As we approach the festive season, we’ve asked a handful of our independent bookshop friends to share the books they’re most excited about this Christmas, all of which you can buy from their shops or online stores.
UNITOM
UNITOM is a visual arts orientated bookshop and lifestyle store offering a hand-picked selection of cultural inspiration, located in the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter on Stevenson Square.
They offer a wide array of publications on contemporary art, design, fashion, photography and counterculture alongside an extensive range of independent magazines, self-published and small press titles sourced from artists and publishers around the globe. Their vision is to create shared experiences and conversations in-store and online and to offer a unique retail voice within Manchester and provide an international destination for people who love and collect art.
UNITOM’s favourite publications for the festive season include:
Café Royal Books
Striking weekly publications, focussing on documentary photography linked to Britain and Ireland, printed and bound locally by a small 170 year old printing company.
Masala Noir Books
A Paris-based independent publishing house focusing on countercultures and design history
Roobarb and Custard
600 pages of the beloved 1974 British cartoon series. Published by IDEA.
Visit UNITOM: 1A Stevenson Square, Manchester, M1 1DN
Or shop online: unitom.co.uk
Magalleria
Magazines are at the forefront at Magalleria so we’re always looking for unusual books from the best indies. Standouts for us this year were Decommissioning the 20th century, in which four writers demonstrate ‘how the countryside became modern’ as a result of Britain’s post-1945 boom in energy infrastructure, now characterised by an abundance of abandoned, repurposed or demolished steel and concrete monuments – such as pylons and cooling towers – around the country. And we loved Tainted Love: From Nina Simone to Kendrick Lamar by Alex Coles which is a brief but deep dive into the workings of the twisted romantic ballad (such as the titular song), sampling eleven gems of the genre to work out why composers write these warped songs and why we like them.
Decommissioning the twentieth century
By Ben Anderson/Matthew Kelly/Katrina Navickas/Ian Waites, published by Uniformbooks
Tainted Love: From Nina Simone to Kendrick Lamar
By Alex Coles, published by Sternberg
Visit Magalleria: 5 Upper Borough Walls, Bath BA1 1RG, UK
Or shop online: store.magalleria.co.uk
Black Cultural Archives Bookshop
At the Black Cultural Archives Bookshop, you’ll find an extensive collection spanning historical, political, arts and culture, fiction, YA, and children’s books. Beyond our wonderful sections of books, we proudly showcase crafts and art from black British artists and businesses, providing an experience that celebrates creativity and cultural richness. Explore our offerings that go beyond the pages and immerse yourself in a space that embraces the vibrant contributions of the black diaspora in both literature and the arts.
Brilliant Black British History written by Atinuke and illustrated by Kingsley Nechi
An eye-opening journey through the ages to meet those first Britons, as well as the Black Romans, Tudors, Georgians and Victorians who existed in every walk of life in Britain. Black Cultural Archives is currently partnering with the Bloomsbury on an exhibition inspired by the book.
Settlers: Journeys Through the Food, Faith and Culture of Black African London by Jimi Famurewa
In this book Jimi Famurewa, a British-Nigerian journalist, journeys into the hidden yet vibrant world of African London, seeking to understand the ties that bind Black African Londoners together. But this isn’t just the story of energetic, ambitious Londoners. Jimi also uncovers a darker side, of racial discrimination between White and Black communities and, between Black Africans and Afro-Caribbeans. He investigates the troublesome practice of 'farming' in which young Black Nigerians were sent to live with White British foster parents, examines historic interaction with the police, and reveals the friction between traditional Black African customs and the stresses of modern life in diaspora. This is a vivid new portrait of London, and of modern Britain.
I Know What I See by Tam Joseph
Born in Dominica in 1947, Tam Joseph moved to London with his family when he was 8 years old. He studied at Central School of Art and briefly at the Slade School of Fine Art. ‘I Know What I See’ is the first major publication to provide an extensive survey of the work that scratches the surface of his 40 year plus career as an artist. Tam Joseph’s paintings range from his own history and the history of injustices faced by African Caribbean people in Britain, inspirations from diverse sources including cinema, music, and sport, as well as the natural world, and the history of painting itself. Whether his subject is landscape, portrait or history, Joseph employs his own visual language to create work which invites viewers to explore the painting and think about the subject matter.
Visit the Black Cultural Archives shop: 1 Windrush Square, London SW2 1EF
Or shop online: blackculturalarchives.org/shop
Gosh!
Gosh! are very excited for the upcoming holiday season and will celebrate with our “12 days of Goshmas”. During the 12 days leading up to Christmas Day, we'll be highlighting some of our favourite comics and gift ideas perfect for that special someone. We have also recently announced our best booksof the year! 20 adult titles and 20 kids titles that our staff deemed the very best of the best this year. You can see the full list here.
We've got a couple of events during the month of December too, including a special Dark Horse Comics double signing on Saturday 9th December, featuring:
John Allison to sign his cookshow crime mystery The Great British Bump-Off, followed by artist Crom to sign his new volume of his fantasy epic, Birdking.
During the week before Christmas, our shop will be open an extra hour to allow everyone to get those last minute presents!
Visit Gosh! 1 Berwick St, London W1F 0DR
Or shop online: goshlondon.com
Big thanks to all of our bookshop friends supporting Four Corners Books this year. Special thanks to those who’ve contributed in previous years, including:
Lockdown Bookshop