On a sunny February day, Notting Hill came alive for the 10th annual London Bookshop Crawl, where independent shops, rare finds, and a community of readers made turning pages a shared adventure.
Maybe it was because it was the first sunny day in 2026, or because it happened to be Valentine’s Day, but Notting Hill felt even more animated than usual as we embarked on the annual London Bookshop Crawl. The non-profit organisation Bookshop Crawl UK arranges guided bookshop crawls across the country, and London’s event is held every February. This year, the organisation is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and GTFO went to check out one of their routes – taking us through the artsy and lively Notting Hill.
While it’s true that book lovers revel in staying inside and reading with a cup of tea, we also love to spend time in the non-literary world. Connecting with our community in a way that centres around books is really the best of both worlds. That’s why it comes as no surprise that Bookshop Crawl’s events are incredibly popular across all ages, with most of their guided routes selling out. If this happens, fear not – Bookshop Crawl provides maps and itineraries for self-guided tours on their website.
We chose a self-guided route through Notting Hill, planning to meet with fellow book crawlers on site.
“You’re not required to make conversation…yet you still feel part of a community of like-minded people”
Aside from colourful houses, vintage shops and food of all cuisines, the west London neighbourhood offers a variety of unique bookshops. Saucy Books is England’s first romance only bookshop, and Books for Cooks does what it says on the tin. It specialises in cookbooks, making it the perfect place for hobbyists and professional cooks alike. The route merges niche shops like these with traditional bookshops, giving crawlers the opportunity to discover new places, support independent businesses and share recommendations along the way. There really is something for everyone.
Spending time indulging in our common love of reading isn’t something book lovers often get to do – after all, as wonderful as reading is, it tends to be a solo activity. This event was founded to change that, turning books into a social experience – a way to connect with others.
It all started in 2016, when Bex Hughes, founder of Bookshop Crawl, posted on Twitter seeking anyone who wanted to explore London’s bookshops with her. Thirty people showed up, and she immediately knew that she wanted to make it an annual event. Ten years later, the annual Bookshop Crawl has extended beyond London – between February and October, the team run at least one bookshop crawl per month across the UK, in locations such as Edinburgh, Brighton and Cardiff.
The book crawlers we met were all buzzing to take part and immediately made us feel comfortable. Having experienced social anxiety, and being neurodiverse herself, Hughes designed the event to be accessible to anyone who struggles socially. There is no requirement to make conversation (unless you want to!), yet you still feel part of a community of like-minded people.
We spoke to one particularly enthusiastic bookshop crawler, Emma, who was more than happy to talk about her favourite books. When we approached her, she was sitting on a stool in the Oxfam bookshop, taking a necessary break from walking, books in hand. She had picked out a copy of Hotels of the Stars: A-List Haunts and Hideaways, and spoke so excitedly about her passion for interior design books that we were inspired to add some to our own ‘to read’ lists.
“As wonderful as reading is, it tends to be a solo activity”
Books for Cooks was a huge surprise to us – we both enjoy cooking, but neither of us knew that a bookshop that catered to amateur and professional chefs even existed (pun intended). What made the experience even more fun was that every other book crawler seemed to be in a similar position, happily discovering the little shop and chatting about its scattered knick-knacks… Shelves are crammed with recipe books from all over the world, which get tested in a small kitchen tucked away at the back of the shop – it was closed during the crawl, but we will be back to sample the wares.
As the crawl came to a close, it was hard to feel disappointed. We had encountered a warm community, learned of esoteric hidden gems like Books for Cooks, and managed not to break the bank in the process – although we did buy some tarot cards from Saucy Books.