In our era of algorithmic bubbles and slick, yet ultimately hollow AI “tasteslop”, print is back: a cultural movement that’s creating new businesses devoted to paper and ink. Enter Kiosk Bookshop, which opened at the start of October in a former newsstand on Exmouth Market.
This is by no means your average second-hand bookshop. Broadsheet visits a few hours into the kiosk’s first day of trading. It’s a sunny afternoon, there are punters sitting at pub tables only a few feet away, and founder Misty Blegvad is already making sales to a stream of passers-by that’s as diverse as the books on display. “I have a fairly wide-ranging interest: I like a lot of different stuff,” he explains – and it’s something of an understatement.
The back wall displays glossy photobooks by Mapplethorpe, Man Ray, Weegee and William Klein, as well as volumes on architecture, cinema and fashion. On the counter, mid-century design catalogues and poetry share space with subcultural photobooks, histories and intriguing archaeology titles such as The Bog People and Phallic Worship.
Prices range from a fiver or less to £80 for a rare volume of Cahiers du Cinema. No matter the cost, curation is key. “These kinds of topics are not that accessible unless you really take the time to trawl through everything in a second-hand bookshop,” Blegvad explains. “My whole approach is I curate it for you.”
The kiosk is a new step for Blegvad after years of trading at markets and fairs, initially as Market Books. He credits Peckham Car Boot for giving the business a strong foundation: “They started in 2019, and my girlfriend Emily and I were there for the very first one.”
The opportunity to go permanent came out of the blue. A Spanish bookseller named Miguel had reopened the disused newsstand as the Exmouth Cultural Kiosk, selling second-hand books, art and self-published zines. When Miguel planned to relocate to Spain, he wanted to ensure the kiosk didn’t close – and made a cold approach to Misty. “I didn’t know him before that, but he reached out saying: ‘Hey, would you like to take over when I go?’”
The result is a brand-new bookshop that’s both more curated and more graphically led than the Cultural Kiosk: perfectly in tune with the current era of second-hand book collection, where unusual visuals and esoteric subjects are key.
Misty praises Islington Council for its willingness to bring creative and unusual businesses to the street, filling empty spaces and – crucially – charging reasonable rents. (As a kiosk, the shop is also handily exempt from business rates.)
Just as important has been London’s network of traders and connoisseurs: “There’s a very nice community of booksellers in London at the moment,” Misty says. As well as long-established treasure troves such as Hurlingham Books in Fulham and Archive Books in Marylebone, he reserves a special shout-out for new-wave shops Perfect Lives, Books in Peckham and Supporting Material. “We do deals, trades and exchanges; we all have things that we specialise in. We look out for each other, and it’s great to be a part of it.”
Kiosk Bookshop
Opposite 70 Exmouth Market, EC1R 4QP.
Hours:
Thu to Sat midday–6pm
