Bookmongers

Last year was a difficult one for Coldharbour Lane institution Bookmongers, whose much-loved mascot, a one-eyed cat named Popeye, sadly passed away. Nevertheless, this Brixton institution is everything you could want from a secondhand bookshop. Run by American-born Patrick Kelly, who opened the shop’s doors more than 30 years ago, it’s developed a devoted following thanks to its creaking shelves and precarious stacks, the faint aroma of well-thumbed paperbacks and musty first editions. Its stock is inspiring and well-organised if slightly overflowing; it’s worth taking the time for a proper browse.