If you love reading books like us, there are so many beautiful literary spots to discover in Bristol. From the pirate stories of The Llandoger Trow to the gothic tales of the city’s 60s counterculture in Angela Carter’s Bristol trilogy. Book lovers could, and should, spend the whole day exploring the city for literary treasures.
But now it’s official, Bristol is one of the best UK cities for book lovers. Fourth best, to be exact. In honour of Read A New Book Month this September, printing experts at Aura Print sought to reveal the best UK cities for book enthusiasts. Considering factors from the number of libraries and bookstores, to the presence of greenspaces and cafés for a relaxing read.
We’ve waxed lyrical about Bristol’s brilliant independent bookshops before, but we have more bookstores per 100,000 people than any other city, with 17.41. This makes Bristol unrivalled for book shopping. With our number of libraries, green spaces, cafes and average bookstore rating giving Bristol ‘bookspiration’ score 6.80/10
This places us one position higher than the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature, Edinburgh (6.70/10). We just missed out on third place to Belfast (7.30/10), whose 18 libraries and 55 charming bookshops were of the highest quality in the country. Meanwhile, the top spot went to York (9.40/10), which has inspired the likes of The Secret Garden, Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. It boasts the highest number of reading spots among all cities.
‘But what about second place?’ We hear you ask. Well of course it’s our worst enemy/best friend, Bath (8.10/10). Home to the annual Jane Austen Festival every September, it’s simply one of the best cities for book lovers of classics. As well as plentiful quiet libraries and bookstores, the city also offers ample green spaces for avid readers to dive into their favourite tome. Looking for a good bookshop in Bath? Mr B’s Emporium is legendary.