A book lover’s guide to Brighton
Maybe I’m biased because I am an avid reader and I live in Brighton (and thus suffer from crippling main character syndrome), but our seaside city has definitely earned itself a literary reputation.
Whether that’s as an “escape to the seaside” destination for a sickly housewife bored out of her mind at home, or a day out out for the Eastbourne-based characters of Louise Rennison’s Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging (the film replaced “full-frontal” with “perfect”, FYI).
Of course, it’s not all peaceful waves and gigs in the literature. Lydia Bennet’s trip to Brighton in Pride and Prejudice is pretty unhinged (not Austen’s precise wording), where this carefree Bennet sister spends a Summer in Brighton pursuing officers and eventually eloping, much to the family’s horror.
Then, of course, you’ve got thrillers like Brighton Rock by Graham Greene set in 1930s Brighton, where 17-year-old Pinkie Brown, a sociopathic gang leader, murders a journalist to cover up his gang’s crimes. Mixed bag.
My mission now is to convince you, through the city’s literary identity, bookshops and activities, that living in Brighton feels like living inside a novel.
Secondhand books in Brighton
Books are never expensive when you live in Brighton. There are more than 15 independent and charity bookshops across Brighton & Hove, which is both wonderful news for your reading habit and slightly less wonderful news for the ever-growing pile of books on your bedside table that you absolutely will get round to reading one day.
Books for Amnesty
(Sydney Street)
First up, you’ve got your permanent charity and secondhand bookshops. You would struggle to miss the bright pink Books for Amnesty store on Sydney Street, which has been a landmark of secondhand bookselling in the North Laine since 2007.
The books at Amnesty on Sydney Street, focus on contemporary fiction, social sciences, art, poetry, drama, history and children’s books.
Oxfam Bookshop
(Blatchington Rd)
It was only the other day that I discovered (and by “I discovered”, I mean a friend showed me the glories of) the Oxfam Bookshop on Blatchington Road in Hove.
The selection is incredible! I walked out with a copy of Wendy Cope’s Serious Concerns, Zadie Smith’s The Fraud and Rose Ruane’s Birding… and it only set me back around £8.
They’re in fantastic shape. I considered gatekeeping this one, but it’s a charity, so instead, I’ll say: Make sure you visit and take any books you know you won’t read again along with you to donate.
Last Bookshop
(Gardner St)
I don’t pretend to understand how it works, but Last Bookshop on Gardner Street sells brand spanking new books for £5 or less. BRAND NEW!
Where else can you find second hand books in Brighton?
There are many other options for second hand books in Brighton that are less permanent than the previously-mentioned shops. While I love a shop filled with books, I also love the aesthetic and experience of perusing a book stand which won’t necessarily be there the next time you are. For instance, the stands at the Brighton Open Market, Marshalls Row have a surprisingly impressive range.
Saturday Brighton street market
My favourite of the street book stands is the one that takes part in the Saturday street market on Upper Gardner Street. From pre-loved to collectable, there is something for everyone.
I picked up copies of Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s Before the coffee gets cold, Ian McEwan’s The Child in Time and Kurt Vonnegut’s Jailbird. A rather excellent trio if you ask me.
Help yourself libraries
The little “help yourself” libraries dotted around Brighton & Hove are part of a grassroots book-sharing network.
You’ll find them in converted telephone boxes, repurposed cabinets, or custom wooden boxes, like this one (left), found down Cobden Rd in Hanover!
They are are community-run 24/7 exchanges where anyone can take a book for free, leave a book they have finished with, or swap one out.
Indie bookshops in Brighton & Hove
Of course, if you do have a little bit more to spend (and want to continue to reject the disintegration of bookselling through platforms I won’t mention by name), then there is a wealth of indie bookshops to prioritise in Brighton & Hove.
There’s City Books in Hove, Kemptown Bookshop, Afrori Books (at which The Feminist Book Club meets on the third Thursday of every month at 6.30pm), Sunshine Books, Goldsboro Books… And that is just off the top of my head!
Books about Brighton
In order to channel the main character energy that every one of you deserves to feel when living in Brighton, it’s important to read about some other Brighton main characters to ensure you’re getting the vibes right.
For instance, how can anyone take you seriously as a protagonist if you haven’t stared out to sea from Brighton Pier like Peter James’ Roy Grace, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace of Sussex Police, trying to uncover the truth of a tough-to-crack case?
Sometimes, even just a fleeting reference to Brighton excites me, like Lydia Bennet’s Brat Summer or the fact that the protagonist from Hattie Williams’ debut novel
Bittersweet is from Brighton and returns to visit her family within the book. I love there being a vague reference to a pub or a street that I’ve got to decide the exact location of myself based on what I’ve read. In fact, I went to the launch of Bittersweet at Bison Beach Bar last year, where she was in conversation with Brighton-based TV personality Louis Michael. More Summery book launches, please!
Peter James’ Roy Grace series is a great shout if you like a fast-paced crime thriller and want a majority Brighton setting. Key locations include the seafront, The Lanes and surrounding Sussex areas. It’s its own thrill knowing that an arrest has happened at an intersection you know well, or that a fictional drug bust has happened moments from your favourite coffee shop!
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Annual events for literary enthusiast
Brighton Book Festival, June
Brighton Book Festival is a grassroots festival founded by independent bookshops in Brighton.
When is it? The Brighton Book Festival takes place during the third week of June
In 2026, the Brighton Book Festival took place from 17-21 June for its fifth year. With the catch-phrase “A home for every story. A story for every soul”. Evidence that the inclusive nature of Brighton is shining through the programme and the attitude to storytelling and literature.
Do yourself a favour and go onto the Brighton Fringe website for their next annual event and filter the genre by Literature & Spoken Word.
From an evening of poetry and stories and live illustration, to the International Poetry Festival by the Institute for Experimental Arts at Presuming Eds, this is a brilliant way to explore both the words flowing through Brighton and its wonderful venues.
Of course, you don’t need to wait for festivals in Brighton if you’re partial to spoken word and poetry, because there is always something on. You’ll find the Hammer & Tongue Brighton Poetry Slam at The Walrus, and a number of spoken word events taking place at Komedia Brighton.
Check out Brighton.co.uk’s What’s on for upcoming events.
Be the main character
Brighton isn’t just somewhere to read about and read in, but somewhere that makes you feel like you’re part of An Exciting and Vivid Inner Life (yes, that’s a book by Paul Dalla Rosa). As ridiculously simple as this sounds: Google is your friend. You’ll be surprised with how much you had no idea was happening on your doorstep! Look for it. It’s there!
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