Looking for unique art or locally made gifts this Christmas? Shop independently at the South London Gallery Bookshop! All proceeds from sales directly support the South London Gallery’s art and education programmes, continuing our commitment to keeping entry free for all.
Last month we launched our new online shop, with even more products from indie-publishers, London-based makers and limited-edition artworks. Order online by 13 Dec 2023 to be guaranteed delivery before Christmas.
The South London Gallery Bookshop team have put together their top recommendations this winter. Take a look…
Nearly All the Men in Lagos Are Mad – £9.99 – Shop Online
Damilare Kuku’s brilliant collection of short stories presents the melting pot that is Lagos with immense charm, wit and wisdom, and was BY FAR our best-selling book of 2023 during our exhibition Lagos, Peckham, Repeat: Pilgrimage to the Lakes. Grab a copy for Christmas and see what all the fuss is about!
YARA + DAVINA Football Scarf – £25 – Shop Online
This scarf was produced as part of the SLG’s Art Block 2022 – 2023 commission with artist duo YARA + DAVINA. The project, Goals, invited the young people who attend Art Block to think about their personal and collective goals through the mediums of art and football. Together, they created the football scarves, emblazoned with their slogans: BE A DEFENDER and OCCUPY THE FIELD. All proceeds go directly back to Art Block, a free space based in Sceaux Gardens Estate for local children and families to make things, be creative, and play.
Susan Sontag: On Women – £16.99 – Shop Online
Often cited as ‘one of America’s greatest public intellectuals’, this new collection of Sontag’s incisive writings on women from the 1970s is a revelation; timely, provocative, and a blazing demonstration of Sontag’s prose.
Gift SLG Membership – from £70 – Shop Online
SLG Membership is the perfect gift for the art lover in your life! Members enjoy a year of exclusive events, discounted tickets as well as 10% off in our café and shop. Every membership supports the SLG’s ambition for contemporary art to be accessible to all. The Gift Membership includes a Lagos, Peckham, Repeat tote bag, book and Christmas card and comes gift wrapped!
Flesh is Earth Soaps – from £6 – Shop Online
These weird and wonderful soaps are sculptures in their own right! With a range of scent, shapes, colours and patterns, there’s a soap for everyone. Made by hand in London by artist Sarai Caprile Hernández and packaged in beautiful, bio-degradable packaging.
Weird Walk: Wanderings and Wonderings through the British Ritual Year – £19.99 – Shop Online
Everyone loves a walk at Christmas time – why not make yours weird! Another best-seller from our shelves, Weird Walk is ‘a superbly designed guide to Britain’s strange and ancient places, to standing stones and pagan rituals, and to the process of re-enchantment via weird walking.’
Chiizii, Untitled Collage 5, 2023 – £200 – Shop Online
Artist Chiizii made this exclusive limited edition print for the South London Gallery to coincide with Lagos, Peckham, Repeat. These layered images of photos taken in London and Abuja, the capital of Nigeria have been combined to look as if they are one, seamlessly blended. The collage explores the experience of engaging with Igbo food culture in settings outside of Igboland.
D is for Dog – £9.99 – Shop Online
Gleeful, energetic and adorable – words that don’t just describe your favourite hound but encapsulate this wonderful new book by poet Em Lynas and illustrator Sara Ogilvie. This hilarious rhyming ABC is a joy to read aloud on Christmas morning.
Studio Cookbook Volume Three – £32
The latest edition of Hato Press’ Studio Cookbook features recipes from their collaborators, friends and creatives they admire! This is the ideal gift for artists on the go and those who love to connect through cooking. A beautifully designed book with curated recipes for all abilities.
Rory Pilgrim, The Resounding Bell, 2018 – £100 – Shop Online
This year, artist Rory Pilgrim is nominated for the Turner Prize! Pilgrim’s work is often made collaboratively and interweaves stories, poems, music and film. This limited edition artwork was created for the launch of the SLG’s Fire Station building. Pilgrim co-developed short films and a performance with groups of women living locally. The work considers how we might amplify otherwise unheard stories from the past that are in danger of being left silent.
Pebble Knitted Toys and Decorations – from £7.50
These adorable knitted toys and Christmas tree decorations with quirky expressions are the perfect gift for kids and fun-loving adults! All Pebble products are made by Hathay Bunano, a non-profit, fair trade organisation in Bangladesh. Their mission is to create fairly paid, good quality, flexible and local employment for rural women who are poor and often disadvantaged.
Mahjong: An International Manual by Mahjong Friends – £14
Board games are a Christmas staple, but things often get heated! The incredible Mahjong Friends present a fun and fascinating manual about the East Asian board game. Encapsulating the rich history and cultural traditions of the game and serving as an accessible introduction to the delicate political situation in East Asia, the creators seek to connect and bring peace to the world through Mahjong – cheat sheet included!
Black and British: An Illustrated History – £16.99
David Olusoga’s essential text on Black British History is given a stunning visual dimension in this edition for younger readers. From Roman times to the present day, this absorbing, beautiful book will enrich and expand minds this Christmas, young and old alike.
Thie Spun Cotton Fruit Decorations – £7.50
These sparkling fruit decorations made from compressed cotton paper and hand-moulded into shape, making each piece unique. They are finished with recycled glass. We’ve got lemons, pears, peaches and plums in store – get yours soon, they’re selling fast!
Entangled Life (The Illustrated Edition) – £30 – Shop Online
Merlin Sheldrake’s mycological classic gets a fabulous update with over 100 stunning photos to accompany his mind-altering journey through the world of fungi. Due to popular demand, our selection of all things fungal has literally mushroomed this year; why not also learn about the composer John Cage’s obsession with mushrooms in A Mycological Foray: Variations on Mushrooms? Or fill stockings with the pocketable Fungapedia, or our charming Thie Toadstool Tree Decorations!
Shopping online? Make sure to order before 13 Dec 2023 to guarantee delivery before Christmas.
(P.S, you can get 10% off your first online order by signing up to our email list!)