BookArtBookshop is a unique bookshop championing artists’ books from brilliant UK presses and beyond, and who have been supporting Four Corners Books over the years. This September, we're thrilled to see their window filled with our titles - a wonderful mix of backlist treasures and newer books. We spoke to founder Tanya Peixoto about her experience as an independent art bookshop owner.

Can you tell us how BookArtBookshop got started? What inspired you to open it?

The inspiration for Bookartbookshop came from visiting bookshops like Printed Matter in New York and Workfortheeyetodo run by Coracle Press in London. When the latter closed there was nowhere to buy artist books all year round. You could only see these kind of publications at bookfairs for instance Marcus Campbell’s Artist Bookfair at the Barbican or later the Small Publisher’s Fair at Conway Hall.

It was thanks to the artist, writer and publisher, Alastair Brotchie (1952-2023), of Atlas Press who gave me the opportunity to open bookartbookshop in his then empty shop in Pitfield street. We eventually married and had a great life of publishing and selling books together.

What do you enjoy most about running a bookshop in Shoreditch?

Conversations stimulated by books are best of all. Seeing the excitement on customers’ faces as they discover this treasure trove of ideas and for some, the epiphany that they too could make and sell their books in the shop.

How has the area changed since you opened in 2002?

The area has been through so many changes. It once was full of art galleries. Now it’s hotels, bars and nail salons. Fortunately there is quite a lot of student accommodation in Shoreditch and it’s lively. We could do with more bookshops in the area but at least we have Hoxton Books round the corner which is part of a gallery called Tabula Rasa.

How do you curate your selection?

I was the publisher and one of the editors of a journal called the Artist’s Book Yearbook from 1994-99 and so I got to know many book artists. It’s now edited and designed by Sarah Bodman and published by the University of the West of England. The basis of the bookshop is that we work in partnership with artists and small press publishers and a few excellent distributors: Central books, Art Data, Turnaround, to sell and promote their books. I am looking for books that reflect on their own making and communicate through the book form, books that consider the relationship of text and image on the page and books that experiment with text as image. Over the years many artists have brought their work directly to the bookshop.

What's your current favourite book, and what titles are your customers buying right now?

There is a new book “Art Brut. The Book of Books” published by FIVE Continents Editions. I particularly like it because it’s a book reflecting the very private, obsessive and intimate practice of hand made books that I feel goes hand in glove with the creative internal worlds of visionary or outsider artists.

What do you think makes a great independent bookshop?

I am not sure how to answer that. I know that when I go into a bookshop I hope to find something I didn’t know I was looking for!

Visit Bookartbookshop at 17 Pitfield Street, N1 6HB
Open Wed - Sat 12-6pm
Visit their Instagram account for the latest updates