Proudly independent since 1978, when the Donaldsons first ‘set up shop’. Red Lion Books sits in the heart of Colchester, along the High Street. Don’t be fooled by the unassuming shopfront because inside there is a treasure trove of delights for all book lovers. There is a wide-ranging stock, an overnight order service, author events, signings and book clubs. Service comes mostly with knowledge and always with a smile.
Your Local Book Shop
We are here to serve you; sharing our enthusiasm for books and passion for reading. We like to see faces in places and encourage you to visit us but if this isn’t possible we can offer advice over the telephone or by emailing us@redlionbooks.co.uk. We can deliver worldwide – or if you live locally we can deliver books to you on foot or by bicycle.
Experienced Book Sellers
Sarah and Peter Donaldson have been hands on owners and booksellers since 1978 imparting their knowledge and experience onto customers and staff members. Sarah’s passion is for children’s books and she is still very much involved with curating this section of the shop and advising local schools. Peter has been active in the Bookseller’s Association at regional and national level. He has also been a trustee of the Essex book Festival since 2011. It has always been his firm belief that bricks and mortar shops have an important part to play in keeping local communities strong and healthy.
After well over 40 years at the helm Peter and Sarah are now taking a bit more of back seat. Jo Coldwell, well known bookaholic and Colchester’s Book Club Queen, joined Red Lion Books in 2018. Now shop manager, she heads up a team of talented and experienced booksellers who have an unwavering commitment to give the best possible bookshop experience to each and every customer.
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Red Lion Books
Why Choose Us?
Award Winning Shop
Red Lion Books won the East of England Independent Bookshop of the Year Award for 2021.
Overnight Ordering
Ask for our 24 hour order service. We can place special orders for over 400,000 titles which will be available for collection the very next day.
Research and Advice
We can help you track down those hard to find titles and help guide you to find the book that is right for you.
Meet Fellow Book Fans
Our author events and book clubs are a great way to meet other book loves from around Colchester.
Get involved
Attend Our Events
Monthly Silent Book Club
…because we all need to schedule in reading time
Monthly
Bring your own book & a blanket!
6th January 2025, 5pm
125 High Street
CO1 12Z
Crochet Workshop
Make your own Bookmark
With Loui Mitchell
17th January, 2025
10am
125 High Street
CO1 1SZ
From Murasaki to Murakami: A Millennium of Japanese Literature – a talk from Storme Winfield
125 High Street
CO1 1SZ
Death Club
…because it’s good to find time to talk
Sunday 26th January, 2025, 9.30am
Red Lion Books
Experienced & Friendly
Meet The Team
Owner
Peter Donaldson
Peter remembers a childhood revolving around weekly trips to the local library, tellings off for taking books to the dinner table and reading by torchlight under the covers long after the parental ‘light out now’ call. Books were always going to figure strongly as he grew up but little did he know that bookselling would turn out to be a lifetime career. Over many years he has been involved with the Bookseller's Association at regional and national level and has also been a trustee of the Essex Book Festival since 2011. He still gets the same buzz out of opening a box of new titles that he did 40 plus years ago. It has always been his firm belief that bricks and mortar shops have an important part to play in keeping local communities strong and healthy.
Owner
Sarah Donaldson
In many ways Sarah’s life has revolved around children ever since ……well ever since her own childhood. Her vision has always been to help make a world that gives every child the best chance to find their true place within it. Books are fun. Books are exciting. And books can also stretch the imagination. Reading can play such an important part in helping children imagine what kind of future might be possible. And Sarah’s bookselling mission has always been to make Red Lion Books children’s section the very best place for children to explore the world of books. She still oversees the children’s section and is on hand to advise school librarians and reading co-ordinators on school book orders
Manager
Jo Coldwell
Jo Coldwell is a woman with a passion for books and a passion for people (among others). She is inexhaustible in finding creative ways in which to bring books and people together. In 2007 she started a book group amongst friends. There were soon too many people to fit into anyone’s house. Fortunately, another of Jo’s passions is for food and drink, so the group began meeting in local restaurants, achieving the perfect mix of people, books, food and wine! Thus was the Appetite Book Club born and has continued to grow, regularly inviting authors to attend and attracting 100 plus people each month. In 2017 Jo joined Red Lion Books and now as manager continues to bring her unique flair and personal touch to every corner of the shop.
Are You A Local Author?
We love to work with local authors. Books that sell particularly well are non-fiction titles with a strong local interest. In the first instance we ask authors to contact us by email rather than bringing their book into the shop. Here is a guideline on getting your book into a High Street Bookshop
Getting-Your-Book-into-a-High-Street-Bookshop
This is a general guide written by the Bookseller’s Association. Red Lion Books has its own terms which include a ‘sale or return’ peiord of 6 months. Please email us for full terms and conditions.
Buy Books
Our Best Sellers
Here are some of the books we can't stop recommending.
