Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 4.30.
A wide range of secondhand and remaindered books at very competitive prices. Stock includes many academic titles as well as modern fiction and classics.
The favourite bookshop of most literate Bristolians; even the bibliophiles admit to popping in regularly. Extremely good prices, always with a half-price offer on a section that changes every month. It's on the famous Gloucester Road, so if you're accompanied by fans of clothes, knick-knacks, CDs, electronics, alcohol or fine food (incl. street-grilled meat on Saturdays), they'll be chuffed too. Laurence 28.09.09
Large stock of donated books with plenty of volunteer staff. However all books over £10 in value are unavailable as they are upstairs and on-line. This is unfair to the customers and loses money for Amnesty. Mary C 23.08.11
What a letdown. Agree with Mary C - this is a poor collection of cheap books, some odd goodies but told "anything worthwhile taken upsatiars for internet only". Norman Davies 22.09.11
In answer to the comments above, Books for Amnesty Brsitol has now got an 'interesting books section' which we are trying to stock with first editions, signed books and the like. Unfortunately space in the shop is limited, so unfortunately we can't have all the books out at one time. We do sell more valuble books on abebooks.co.uk and anyone local is welcome to get in touch to arrange looking at or buying any of the books listed online. Tamara, Books for Amnesty 12.01.12
Recently all books were £1. This included the Internet books. There were at least 6 shelves of them! While I understand about space and abebooks, why can't all customers go upstairs to look at them? Mary C 26.07.12
Dear Mary C and other concerned book lovers - I'm afraid it just isn't practical to allow all customers upstairs. We have over 4000 books listed online and unfortunately not enough space to display them or enough volunteers to staff the space. Upstairs, is where we sort through the books as well as store them. Many of the books are in boxes and those that are on shelves usually have piles have boxes in front of them. There are now 2 permanent shelves of collectables above the religion section downstairs as well as some collectable children's books above children's classics. If you are looking for anything specific do get in touch.
Ignore the moans as above. This is a quality charity shop with some pretty good offerings. No wonder it was full on my visit Chris Harte 19.01.13
Sadly not the shop it used to be.the prices are steadily rising and the quality decreasing.Could this be to do with certain favoured customers who leave with bags of goodies put aside for them? Brautigan 03.07.13
Thoroughly agree with Brautigan's comments. Prices rising whilst quality markedly down. A noble charity but one whose Secretary-General is on £200,000 pa and senior directors £107,000. A total of £800,000 severance pay was paid to two executives 2 years ago. No wonder prices are rising. The Drifter 10.08.13
Punch drunk. 1/10. - The Boxer 12.09.13 12.09.13
I still have no idea what the Boxer is talking about ! I got here unfortunately quite late but there were plenty of people browsing and it i true to say that this shop has a wider range of extent of stock than most of the other Bristol shops. It closed whilst I was there but will definitely be back, The area has a multitude of other charity shops, too late to visit however. - Worth a detour. Jonathan Morgan 15.11.16
Four and a half years since my last visit and, if anything, the stock has improved no end. Between my wife and myself we purchased 22 titles and really should have got more. This shop is WWAD. Chris Harte 04.09.17
Finally returned in good time not to be ejected by store closing. The alterations mentioned include new shelves and a well organised stock, which was extensive. Not a great deal for me on this trip, as the fiction section resembled my own shelves. Nearby charity shops rather a disappointment in book terms. Probably one of the best s/h bookshops in the city tho! Jon Morgan 10.03.18
Revisit today. Problem solved by shop extending into back rooms. Decent stock at excellent prices although some subjects inevitably better than others;worth a visit. Norman Davies 31.05.18
Still as well stocked as ever, with volunteers busy replenishing the shelves during my visit. Plenty of bargains to be had in the boxes outside the window. Wessexman 24.09.21
A good tip if you are visiting Bristol on foot, Their all day bus ticket is £5 and well worth it, as I went by bus all around the city. Amnesty delivered two books into my cavernous rucksack (which was stuffed by the end of the day) They have a large selection in all genres and for once I bought a couple in one of the nearby charity shops too. Gloucester Road is very trendy and full of antiques shops all the way to the bottom. Some of them are worth popping into ie Emmaus. This link has a 'find a shop' tab and is useful for charity shops in an unknown town. https://www.charityretail.org.uk/ Firedrake 29.10.21
Books for Amnesty is, if anything, even more uneven in their pricing policy than Oxfam - massive variation from branch to branch. This one, happily, is on the sensible side: two medium sized spaces at front and back, with the kind of prices that will prompt you to buy more than you intended. Well worth the detour out of the city centre. Steven Kelly 11.11.21
Always worth a visit on Gloucester Road. The staff are friendly, there's a good range of secondhand books and they are reasonably priced. SteveBrissle 09.12.21
There is a floor plan but it is out of date as quite a few sections are listed as "downstairs", which is staff only. As very little of what I was looking for was on the shelves, I was invited down and beheld a ton of items still yet to be priced up. Came away with a bagful for very little. Definitely one of the more interesting charity shops. Stive 16.12.21
A good shop for the reader. Nothing today collectable in my interests. Disappointed to hear a debate by two volunteers about pricing a nondescript book. One suggested £4. The other was pointing out that Oxfam had the same book for sale for £30. It seems they are going down the Oxfam route of pricing everything off unrealistic internet prices for books that haven’t and will never sell at such prices, or making false comparisons. It will stop collectors coming to shops eventually. Loyola 15.08.23
Good as ever with a really interesting range and everything sensibly priced. PLF 01.03.24
This is my nearest Amnesty Bookshop and I've been visiting it regularly for 25 years. In my opinion, it's by far the best in term of range of stock and pricing. One can also park free for an hour fairly easily on the Gloucester Road where the Bristol shop is located.
With the exception of Malvern, all the Amnesty Bookshops I know (Bristol, Cambridge, York, Edinburgh, Norwich, London (Hammersmith) and Brighton) are all in university towns and demonstrate this clearly. They all have a good all-round stock with a bias towards academia and little or no antiquarian. They are all worth visiting. PLF 28.04.24
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