Explore 13 of Manchester’s richest bookscapes, from neo-Gothic architectural gems to cozy book cafés and the Manchester Book Fair.
Designated a UNESCO City of Literature in 2017, you better believe that Manchester is a must-see for book lovers visiting the UK.
The Edwardian Manchester Hotel
Though it looks majestically historical on the outside, this hotel is the embodiment of modern luxury on the inside. It features loads of stylish rooms and suites, a spa with pool, gym, sauna, and steam facilities, and some lovely dining experiences.
Most notably for bibliophiles out there, it has the Library Champaign Bar. It has a sleek design with a bookcase full of titles on travel, art, and design. You can also get afternoon tea here, which is a nice little cherry on top.
Address: Free Trade Hall, Peter St, Manchester M2 5GP, United Kingdom
Opening hours:
– Check-in time: 3PM
– Check-out time: 11AM
Manchester Central Library
Standing proud as Manchester’s main public library and the headquarters of the city’s library service, Manchester Central Library sits in the heart of the city. It was built between 1930 and 1934 in neoclassical style with some pretty clear inspiration taken from the Pantheon in Rome, though it definitely does its own thing with it.
Thanks to its renovation in the 2010s, this library is fully equipped with modern facilities on top of its historic architecture, most notably its beautifully preserved columns and domed reading room.
Address: St Peter’s Square, Manchester M2 5PD, United Kingdom
Opening hours:
– Monday to Thursday: 9AM – 8PM
– Friday & Saturday: 9AM – 5PM
– Sunday: Closed
John Rylands Library
John Rylands Library is a late-Victorian neo-Gothic masterpiece founded by Enriqueta Augustina Rylands in memory of her husband, industrialist John Rylands. Opened to the public in 1900, it is now part of the University of Manchester and houses special collections of rare books, manuscripts, and archives.
One step inside its long hall will immediately tell you why so many compare it to a Gothic cathedral, with statues atop columns, high, vaulted ceilings, and grand, stained-glass windows.
Address: 150 Deansgate, Manchester M3 3EH, United Kingdom
Opening hours:
– Wednesday to Saturday: 10AM – 5PM
– Sunday to Tuesday: Closed
Waterstones (Deansgate)
We’ve covered Waterstones before, and no wonder—it’s a massively popular bookstore chain with often very beautiful outlets. Waterstones Deansgate is no exception, standing as one of the biggest bookshops in northern England with a black lattice storefront.
Spread across three floors, it stocks tens of thousands of titles plus quite a few other items, like gift options and stationery. It even has a café on the second floor that presents vegan options alongside your regular sweet treats and coffees.
Address: 91 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2BW, United Kingdom
Opening hours:
– Monday to Saturday: 9AM – 8PM
– Sunday: 11AM – 5PM
House of Books & Friends
This independent bookshop and café was opened in 2022 originally as a community interest company, aiming to combat loneliness by bringing people together through books, conversation, and various events. (There’s a reason why it’s a house for books and friends, after all!)
Some of its more notable activities and programs include book clubs, readings, author meets, and weekly community meetups. Visitors praise the staff, especially for being so warm and attentive to guests’ needs.
Address: Ground Floor, 81 King St, Manchester M2 4AH, United Kingdom
Opening hours:
– Monday to Saturday: 9AM – 6PM
– Sunday: 11AM – 5PM
The Portico Library
The Portico Library is a subscription library and gallery, founded way back in 1806. Housed in a Greek Revival building, the exterior has four massive, smooth columns with Grecian-style swirly bits on top.
Meanwhile, the interior seems at first like your run-of-the-mill modern reading room—but a glance up reveals a ceiling with a distinctive geometric style and a domed skylight at the peak. This library offers free entry to all and regular events, all while preserving a historic collection of around 25,000 volumes.
Address: 57 Mosley St, Manchester M2 3HY, United Kingdom
Opening hours:
– Monday to Wednesday: 10AM – 5PM
– Thursday: 10AM – 7PM
– Friday: 11AM – 5PM
– Saturday: 12PM – 4PM
– Sunday: Closed
Chapter One Books
Opened around 2015, this bookshop and café is run by a family passionate about literature with an eclectic style that’s a delight to behold. On one wall, you can find a range of old paintings in fancy, antique frames, while the café features a full-on stone fountain alongside wooden slat furniture and plush, vintage armchairs.
Though it’s undergone some changes in the past few months to focus more on the bar/restaurant side of things, it still carries a unique, quirky charm.
