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Opt indie books

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OPT INDIE BOOKS OF THE YEAr ​2024

As we close the book on 2024, we’re looking back at the stories that captured our hearts, challenged our minds, and expanded our horizons. This year, we've selected 25 titles from some of the UK's best indie publishers and small presses who reflect the boldness and diversity that shaped our year of reading.

This year, we were drawn to tales of resilience and transformation, whether through profound explorations of identity, critiques of modern society, or reimaginings of myth and folklore. From deeply personal narratives to genre-defying experiments, these books reflected the complexities of our world in fresh, unforgettable ways.


Featuring some of the best writers and translators from across the globe, brought to you by some of the very best small presses here in the U.K.  
browse our full year of books here!
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why opt indie?

Opt Indie Books is a celebration of bookshops, books and the people who read them.

We champion small press publishers from across the UK and Ireland & shine a light on the incredible work booksellers do within their communities, for their high streets & for all their readers.

When you choose to support Opt Indie Books you choose to support real people with a passion for great stories​.

With bookseller interviews, monthly publisher features 
& a carefully curated list of new books each week.

OPT INTO INDEPENDENT THINKING, 
​INDIE BOOKSELLING
& INDIE PUBLISHING

featured five

OPT INTO NEW BOOKS . . .

Take a chance with one of our Featured Five
​

Break out of your comfort zone and pick up something new from us.
​Put you feet up, dive in and enjoy!
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Choose one (or all five!) from our list above to get inspired, get lost, or get motivated this week. 

Click on the image for more details.

IN CONVERSATION WITH ​
​KARIM KATTAN

AUDIO RECORDING
Listen back to our recent event with Karim Kattan as we celebrated the tour of his latest novel, The Palace on the Higher Hill, a powerful and lyrical exploration of memory, loss, and the enduring presence of the past - published by Foundry Editions.

The event lasts for roughly an hour and 20 minutes, with a short break and 10-15 minutes of audience Q&A. This was recorded on Tuesday 29th April 2025 at Deep North, Newcastle - where we explored the journey of bringing the book to publication in the UK; the layered themes of memory, place, and resistance within the novel; and his experiences as a Palestinian writer

​Click below to listen to both part below.
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IN CONVERSATION WITH ​
​MICHAEL BIRD

AUDIO RECORDING

Listen back to our Halloween-Eve event with journalist and author Michael Bird as we celebrated the launch of Modern Gothic.
​
The event lasts just over an hour with 10 minutes of audience Q&A and was recorded on Wednesday 30th October at The Lit & Phil, Newcastle - where we explored the gothic tradition and legacy in literature, the impact of social media and AI on the genre, the importance of the short story format, and where we think 'gothic' will venture in the future.

​Click below to listen to Parts 1 & 2.
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IN CONVERSATION WITH ​
​WYL MENMUIR

AUDIO RECORDING

Listen back to our recent event with Wyl Menmuir as we celebrated the tour of his latest novel, The Heart of the Woods.
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The event lasts for roughly an hour with 15 minutes of audience Q&A and was recorded on Saturday 22nd June at The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre - where we discussed the enduring legacy of iconic trees, and how our relationship with them has changed over time, and the ways in which our future is interconnected with theirs.

​Click below to listen to Parts 1 & 2.
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COMING SOON!

Take a look ahead at some of the biggest new titles coming from indie publishers in 2024. Featuring some of the best writers and translators from across the globe - in fiction, non-fiction & children's - brought to you by some of the very best small presses here in the U.K.

​While we continue to bring you our Featured Five each week, here you can get a glimpse of the bookshop bookshelves of the future.
Get ahead of the crowd & take a virtual browse today!
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​Click on the image for more details.

​In conversation with
​Tone Schunnesson

AUDIO RECORDING

Listen back to our recent event with critically acclaimed Swedish author Tone Schunnesson as we celebrated the 2024 tour of her latest novel, Days & Days & Days, with an evening in conversation with North East writer & facilitator, Sarah Davy.

Days & Days & Days is published by Opt Indie's small publisher of the month for March 2024, Héloïse Press.
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The event lasts for 50 minutes and was recorded on Thursday 29th February at Newcastle City Library's Bewick Hall in front of a live audience. Click below to listen to the full recording for free.
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spotlight

shining a light on the UK's best bookshops

EMILY ADSETT

THE HASLEMERE BOOKSHOP, SURREY

For our first Bookshop Spotlight of 2025, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Emily from The Haslemere Bookshop, an independent gem in the heart of the South East. We delved into the shop’s rich history and its deep connection to the local community, alongside Emily’s personal journey into the world of bookselling.

​ From the thoughtful curation of their shelves to the standout titles that have flown off the shelves this Christmas, our conversation covered all things books and more. Emily shared insight into the challenges and rewards of running an indie bookshop, as well as a glimpse into what’s coming up in 2025 for readers.

Click here for the full interview
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This is the part of opt indie books where we celebrate an independent bookshop from across the uk & Ireland and the amazing work they're doing; highlighting the vital role indie bookshops play in their communities and on their high streets. 

Booksellers are on the front line of the industry. Faced with an endless range of choice, each & every bookshop has their own unique selection of books and their own unique way of representing & presenting them. You won't find two bookshops alike, just like you won't find two booksellers who share the same experiences or backgrounds.

A bookshop is only ever as good as its workforce, and a bookseller's knowledge & passion for books 
is what brings readers back to their shop time & time again. 

Each month we showcase a different bookshop & interview one of the booksellers who calls that shop home...
sometimes both literally & figuratively!

Go take a browse through all our past bookshop features here.

press of the month

We don't just support independent bookshops. we also love indie publishers.

Each month Opt Indie Books features an independent publisher or small press from across the UK and Ireland, helping showcase their eclectic, sometimes radical, often overlooked but always unique and carefully curated stories to a new audience.
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ADAM LOWE

PEEPAL TREE PRESS, PUBLICITY & SOCIAL MEDIA

Meet Adam Lowe, Social Media & Publicity Officer at Peepal Tree Press!
A writer, performer, and publisher from Leeds, now based in Manchester, Adam’s passion for amplifying underrepresented writers, along with his own career as a poet and editor, makes him a vital part of the indie publishing world and a champion of diverse voices in the North.
For our latest Press of the Month interview, Adam shared insights into Peepal Tree Press’ history, their founding ethos, and some of their latest books – including works from Caribbean literary legends, Black British writers, and fresh new voices – as well as their recent partnership with HopeRoad Publishing and its Small Axe imprint.
Click here for the full interview
IGNORE THE MAINSTREAM MACHINE. PICK UP SOMETHING INDIE . . .

Patterflash

£9.99
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Mortality

£12.99
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Time Cleaves Itself

£10.99
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Godzilla and the Song Bird

£15.99
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Green Unpleasant Land

£19.99
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Sweet Li Jie

£10.99
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Children of the Ghetto

£19.99
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DON'T SEE what you're looking for?

with access to thousands of other reads across hundreds of publishers nationwide,
why not request something else?

​place an order for something specific below

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  • Books of the Year 2024
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