About Hydra Bookshop
The Hydra is a radical community bookshop, community venue, and meeting place in central Bristol. Having left our old home in Old Market, we've sprouted a new head in Cafe Kino on Stoke's Croft.
Hydra Bookshop Description
We stock radical literature on a wide range of issues; politics, history, feminism, animal rights, environmentalism that it may be difficult to track down in the usual high-street bookshops (if you can find one! )
The bookshop provides an outlet for independent non commercial publishers and authors to make their books and ideas accessible to the wider community. Run by local people as a volunteer workers co-operative, the shop grew out of Bristol Radical History group and similar networks across the city. It is a space for exchanging ideas and finding those books.
"Bristol's best bookshop for political debate, community networking and coffee. Hydra fulfils the long tradition of a bookshop as a place to share, discuss and challenge ideas. " - Woolf Magazine.
Reviews
Listen to Queers in Transit talk about how great we are 😊
On tour from Paris, Self-ish is coming to Hydra! Open mic night for women, non-binary & trans folk. This Wednesday at 8 PM <3
Come round tonight 💖 ”To start off the Week of Solidarity with Anarchist Prisoners (23rd-30th August) we bring you this fun evening of poetry, music and information on prisoner solidarity and how you can join in and prepare actions of support. This is a good opportunity to meet others and throw ideas around about upcoming actions you could do in solidarity with anarchist prisoners!”
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Got some books in for you 👍
This Saturday is another volunteer training day! Come along, help yourself to free coffee, perceive the shop from behind the counter 😮 woaaahh
Stop by and check out our new ‘pay what you want’ book shelves! 💰🤷♀️
Got a free evening tomorrow?? Hell Hath No Fury Promotions are putting this on!
Danish Riot Grrrl rager with Hook Jaw / Jævndøgn / Enids coming all the way from Denmark to grace their presence at Hydra Bookshop in Bristol. Free Entry/Donations. FFO Riot Grrrl/Indie Punk/Pop Punk
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Queer crochet keyrings are avaliable in the shop, pay what you feel 🏳️🌈💖 We've already sold out of trans flags but our lovely volunteer is planning to knit more soon!
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Unfortunately tonight's gig (Carson Wells) has been moved to The Mother's Ruin as we weren't able to find a volunteer in time to host it - we hope you can make it over there & support the organisers though! - If you'd like to help more gigs happen at Hydra, consider becoming a volunteer & stopping by this Saturday for a practice shift ⭐️ thanks!
Adopt a baby Hydra from the shop today 💖
New volunteer day is this Saturday, drop in & get your dilettante barista experience! ☕️📚🛠🏳️🌈
Don’t miss this gig on Wednesday! Four bands for five quid 👍
Ever wanted to care for your own mythical creature? Adoptable Hydras in the shop now!
Thank you for your support during these difficult coffeeless times 💜 We now have a new coffee machine & this one works! Come round & try it out, we're open til 6 🌼
books and tea, who wouldn't like? definitely a place i love to pop into when in nearby.
Yeah, it was nice. I like it. Yeah.
This is a great little bookstore,cool books and nice folks serving coffee,I love it.
The best (and cheapest) Americano I've had in a long time!
Lovely people, best coffee, nice books, amazin conversations.
Long live The Hydra.
I have a toddler, I don't sleep well.. This coffee is excellent, these people are nice, that sofa is comfy. x
I had some of my artwork in here once it would therefore battle week
Fab community hub with super friendly people all the time, and an amazing selection of interesting books! Great talks and events, too, AND vegan snacks!! What more could you want?
Every rebellious community needs a place like Hydra. Thoroughly enjoyed playing a gig there last night.
Awesome chilled place with cheap drinks and great vegan cake! Super friendly volunteers and a great venue for chilling out.
Amazing selection of books and friendly staff
A very important part of Bristol, for its values and its community.
It's not the same service as you get in Starbucks you know
books and tea, who wouldn't like? definitely a place i love to pop into when in nearby.
Yeah, it was nice. I like it. Yeah.
This is a great little bookstore,cool books and nice folks serving coffee,I love it.
The best (and cheapest) Americano I've had in a long time!
Lovely people, best coffee, nice books, amazin conversations.
Long live The Hydra.
I have a toddler, I don't sleep well.. This coffee is excellent, these people are nice, that sofa is comfy. x
I had some of my artwork in here once it would therefore battle week
Fab community hub with super friendly people all the time, and an amazing selection of interesting books! Great talks and events, too, AND vegan snacks!! What more could you want?
Every rebellious community needs a place like Hydra. Thoroughly enjoyed playing a gig there last night.
Awesome chilled place with cheap drinks and great vegan cake! Super friendly volunteers and a great venue for chilling out.
Amazing selection of books and friendly staff
A very important part of Bristol, for its values and its community.
It's not the same service as you get in Starbucks you know