Independent booksellers in the heart of Kemptown since 1976
“one of the UK’s best independent bookshops”
- The Times
oppening hours
Monday to Saturday: 9:30am-5.30pm
Sunday 11am-4pm
Kemptown Bookshop is Brighton’s oldest independent bookshop. Established 50 years ago, it has three floors of books for adults and children, fantastic stationery, toys and games, gifts, fine art, and a newly-refurbished cafe.
Fiction writer Cathy Hayward took over Kemptown Bookshop in 2022. Her aim is for the bookshop to be at the heart of the community, supporting local authors, and be a place where people of all ages and backgrounds can meet and enjoy the written word whether that’s through books, literary events or just enjoying a coffee and pastry.
The refurbished and reopened Bookroom Cafe on our first floor serves coffee from local roastery White Cloud Coffee Co., pots of loose-leaf tea from Brighton’s Bird & Blend, as well as a selection of cakes and pastries from Coburn & Baker. We have vegan-friendly and gluten-free options and no extra charge for plant milk.
“Its quaintness belies a sophistication that will please art lovers and bibliophiles alike”
“Brighton’s longest-running independent bookshop purveys an excellently curated collection”