Magma

Impossible to walk past for designy types like me. Great selection of books and magazines covering all facets of design, and experts at removing my plastic from my wallet.

Worth a trip to Clerkenwell for.

I love it here. I can attempt to appear simultaneously erudite and hip and purchase more books that linger around my house, unread and tormenting me. To feel better, I just go and buy more which fuels a never ending spiral of 'please don’t ask tricky questions about those books on my shelf; I haven’t read 'em’.

I also love stationery and suffer from the delusion that buying a funky notebook will add depth and weight to the scribbling of my latest plans for a world-dominating, fame-riddled future. You’ll never know if it’s successful, as by the time it manifests I will be so long gone up my own fundament that I will only be speaking to Elton John. And Shane Richie.

This place is one of those that has the unexpected.

What it is, is a temple of the graphic arts, especially comic books. So no reverence at all. But, even if you are not a comic fan, you will enjoy browsing the quirky, amusing and sometimes stimulating and provocative stuff they stock. One of those shops that often serve when you are searching for that difficult present.

I will go slightly out of my way for a few moments of eye candy browsing at the Clerkenwell Road location of Magma Books. The small shop sells all sorts of art and design books as well as an awesome, if limited, selection of toys, DVDs and other interesting products. They also have a wall full of brilliant magazines like Juxtapoz and don’t seem to mind folks popping in for a free perusal. Of course, I often go in just to look and end up buying something. I always find neat-o things to read and ogle for me (usually) and my friends - Magma is a great place for last minute gift shopping.

The Magma flagship location near Cambridge Circus is cool too, but I prefer this one. Its layout is easier to navigate, and they seem to have all the same stuff. Being a short walk from Daddy Donkey’s Leather Lane location is a plus too.

Magma is a great place for creatives to bask in a bit of inspiration on the lunch break and drool over the books. It sells design books, publications, t shirts, magazines and posters. I pop in at least once a year, usually with a list of books my husband is after and they are always very helpful and attentive in deciphering his handwriting and pointing me in the right direction. It’s a small shop but well worth a look if shoping for someone creative.