October Books
October Books
189 Portswood Rd
Southampton
SO17 2NF
October Books is a co-operative, radical neighbourhood bookshop and community hub. We are a not for profit business that aims to promote the value of reading, writing, imagination and creativity.
Founded in 1977 in Bevois Valley, we then moved to rented premises at 243 Portswood Road. In November 2018, with the help and support of our community, many of whom invested time, money and physical labour, we moved to our own premises, at 189 Portswood Road. You may have seen us on the news with our Human Chain!
From there, we trade independently from any political organisation, and seek to promote a fair and equal society.
Our workers and volunteers are from many different backgrounds, and they bring diversity to the shop, so everyone feels at home in October Books.
We believe in the value of local independent bookshops as an alternative to high street chains and as a way of fostering and supporting the community.
October Books is a space to promote books and ideas that challenge the status quo and we promote and support books, groups and organisations that are working towards social, economic and environmental equality and justice.
Alongside books, we also sell fair trade, organic, sustainable and low environmental impact products. We endeavour to make sure the products we sell support fair trade and that the farmers and workers who grow and make these products are fairly paid.
Meant Well Books
Meant Well Books
2534 Estevan Ave, Victoria, BC V8R 2S7, Canada
Based in Victoria on Vancouver Island, off Canada’s west coast, Meant Well Books began as a mobile “book truck” run by a mother and her ten-year-old daughter. It has since grown into a thriving independent bookshop in a charming village neighbourhood, bringing people together through books, events and community gatherings.
Roberts Studios
Roberts Studios
80 Sykes St N.
Meaford, Ontario
N4L 1R2
Roberts Studios is an independent art supply store tucked into the heart of Meaford, Ontario, on the shores of Georgian Bay. We’re a creative little corner of town where artists, makers, and curious minds can find art supplies, books, and plenty of inspiration.We love being part of our local community and creating a welcoming place for people to stop in, chat, browse, and discover something new. We’re still growing, with many exciting plans to expand what our creative piece of Meaford has to offer in the future.We’d love to hear from fellow creative souls and letter writers from near and far!
Iris & Stout
Iris & Stout
631 NW Federal St
Ste 110, Bend, OR 97703
Iris & Stout is a small provisions and gift shop in Bend, Oregon, filled with lively conversations about thoughtful gifts, travel, hosting, and good food. Our customers love well-made pieces with a story to tell- chocolate from France, fruit candles that make them smile, a beautifully made brush from Sweden, lovely stationery, and things that remind them of places they’ve been or hope to go. We also love hosting small gatherings and events at the shop - from tastings and craft nights to yoga and conversations around women’s health - as a way to bring our community together through food, learning, and shared experiences.
Bend is an active community where the outdoors are part of daily life, from skiing at Mt. Bachelor and mountain biking to climbing at Smith Rock, running, sailing on mountain lakes, enjoying craft beverages, listening to music at our outdoor amphitheater, and supporting local artisans. We’d be delighted to connect with letter writers who enjoy good food, travel, gathering, and stories of place - whether that’s a favorite neighborhood shop, a meal they still dream about, something beautiful they found on their travels, or the little details that make their community feel magical.
The Peddlers Passage
The Peddlers Passage is a whimsical curiosity shop located in Northwest Tucson. It features local makers and authors from our community. Tucson is know for it's rich sonoran cuisine, stunning desert landscapes, deep rooted history, and creative artisan flare. Tucson has a small town feel within a big city and much of our community operates in a slower and more intentional pace of life. The desert landscape often invites you to slow down and notice the beautiful mountain landscapes, colorful sunsets or the immense night sky, filled with stars. The Pasage community echoes that feeling. While we are primarily a small artisan shop, we also offer creative workshops taught by our makers, as well as "The Velvet Burrow," a small cozy reading nook decorated with deep emerald green walls, silk black lace curtains and paintings of dragons. The room is lined with books—to keep your mind intrigued. The Passage encourages visitors to slow down, unplug from the busy world and find some magic within the shelves, or maybe even reignite the magic within themselves.
Lokaal23
Lokaal23 is a modern community and creative centre, fully run by volunteers in a small historic town in the south of the Netherlands. For nearly two years, it has brought people together through a variety of courses and workshops, including creative writing, philosophy, painting, calligraphy, and a repair café. Visitors can also enjoy a drink in the afternoons, occasional cabaret and live music on Sundays, and a new artist exhibition every six weeks.
Co_Lab Workspace & Books
Co_Lab is a boutique architecture and design bookshop located in the Old Goucher neighborhood of Baltimore, MD. Co_Lab offers a curated selection of art, architecture and design books, including cookbooks, how-to-guides and beautiful books for children. The shop was founded by two architects who love finding functional, well designed and well-made things from around the world, to share with the community. In addition to books, the shop carries stationary, home goods, jewelry, and high-end toys and games. The atmosphere is that of a small museum gift shop, a great place to look for small gifts for friends and family, or a treat for yourself.
Hearts on Fire Books
Hearts on Fire Books is a place for the curious romantic. Our vision is to spark a lasting love affair between readers and the romance genre - one that’s joyful, expansive, and wholly unapologetic. Our community is full of curious readers who enjoy reading books of all genres, exploring the Idaho outdoors, and supporting their favorite local businesses (especially coffee and breweries!). Boiseans generally have an adventurous spirit and an approachable way about them that makes them feel like a lifelong friend.
