Okian, Brasov & Bucharest

Where? Brasov & Bucharest, Romania




Recommended by Alexandra Craciun

The following bookstore makes for another addition to an area of South-Eastern Europe already rich in bookstores with English titles on stock - Romania, namely Bucharest. Operating for around 15 years, Okian is a Brasov based bookstore (these being their main premises), although they do have another location in the country's capital (opened in 2008). The Brasov based Okian can be found in the historical part of the town, in an old, sophisticated building, reconstructed for the bookstore's needs: large spacious rooms for various conferences, cultural activities, reading corners and even galleries where regular exhibitions are held.

Among the bookstore's large stock of some 6000 books (out of which one third is in the English language), various categories of books can be found. These are mainly psychology, law, marketing and management, biographies as well as books on various school subjects such as physics, chemistry or geography. Okian has been the exclusive distributor of Pearson Longman ELT in Romania, thus it isn't a surprise that many of Longman's publications can be found within their walls. Thus, Okian makes a perfect resource for those who want to study English. However, the scope of this bookstore reaches way past quality study materials for the students of English, as Okian is generally considered as a great option whether you're looking for non-fiction academic titles or you feel like browsing through a selection of British and American fiction literature. What's more, if Okian doesn't have a book that you need in their stock, they are most likely going to be able to order it for you via their on-demand service.

Okian is truly a great mixture of a local bookstore, an art gallery and a cultural institution which is definitely greatly appreciated by the growing number of expats in Romania but also by all the locals, as it grants them unrestricted access to English language titles.

Website: http://okian.ro

Phone and Email:
0268.547.367
email via form on website

Okian (Brasov)
Address:
Str. Muresenilor 1
(in Piata Sfatului)
Brasov










Working Hours:
Mon-Fri 10-18
Sat 9-13

Okian (Bucharest)
Address:
Str. Vasile Lucaciu 2,
Sector 3, Bucuresti

Working Hours:
Mon-Fri 10-18

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The Watermill Bookshop, Aberfeldy

Where? Aberfeldy, Scotland, UK




Recommended by: Karey Shane

Karey said: "I just spent a lot of time on your website and realized that The Watermill, in Aberfeldy, Scotland has the same feel as the bookstores you show pictures of. The basement has a delightful café. I just went to their website and noticed they were voted the best independent bookshop in Scotland. The owners are Jayne and Kevin Ramage. My husband and I were there in 2008 and had a wonderful time there. We purchased To Kill a Mockingbird from Mary and read it out loud to each other in the nearby B & B, Aillean Chraggan."

There are so many aspects which make the Watermill Bookshop special and well worth all the praise and recognition it has received that it's difficult to choose which one to start with. Beginning from the name - this independent bookshop is housed in a former watermill in Abefeldy in the Pertshire Highlands of Scotland. The transformation of the watermill into The Watermill wasn't an easy task and it hasn't gone unnoticed as it received appreciation from the architectural and design community.

The Watermill's rise to stardom was a fast one - opened in May 2005, it was recognized as the Scottish Independent Bookshop of the year for 2006 and in 2008 it was selected as the best Independent Bookshop in the entire UK. The bold decision to start a project like this in a less populated location has obviously paid off. The stock of the bookshop comprises about 5000 titles and is of highest quality as well. The children's section is one of its highlights, books on Scotland, but also on art and design belong to its other strong points. Books for the youngest occupy a special room and reading groups for kids are also held in the bookshop on regular basis.

However, the old mill houses more than the bookshop - the underground floor was turned into a fairtrade cafe which offers the finest coffee far around, quality tea and even some pastry, organic sandwiches and soups. As if all this wasn't enough, there is an art gallery at the top floor which offers a collection of prints and a program of contemporary art exhibitions which you can follow on their website, and you can also browse through a small collection of music CDs. To get a better idea, we recommend a personal visit, however if you're too far away and don't feel like waiting, take a virtual tour on their website.

The Watermill Bookshop
Address:
Mill Street
Aberfeldy, Perthshire, PH15 2BG










Website: http://www.aberfeldywatermill.com

Phone and Email:
01887 822896
info@aberfeldywatermill.com
bookshop@aberfeldywatermill.com

Working Hours:

Mon-Sat 10-17 (17:30 in summer)

Sun 11-17 (17:30 in summer)

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Housmans, London

Where? London, UK




Recommended by Abi Rhodes

Abi said: "Housmans is one of London's oldest radical, independent bookshops. Open since 1945, it has the feel of a bookshop that knows what it is talking about and with regular events it keeps itself up to date. On the 14th November 2009 Housmans' celebrate their 50th anniversary"

Housmans bookshop is indeed one of a radical sort - a bookshop with both a good reputation and a long tradition. It opened its doors over 60 years ago - the official date of opening being October 26th 1945 although the concept and its roots go back as far as 1930s and the great upsurge of the British pacifist movement. During those years, young people would gather at what used to be a temporary bookshop. They would debate and listen to the lectures of Dick Sheppard - the founder of the Peace Pledge Union. The following period of its operation is characterized by working on and off and constantly changing locations pre- and during the Second World War. During these turbulent years, writer and a playwright by the name of Laurence Housman suggested the bookshop found a permanent location and tried to promote pacifist ideas and human rights. Thus, in 1945, in the honor of his name, Housmans Bookshop started its long voyage. Throughout the bookshop's long history, many interesting events have taken place - perhaps the most shocking ones to mention would be the IRA bomb which blew up the pillar box outside the shop in 1974, the letter bomb of 1978 which caused burns to a staff member's hands and other, luckily, not so successful attacks on this radical little place.

Naturally, the bookshop of such calibre specializes in politics, political theory, peace studies and world affairs (even those very hard-to-track publications). Furthermore, various materials promoting peace, the environment, sexual freedom, equality can be found within the store, as well as various zines and periodicals, newspapers and magazines, and even fiction and non-fiction - both new and second-hand (and for the price of £1!).

Located near the edge of London's very center - just a few minutes from the famous King's Cross, Housmans prides in both being the first and one of the last remaining radical bookshops, its main goal being to promote peace and human rights and it has undoubtedly managed to stay true to its strong political stance. And although the bombs shattered the bookshop's walls, they never succeeded in shattering the ideas behind them, so we have all the reasons to believe that the people of London will be able to enjoy its presence for a long time to come.

Housmans
Address:
5 Caledonian Road
London N1 9DX











Website: http://www.housmans.com/

Phone and Email:
020 7837 4473
shop@housmans.com

Working Hours:
Mon-Fri 10-18:30
Sat 10-18

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