Meet the stockists – Libreria

Libreria is an independent bookshop in East London built around the principle of serendipitous discovery. Rejecting algorithmic recommendations and conventional categorisation, it organises its shelves around themes such as Wanderlust, Enchantment for the Disenchanted, and the City, encouraging readers to make unexpected connections and discover books they might otherwise never have found. We spoke with Libreria general manager Aaron Hicklin to find out more…

What’s the story behind Libreria?
Libreria was founded in 2016 with a simple but oddly radical premise at a time when algorithms were driving everything: discovery matters. Conceived by Second Home cofounder Rohan Silva and designed by [Spanish architects] SelgasCano, its principal innovation was to organise shelves around ideas and curiosities (serendipitously, I created a bookstore in upstate New York in 2015 with a similar approach where every shelf was curated by an artist, writer or thinker, ranging from Tilda Swinton to George Saunders). The aim was not simply to sell books, but to create the conditions for unexpected encounters between one book and another. Ten years on, that remains at the heart of what we do.

What’s the indie magazine publishing scene like around Libreria?
In general, vibrant, diverse and exciting. We’re in east London, home to Dazed, Beast Mag and Fatboy, and I’m sure half a dozen other titles that I’ve yet to discover. At Libreria, space is paramount, so our selection is curated and tight, allowing room for literary journals like Folding Rock, which specialises in Welsh writing and The Little Review, a pocket magazine focused on poetry, as well as magazines like Delayed Gratification that reflect Libreria’s sensibility of slowing down and taking time to dwell with a piece of writing.

What makes Libreria special?
It’s an incredibly considered space, with a unique design by SelgasCano, inspired by Borges’s short story, ‘The Library of Babel’, which imagines the world as an infinite library. Carefully placed mirrors give the illusion of a much larger space, and the shop is designed to encourage discovery. Our shelves are curated by theme – “Enlightenment”, “Dark Times”, “Enchantment for the Disenchanted” and “First Person” – and there are nooks designed for reading if people want to linger for an afternoon. We have a “no phones” policy which people are generally very good at respecting.

How do you choose the magazines that go into the shop?
Like everything in Libreria, mostly on a whim. We have a small team, and the books and magazines reflect our own tastes.

What are your current favourite magazines?
In addition to Delayed Gratification, the current Scandinavia-themed issue of Granta is terrific, but also the food magazine Vittles, only two issues old, and an offshoot of the excellent Substack of the same name that has become a hub for some of the most exciting writing on food culture in Britain.

What does the future hold for Libreria?
There’s a real hunger for community and offline engagement with ideas and storytelling, and we’re leaning into it by expanding our cultural programming, including our first indie press and magazine fair, Bibliographia, which will take place on Saturday 26th September across three floors of Second Home – the coworking space as well as the parent company of Libreria, also designed by SelgasCano. It’s going to be very special.

Friday, August 14th, 2026 - Meet the stockists