Cogito Books

Cogito Books A friendly, diverse independent bookshop in the heart of Hexham...a place in which to linger, browse and discover; a haven of peace in a busy world.

Cogito Books is a friendly and diverse independent bookshop at the heart of the bustling market town of Hexham, Northumberland - "a haven of peace in a busy world". Come and enjoy browsing in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere, with comfortable sofas and even a rocking chair. We have a fantastic selection of books for all ages, cards and notebooks. Most importantly, knowledgeable booksellers are alway

s on hand to offer recommendations - and are always happy to talk about books! If you feel like pampering yourself, or someone else, why not give the Cogito Reading Treat a go - tea, biscuits, and six books personally recommended by one of our booksellers, that will hopefully become some of your favourites! We also do a Reading Treat for children - please ask for details. We hold regular author events both in the shop and around Hexham, and also two monthly book groups, one for adults and one for children - everyone welcome! See the events diary on our website for more details (www.cogitobooks.com). We can also be found on Twitter - follow us .

Bookshop for Sale - we are looking for a new owner for Cogito Books.If you are looking for an enjoyable and fulfilling w...
06/08/2026

Bookshop for Sale - we are looking for a new owner for Cogito Books.

If you are looking for an enjoyable and fulfilling way to earn a good family income, could you be Cogito’s new owner?

Running an independent business enables you to be truly independent, to make your own decisions, to be your own boss and to shape the future you choose. These freedoms are hugely refreshing in an era where so much of our lives is dominated by mega corporations and robotic systems. Bookselling is founded on real human connections, engaging your mind and interacting face to face with Hexham’s fabulous reading community.

Cogito has been trading successfully for 25 years – a thriving business in a vibrant town with lots of loyal and engaged customers. This is a fantastic and rare opportunity for someone to embark with confidence on their own bookselling adventure.

If you are interested, please get in contact with me, I’d love to discuss Cogito’s future.

Claire
01434 602555
[email protected]

In January 2022, Mike and I began our Wainwright adventure - 38 walks later, here we are on Sunday with a well-earned gl...
04/08/2026

In January 2022, Mike and I began our Wainwright adventure - 38 walks later, here we are on Sunday with a well-earned glass of fizz on Great Gable in celebration of completing all 214 Wainwrights! It's been an amazing way of exploring some of the lesser known Lakeland fells, offering so many amazing views (sometimes imagined through mist) and a great motivation to get our boots on and head outdoors!

Summer holidays offer time and space for exploring, playing and trying something new. Inspired by the television program...
22/07/2026

Summer holidays offer time and space for exploring, playing and trying something new. Inspired by the television programme Why Don’t You? (which ran for 42 series from 1973 to 1995!), Ann has created an amazing window display to counter the temptation to spend time on screens and instead provides lots of great ideas for fascinating and fun things to do - have a browse and inspire young minds with better, more fulfilling activities!

The school holidays are almost upon us and if you’re looking for a fun activity to do with the children and grandchildre...
17/07/2026

The school holidays are almost upon us and if you’re looking for a fun activity to do with the children and grandchildren, our annual Where’s Wally Hunt is back once again! There are 25 Woofs (Wally’s loyal canine companion) hidden in shop windows around Hexham, each with a letter on his stripy top. Pick up a search list from the bookshop and record each letter to spell out a phrase. Once completed, return your form to the bookshop to be entered into a prize draw. It’s simple and there’s no charge to take part, so let’s get Woof hunting and have lots of fun!

Ann is taking inspiration from the abundance of colour that summer brings, creating cheering windows that will bring smi...
03/07/2026

Ann is taking inspiration from the abundance of colour that summer brings, creating cheering windows that will bring smiles all round. Come and take a peek and tell us which flowers you've spotted bursting into bloom!

The bunting is up for Independent Bookshop Week - celebrating the independent reading spirits on our high streets! Books...
13/06/2026

The bunting is up for Independent Bookshop Week - celebrating the independent reading spirits on our high streets! Bookshops are places where people, ideas and conversation all interconnect. These are magical places where serendipitous journeys with the written word often begin, offering exploration and companionship. They are places that strive to keep our world human, so here's to all the inspiring independent bookshops out there!

The luck of the weather was shining down on Ann and Megan last week as they enjoyed holiday time away! Great to hear abo...
03/06/2026

The luck of the weather was shining down on Ann and Megan last week as they enjoyed holiday time away! Great to hear about the books they've been reading and here are a couple of titles that particularly stood out.

Megan found herself impressively intrigued by Olga Tokarczuk's 'Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead'. A well-translated, wonderfully wacky murder mystery set in a remote village in Poland, it's a story that reframes the power between human and animal.

And Ann has enjoyed 'Upon A White Horse' by Peter Ross, journeying through the ancient monuments of Great Britain and Ireland, praising Ross's humane and compassionate approach as he investigates the connections between past and present and our continuing need for ritual in a search for meaning.

Thank you to everyone for joining us on Saturday for our 25th birthday celebrations, what a great day! And a huge thanks...
19/05/2026

Thank you to everyone for joining us on Saturday for our 25th birthday celebrations, what a great day! And a huge thanks to Hextol Tans for a magnificent and tasty cake!

Can you believe that our wonderful bookshop is 25 years old this week! I know, it’s hard to believe that for a quarter o...
14/05/2026

Can you believe that our wonderful bookshop is 25 years old this week! I know, it’s hard to believe that for a quarter of a century we have welcomed people over our threshold to enjoy the delights of serendipitous discovery, finding great books and entering into stimulating conversation. To mark this milestone, we'll be serving birthday cake from 11am this Saturday (16th May) and we would love for you to join us and perhaps share some Cogito memories, remember the first book you bought here, or simply tell us about your latest read!

Some of you have been customers from day one, making your way up the stairs to our original first floor premises, putting your faith in a new venture on Hexham’s high street and many of you have joined us along the way, becoming dear friends. It fills my heart with smiles and hope that the simple approach we take here: carefully curated books, excellent customer service and human conversation, continues to be so valued in our community. A better way is possible when people make it happen – keep it human!

Thank you for the ways in which you engage with Cogito, it is as much your brilliant bookshop as it is ours – let’s celebrate it and all that it stands for – see you on Saturday!

Wow, what a festival! Such diversity of topics and breadth of speakers all brought together by the common interest of pe...
05/05/2026

Wow, what a festival! Such diversity of topics and breadth of speakers all brought together by the common interest of people listening and sharing discussion. Whether that be on ancient times, painting or even soil, it was so encouraging to see humane compassion so centrally linked.

Thank you to all for a wonderful celebration of thinking, reading and discussion!

Address

5 Street Marys Chare
Hexham
NE461NQ

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 5:30pm
Thursday 9am - 5:30pm
Friday 9am - 5:30pm
Saturday 9am - 5:30pm

Telephone

+441434602555

Website

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