Are you planning a trip to Birmingham? Do you fancy visiting a bookshop while you’re in the city? Below we’ve featured 10 of the best bookshops in Birmingham.
1. Ikon
Ikon is situated in a gorgeous Victorian red brick building and specializes in selling books on art, photography, and design. The shop is a part of the Ikon Gallery, a charity exhibition spare that features international artists and cultures.
Alongside books, they also offer a range of homeware items, cards, and even limited edition items from various artists. Your purchases also have meaning, as the proceeds go back into the Ikon gallery to allow them to continue their work. The book shop and gallery are an art lover’s dream!
Get in touch to see what they have on offer.
2. Tornado Books & Hobbies
Located on Dalton Street, Tornado Books & Hobbies provides books and other materials relating to various transport topics and hobbies. Subjects include air, rail, road, and military books and materials, making them a great choice for any train, plane, or automobile enthusiast!
They stock from a wide range of specialist publishers, including Haynes, Mainline & Maritime, Valiant Wings, and British Bus Publishing. Tornado Books & Hobbies also sell a selection of kits, models, and paints to help you bring your projects to life.
Reach out to find out if they have what you need.
3. MyBookbasket
Mybookbasket aims to be a place where all different cultures are represented in the books that they offer. They’re situated in the Legacy Centre for Excellence and also have various gifts and healthcare products for sale too!
They have a large children’s section to allow young ones to be able to explore different cultures and feel represented and included. Alongside this, they also have educational books and resources that are also tailored to different cultures. Adults aren’t left out of the picture though, as they also have a selection of books for them too! They also host various events, including a children’s storytime session, and a book club for adults.
Start a conversation to find out more about what they can provide.
4. Usmani Book Centre
Usmani Book Centre is located on The Broadway and specializes in Islamic literature. They have books in English, Arabic, and Urdu on offer on their shelves, meaning they can cater to a range of speakers. Usmani Book Centre also sells a selection of perfumes, clothing, and school supplies.
They have books on a range of topics, including history and biographies, alongside a children’s section. Usmani Book Centre also sells academic materials for those studying Islamic Studies, and audio and visual resources too.
Inquire with Usmani Book Centre to see how they can help you.
5. Birmingham City Mission Shop
The Birmingham City Mission is a charity that also operates a bookshop on Hawthorn Road. With a charity shop selling various items on the ground floor, upstairs they have a Christian Bookshop.
You can find many different new and second-hand Christian books on offer, alongside CDs, DVDs, and an assortment of Bibles. The staff are very friendly and knowledgeable and are always happy to chat with you if you are interested.
Give them a call if you have a question.
6. The Bookshop on the Green
Sometimes a good book and some great chocolate go hand in hand. The Bookshop on the Green is situated right by the famous Cadbury factory, so sometimes the waft of chocolate seeps in as you browse the shelves!
They have a whole range of carefully selected books for sale, from all kinds of genres and on all sorts of topic matters. If you can’t find what you are looking for, they are always happy to order it for you within 3 days!
Say hello to The Bookshop on the Green.
7. DTF Publishers and Distributors
DTF Publishers and Distributors specialize in Sikh literature and items. Alongside selling new books, they also have a range of clothing, turbans, and other items such as men’s health and beauty essentials.
Books can be bought in both English and Punjabi languages, and cover topics such as religion, history, health and wellbeing, and biographies. They also have a children’s section with books in either language.
Located on Soho Road, why not pay DTF Publishers and Distributors a visit?
8. Mustard Seed Christian Bookshop
Mustard Seed first opened its doors in 2017 and sells all manner of Christian books and other media. If they don’t have what you need, they are happy to try to order it for you, whether that be a new book or even church materials.
They don’t just sell Christian books though, as they have plenty of others as well. They also have a year-round sale section, with great discounts of up to 60% off a lot of titles. They don’t have a typical storefront and are instead located inside the New Life Baptist Church.
If you have a question about what they offer, get in touch.
9. Waterstones
Newly refurbished, you can find Waterstones on the high street where it spans over a whopping 4 floors. As you would expect for a chain of bookshops, there are other locations nearby in locations such as Solihull and Sutton Coldfield.
Alongside selling new books in all of the genres under the sun, they also house a café that is run by book lovers, providing a great place to sit back and relax while you think about what your next read will be. Events happen regularly, including from big-name authors.
If you have a query, reach out to them and they will be happy to help.
10. Foyles
Foyles is situated in Grand Central shopping centre and it is the book seller’s second store outside of London! It has a large floor print, with over 4000 square feet of book-filled shelves for you to browse.
They have new books on all topics and genres and have a particularly good children’s section that’s great for little ones. Their staff is super friendly, and these proud bookworms would be more than happy to help you to pick up your next book.
Start a conversation with Foyles to find out more.