In the 11th century, a Japanese woman known as Murasaki Shikibu wrote “The Tale of Genji,” a 54-chapter story of courtly seduction believed to be the world’s first novel. Over 1,000 years later, people the world over are still engrossed by novels — even in an era where stories appear on handheld screens and disappear 24 hours later. What exactly do human beings get from reading books? Is it just a matter of pleasure, or are there benefits beyond enjoyment? The scientific answer is a resounding “yes.”

The UK celebrates a beautiful diversity of bookshops. Whatever comes to mind when you picture an independent bookshop — whether that be a cozy cottage full of antiquarian books or a bold space for radical writers — you’ll find it in the UK. These are the best independent bookshops across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.