The Little Apple Bookshop
Ian Jones, Food and Drink Editor
The Little Apple Bookshop is a highly-regarded independent bookshop based just a stone’s throw from York Minster, found just under the Minster on High Petergate.
It’s a delightful traditional bookshop, popular with locals and visitors alike, and highly rated by the Guardian and Observer. Run by resident enthusiasts Tim and Philippa, the small shopfront goes back a long way and is easily worth browsing for an hour or two.
The Fiction section is right up to date, holding authors from Yaa Gyasi to Emily St John Mandel, from Elena Ferrante to Francis Spufford – with books nicely priced slightly below the chain store rate. Non-fiction includes popular science and history paperbacks such as Robert McFarlane’s Underland and Merlin Sheldrake’s Entangled Life, as well as specialist titles under various topics and a list of York-related local history books. Notably, the poetry section is kept stocked up, not just with big-name prize-winners from larger publishers but also pamphlets and books by local authors.
The Children’s section is particularly thoughtful, arranged by age from 0+, and with special sections for sought-after classics such as Tintin and Moomins. There’s also a section designed for gifts, including all the WW2 and railway and espionage-related pocketbooks you (or grandad) could ask for, along with graphic novels, plus satchels, tote bags, stickers, cards and small craft items. In particular, there seem to be a lot of books about crochet and knitted cats and birds – and why not?
In short, the small but mighty Little Apple Bookshop is the place to go for Christmas and birthday presents as well as literature.
