With annual global book sales set to hit 107 billion GBP by 2023, it’s no surprise that budding readers are still stocking up on their must-read lists. But with the ever-rising popularity of books and trending prints selling out so quickly, which UK city is the best for book lovers to satisfy their reading needs?
In a bid to uncover which places offered the best facilities for book enthusiasts, TheKnowledgeAcade
The 15 best UK cities for book lovers
| Rank | UK city | Bookshop score (/10) | Library score (/10) | Public bookcase score (/10) | Final index score (/10) |
| 1 | Cambridge | 9.38 | 9.84 | 10 | 9.74 |
| 2= | York | 10 | 9.53 | 9.06 | 9.53 |
| 2= | Edinburgh | 9.84 | 8.91 | 9.84 | 9.53 |
| 4 | Oxford | 9.53 | 10 | 8.75 | 9.43 |
| 5 | Brighton and Hove | 9.69 | 8.59 | 9.69 | 9.32 |
| 6 | Leeds | 7.97 | 9.06 | 9.53 | 8.85 |
| 7 | Portsmouth | 8.59 | 7.66 | 9.22 | 8.49 |
| 8 | Manchester | 9.06 | 9.69 | 6.41 | 8.39 |
| 9 | Nottingham | 8.75 | 8.28 | 6.72 | 7.92 |
| 10 | Woking | 6.72 | 6.09 | 9.38 | 7.40 |
| 11 | Chelmsford | 8.13 | 5.47 | 8.44 | 7.35 |
| 12 | Cardiff | 7.03 | 7.5 | 6.25 | 6.93 |
| 13 | Northampton | 4.69 | 8.44 | 7.34 | 6.82 |
| 14= | London | 6.56 | 5.31 | 7.66 | 6.51 |
| 14= | Glasgow | 8.91 | 4.53 | 6.09 | 6.51 |
= symbol means a joint ranking
TheKnowledgeAcademy.com can reveal that the UK’s best city for book lovers is Cambridge – boasting an overall index score of 9.74/10! With a perfect public bookcase score of 10/10, the city also boasts the highest library score at 9.84/10. It’s no surprise that this magnificent city is well known globally for its education and culture.
Securing joint second place are York and Edinburgh, with impressive joint rankings of 9.53/10. Achieving a perfect score of 10/10 for bookshops, York also came out on top for its library score. Edinburgh however, had a much higher public bookcase score, at 9.84/10.
Ranking as the fourth best UK city for book lovers is Oxford. Renowned for its exceptional university, Oxford earns an overall index score of 9.43/10. Achieving a perfect library score of 10/10, the city also has a near perfect score of 9.53 for its bookshops.
Securing fifth place is Brighton and Hove with a final index score of 9.32/10. The East Sussex city has a near-perfect score of 9.69 for its bookshops and public bookcases, but falls short with a library score of 8.59/10.
