I was in London over the weekend and found two bookshops that carry literary magazines - well, three - Foyles carries Ambit and a number of poetry magazines (like Poetry Review, Poetry London) and across the street Borders stocks Dreamcatcher, London Magazine, Magma, and some other poetry magazines. London Review Bookshop carries a few poetry magazines.

I say all that to say that this is the first time I've been in any bookshops in the UK selling literary magazines, and I was curious as to which other bookshops carry which other magazines.... Anyone know anything?

Ani

Hi Ani, Selfridges has a good mag section. It was the only place I could find Prospect after you recommended an article in it.

Adele.

Adele,

It never would have occurred to me to look for Prospect at Selfridges! Did you notice whether they carried anything else, like London Magazine, maybe?

BTW, how did you like Prospect?

Ani

Hi, I didn't notice London Magazine, but then I wasn't looking for it. They do, though, have a very wide selection of mags, so it may have been there. You could always call them to find out.


As for Prospect, the Al Alvarez thing was fun, but it seemed a very slender magazine for the hefty price (around £4) - for that I could buy two copies of Hello and a bar of chocolate

Adele.

I agree that Prospect is quite expensive. In fact, it is now even more expensive: £4.50. Almost as much as a real lit mag!

But my general point is what bookshops are carrying what literary magazines. There seems to be very little of this going on. It's such a shame that the bookshops don't support the small press. In comparison, if you go into a large bookshop (and even some small ones) in the US, you can find shelf after shelf full of them.

I am thinking about embarking upon a letter-writing campaign....

Ani


or is that

really only since Borders came do any bookshops in eth UK stock lit magazines. smiths carries Prospect in all places i have been. but nationally it seems to be only Borders that carries mags. Waterstones occasionally have a malingering copy of Granta.

it's a situation that fills me with despair. but thankgod for Borders.

american. ha.

If you've not been to this particular branch, Borders on Oxford St is especially good.

Outside London, Blackwells in Oxford is truly excellent anyway, and usually has a wide and eclectic selection of lit mags... and I haven't been for a while, but Waterstones in Cambridge certainly used to be good.

Jai - It does look pretty desperate, doesn't it?

Although there seems to be some hope in Oxford, Kate. Good for Blackwells for carrying so many lit mags.