Belle & Union
Belle & Union is a sunny stationery shop in San Antonio, Texas, known for its bright yellow door and welcoming staff. Our love for stationery rivals only our love for helping our community find the perfect greeting card, notebook, fountain pen, or present—often for themselves! Many of our stationery goods are designed and printed in-house on antique letterpresses more than a century old. We believe every impression, carefully pressed onto each piece of paper and into the hands of our customers, creates connections that carry across our city and beyond. As Letter Keepers, we can't wait to watch the warmth of paper and ink spread throughout the world.
One More Chapter
One More Chapter, 6 Main Road,
Radcliffe on Trent, Nottinghamshire, NG12 2FH
Heyday Press
Heyday Press - 208 E. Louisiana St McKinney, Texas 75069 .
We are a Letterpress Studio tucked inside a neighborhood bookstore called Neighbor Books. The shop is nestled in a historic downtown area with lots of foot traffic. We have our printing press in a window, so that people can walk by and see the printing process happening. We have a press named Claude that is old and cantankerous. We love paper, letters, good design, and connecting people through the written word and snail mail.
Postscript
Postscript
1434 Silver Street
Ashland, NE 68003
USA
Postscript is a tribute to the written word, and we believe that meaningful encounters with language elevate our everyday lives, whether that’s sending a letter or writing in a journal or reading a book or sharing a picture book with a child or learning an analog skill like calligraphy or handlettering. Objects that keep reading and writing central to our days will yield richer, more meaningful lives. The shop is located in a charming town of 3,000 people in a triply-landlocked state in the middle of the U.S. There are brick streets downtown as well as a sweet bakery, an ice cream shop, antiques and art galleries, gift shops, a pizza joint, a handful of restaurants, and a beloved hardware store. We are surrounded by farm country, and "traffic" is getting stuck behind a tractor on the highway. The community gathers on our main corner downtown to cheer on students who are off to state competitions. Our local police chief high fives elementary students as they get dropped off at school for the day. We have a drink at our tea bar named after our public librarians. It's a place where nothing too dramatic is ever happening, which suits us just fine. Our Postscript community is full of vibrant, fascinating, and curious people who would absolutely love to read letters from across the world. We invite you wholeheartedly to send yours!
Arboreadum
Arboreadum Bookshop and Garden
104 4th Ave. NE
Cullman, AL 35055
(256) 727-3807
Arboreadum Bookshop and Garden
n. (ar-bor-READ-um)
A bookshop and garden nestled together in a quaint house near downtown Cullman, Alabama- where stories bloom beside plants waiting to be discovered.
The Book Pile
Nestled in the quaint downtown area of an apple farming community, we are a thoughtfully curated used bookstore with recently-published popular books in all genres. We also carry a small selection of new, trending titles. We host monthly bookish craft events and book clubs for community involvement. Our visitors will find Blind Date with a Book items, book marks, and other items for book lovers.
In the spring and fall, the rolling hills of apple orchards are stunning to view as you take a leisurely drive. Our town has a coffee shop, a few boutiques, and some delicious restaurants within walking distance we will point you to!
We are delving into the world of stationery, greeting cards, notecards, pens, journals, etc, which makes my heart even happier than it already is.
Feeling the nudge to slow down, we value the “analog” lifestyle so we don’t post like crazy on socials. We’d rather talk to you in-person than doing a Facebook live any day! In that vein, we are a Letter Keeper location for The Sunday Letter Project and so excited to meet our letter-writing friends and witness them finding a pen pal. I will always prefer selling the old-school way building relationships with our friends (customers) over online selling!
Send your introductory letter here:
The Book Pile
77 E Division Street
Sparta, MI 49345
USA
Pretty Pages
Pretty Pages
Hello from Bartlett, Illinois! I’m Meli, the proud owner of Pretty Pages, and we are absolutely thrilled to be a newly official Letter Keeper for the Sunday Letter Project. Our shop is a tiny, cozy, happy haven for paper lovers that is chock full of little treasures. We've built a truly wonderful community of creative souls who gather for everything from junk journaling meetups to stamp making and trivia nights. When I’m not organizing a workshop or geeking out over new stationery, you can usually find me completely lost in a thick romantasy novel or chatting about all things small business and motherhood. The folks who frequent Pretty Pages are kind, wildly creative, and always eager to connect over the magic of snail mail. If you’re looking for a pen-pal who appreciates a handwritten note—and will probably tuck in a few quirky pieces of ephemera just for fun—we would love nothing more than to hear from you!
Curious Turtle
Curious Turtle: Books, Toys and Games
207 E High Street
Jefferson City, MO 65101
Welcome to The Curious Turtle—a little shop with a big heart, nestled in downtown Jefferson City. This cozy space grew out of my own family’s love for storytelling, imagination, and gathering around a good book. As a mom of two, I’ve spent countless hours reading bedtime favorites, getting lost in library aisles, and searching for toys and games that spark curiosity without adding clutter or noise.
I created The Curious Turtle to be the kind of store I loved to go to as a child—a place full of thoughtfully chosen books, well-made toys, and space to play.
Why Being a Letter Keeper Makes Sense for Us
Our shop is a deliberate step back into the screen-free time of life, and becoming a Letter Keeper fits perfectly with that mission. Putting pen to paper offers all of us a quiet, tactile way to express ourselves. We are so excited to connect people with others looking for creativity and mindfulness away from digital distractions, bringing back the lost, beautiful art of writing and receiving mail.