Address: Chatsworth House, 23 Lever St, Manchester M1 1BY, United Kingdom
Opening hours:
– Monday to Sunday: 10AM – 9PM
UNITOM
Located in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, this book and magazine store specializes in the visual arts. Its collection carries curated books on contemporary art, design, fashion, photography, and counterculture, plus indie magazines, zines, prints, and lifestyle items like stationery and coffee accessories.
It has a gallery-like vibe that makes the most of white space to emphasize its wares, presenting a stylish arrangement of both books and other merchandise.
Address: 1a Stevenson Square, Manchester M1 1DN, United Kingdom
Opening hours:
– Monday to Saturday: 10AM – 5:30PM
– Sunday: 11AM – 5PM
Paramount Books
Family-owned since 1965, Paramount Books is a secondhand bookshop that specializes in science fiction, aviation books, vintage comics, and graphic novels. The store buys, trades, and sells, so it’s a good way to share pre-loved books with the rest of the world. Purchases often even come with a free piece of fruit!
Inside has a definite cluttered appeal, with volumes piled high on shelves and tables alike. It’s a great place to get lost in and find a new favorite read.
Address: 25-27 Shudehill, Manchester M4 2AF, United Kingdom
Opening hours:
– Saturday & Sunday: 10AM – 5PM
– Monday to Friday: Closed
Chetham’s Library
Chetham’s Library is the oldest surviving public library in the English-speaking world, established as a free library in 1653. The building it’s housed in is even older than that, being a sandstone college complex from 1421.
Whether you love books or simply appreciate history, this place is a true historian’s dream, featuring beautifully preserved medieval architecture in its cloisters, Baronial Hall, and oak panelled reading rooms. Note: since this same building also hosts Chetham’s School of Music, visitors can’t freely come and go. You have to book a tour or appointment ahead of time.
Address: Long Millgate, Manchester M3 1SB, United Kingdom
Opening hours:
(By reservation only, typically as a 1-hour guided tour)
– Monday to Friday: from 11AM, 1:30PM, or 3PM
– Note: Availability may vary.
Blackwell’s Bookshop
With the original Blackwell’s in Oxford, this Manchester branch is, funnily enough, on Oxford Road. (Did they do it on purpose? I certainly hope so.)
Either way, this particular location is the University of Manchester’s official academic bookstore. It stocks textbooks, bestsellers, fiction, nonfiction, science, history, stationery, and gifts across multiple floors. The upper level even features a Caffe Nero café, which serves up coffee and offers both indoor and outdoor seating.
Address: University Green, 146 Oxford Rd, Manchester M13 9GP, United Kingdom
Opening hours:
– Monday to Friday: 8:30AM – 6:30PM
– Saturday: 10AM – 5PM
– Sunday: 11AM – 5PM
Manchester Book Fair
This bi-annual event for book lovers has been held at the Monastery Manchester on Gorton Lane since 2019. It comes around for one day every spring and fall, and typically features around 20 dealers selling secondhand, antiquarian, collectable books, and other miscellanea.
While the temporary stalls are simple, the monastery that hosts the fair more than elevates the experience with its remarkable setting. It boasts high ceilings with grand arches and angelic figures perched atop columns. There’s even a café nearby where you can kick up and relax once you’re done browsing literary treasures.
Address: The Monastery Manchester, 89 Gorton Ln, Manchester M12 5WF, United Kingdom
Opening hours:
– In 2026, May 12 and October 11: 10AM – 4PM
Didsbury Village Bookshop
Didsbury Village Bookshop is a quirky second-hand bookstore tucked behind The Art of Tea café. Run by a retired professor, it offers a little bit of this and that in its eclectic selection of vintage books.
It has a quaint charm that’s hard to find elsewhere, rows of bookcases complemented by a hand-painted map of the store showing you where to find art books, poetry, mountaineering, and dictionaries, among many other genres and subjects. It has an old-world atmosphere in all the best ways.
Address: Inside The Art of Tea, 47 Barlow Moor Rd, Didsbury, Manchester M20 6TW, United Kingdom
Opening hours:
– Monday to Saturday: 9AM – 10PM
– Sunday: 10AM – 9PM
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K Lou
K. Lou is a writer born in the U.S. who found her way to Japan through a spiritual calling—or, more precisely, better access to tea. She writes about travel, culture, and the occasional creative piece, inspired by her enduring love of books. This love began in high school when K. Lou carried books around to avoid seeming odd while lost in thought. Once she started reading, she never stopped. With zero regrets, she continues to explore the written word and invites others to join her in celebrating its varied forms.
