those that have stood out as the most memorable (so far!) 

If you’ve found a bookstore gem in your travels, please tell me about it so I can plan a future visit.

Australia

I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Australia multiple times now, having spent a total of about four months in various corners of the country. This means I’ve built a pretty full list of Australian literary favorites. And while I’d be hard-pressed to choose my favorite literary destination in the country, Tasmania makes a strong argument.

The capital city of Hobart has an abundance of delightful shops. In terms of ambience and location, my favorite is The Hobart Bookshop—located just across from the waterfront and adjacent to other charming local shops, it has a great selection of both Tasmanian titles and children’s books. I also brought home a few titles from the excellent Fullers, specifically The Rain Heron by Robbie Arnott. And I spent more time than I probably should have scouring the shelves at self-described “Travel and Adventure Bookshop” Geographica. 

If you heard me chatting with Anne and guest Dana Prescott on What Should I Read Next #410, Building a TBR for a bucket list trip, these next few bookshops may ring a bell. If you find yourself on the west coast of Australia, I highly recommend a stop at the Margaret River Bookshop, which is an all-around gem. And if you think you might be my book twin, it’s worth your time to wander out to Stefen’s Books for a fantastic selection of fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and other genre picks.

Finally, I know that many travelers to Australia spend the bulk of their time in Sydney, which is also a city rich in bookstores: a personal favorite is Sappho Books, featuring secondhand and hard-to-find titles. A fun bookish connection in the Sydney book world is my friend and WSIRN listener Renee. After chatting briefly online (in the comments of a podcast episode show notes post!), we met for a book date at the (now-closed) Harry Hartog bookshop where she worked, and we’ve established an annual book swap. Next time I’m in Sydney, I’m looking forward to visiting her at her new book home, Gleebooks Dulwich!  

New Zealand

While New Zealand has fabulous bookshops across both the North and South Island, one of my favorite destinations is Unity Books Auckland. They also have a location in Wellington, on the south end of the north island, as well as their children’s corner shop, Little Unity. Years after visiting their shop, I still find their email newsletter one of my best sources of new book discoveries from Australia and New Zealand. 

I must admit that one of my deepest regrets about my first trip to New Zealand is that I missed out on a visit to the three wee bookshops in the deep south of Fiordland. I hope one day to revisit that far-flung corner of the South Island to browse the shelves!

Vietnam

Vietnam has a reputation as an increasingly friendly destination for digital nomads and global travelers, and my experience of Hanoi lives up to the hype. I was thrilled to spend some time wandering the shelves of the Bookworm Hanoi, a charming two-story shop with a cafe, a robust English-language collection, and a solid selection of English books by Vietnamese authors. Order an egg coffee and settle in with a good book: it’s a cozy and inviting place to enjoy a rainy afternoon in Vietnam. 

Portugal

Lisbon has a rich literary history, from the world’s oldest bookshop Livraria Bertrand to the beloved bookshop/gathering space/exhibition gallery Ler Devagar in the trendy shopping and arts district of LX Factory. Despite the abundance of bookshops, I didn’t have quite as much luck finding English translations of Portuguese authors. Many of the translated works I found available on the shelves were by Portuguese poets, a genre I have not yet explored in depth. Do you have recommendations for Portuguese works of fiction? I’d love to know!

United Kingdom

With a city as large as London, it’s hard to know where to begin, so I’ll share the one bookstore that stands out in my memory. You likely won’t be surprised that it’s another travel bookshop, Stanfords. Filled with delightful maps, charts, travel narratives, and guidebooks, this famous bookstore was even featured in the pages of The Hound Of The Baskervilles. I often look to their eponymous travel writing award selections to add new books to my TBR list.

And for anyone who, like me, adds bookshops to their “to-be-traveled-to” list with nearly as great a frequency as I add books to my to-be-read list, I’ll share one that’s high on my future destination bucket list: The Edge of the World Bookshop in Penzance, Cornwall. Have you been? I’ve heard great things. 

Japan

Why recommend a single bookshop when you can recommend an entire district? That’s Jimbocho, Tokyo’s book town. Whether you’re looking for historic or used books, manga or even a bookshop dedicated to cats, you’ll find pages and pages to explore here. I especially enjoyed browsing the shelves of books in translation at Books Tokyodo and seeing the Japanese covers of books I’ve enjoyed, like Where’d You Go, Bernadette and Reading Lolita in Tehran. 

Iceland

It’s not surprising that the country that gave us Jólabókaflóðið is home to many wonderful bookstores. While the one I have to recommend is technically a chain, not a true indie, since it’s an Icelandic-based business I felt okay about including it on this list. My pick for Reykjavík is Penninn Eymundsson Skólavörðustíg, which was chock full of amazing local books, English translations, and accessories. And on my next trip to Iceland, I will definitely be setting aside time, funds, and luggage space for a visit to The Old Bookstore, either at their original location in Flateyri or in Reykjavík.

I hope one of these bookshops may find its way onto your future travel itinerary. I’d love to know which destinations to add to my own literary travel map. Please leave a comment to share your favorites!

What are your favorite international bookstores? Do you have any plans for Independent Bookstore Day? Please share in the comments.

P.S. 8 independent bookstores I want to visit, My visit to Wigtown, Scotland’s national book town, and 16 recommended reads for those traveling to Aotearoa New Zealand.

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