The Margate Bookshop is an independent bookshop situated in the heart of the Old Town offering a selection of new and second hand books.

The shop opened its doors in May 2019 when owner Francesca found a beautiful Georgian shop space after years of searching for the right premises, perfecting business plans and growing the business through social media. From day one we have been committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment to encourage a larger involvement in reading and in literature. Our stock is largely curated to reflect our customers’ tastes, while retaining the essence of a “general interest” bookshop. Working in direct relationship with distributors for smaller publishers, we promote underrepresented authors and translated fiction, focusing on diversity in our stock.

The Margate Bookshop hosts a regular book club, poetry feedback evenings and book launch events, while upstairs the Writers’ Room offers a space in which locals can work from and hold meetings. Outdoor seating is available for customers to enjoy tea or coffee in the square where on warm days local musicians can be found playing. We share Market Place with three cafés, a pub and a museum, the sum of which attracts a large breadth of people with a range of ages and interests, spilling out into the square to bask in the sunshine.

At The Margate Bookshop we believe that a book has an underlying significance both on an intimate level - for an individual's personal growth, and on a macrocosmic level - for its ability to bridge gaps and contribute to the richness of the human experience. At a time in which the amplitude of the online world can seem intimidating, we feel it's important that classics be ever-present, children's books be affordable, small publications be easier to stumble upon and personal recommendations should be close-at-hand and always come with a smile.