OPT INDIE BOOKS OF THE YEAr 2024As 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. |
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 |
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SILK ROADS - SUE BRUNNING
THE LIT & PHIL, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
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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!
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!
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.
Click on the image for more details.
IN CONVERSATION WITH
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IN CONVERSATION WITH
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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!
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!
Click on the image for more details.
In conversation with
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spotlight
shining a light on the UK's best bookshops
EMILY ADSETTTHE HASLEMERE BOOKSHOP, SURREYFor 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.
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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.
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.
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.
ADAM LOWEPEEPAL TREE PRESS, PUBLICITY & SOCIAL MEDIAMeet 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. |