A cosy corner of King Street where strangers become friends

In the middle of Manchester’s busy King Street, a Grade II-listed building is changing perceptions of what it means to be a bookshop.

House of Books & Friends is a place with a clear purpose: to bring people together.

This week marks Loneliness Awareness Week, and while the national conversation focuses on how isolation affects people of all ages, the team at House of Books & Friends have thrown open their doors, tackling the issue with some deliciously brewed coffee and chat.

House of Books & Friends

Their initiative, Coffee & Connections, invites strangers to meet over a free hot drink. Participants are matched based on shared interests, TV shows, hobbies, even favourite genres, and then paired for a casual meet-up in the café. It’s a refreshingly low-pressure way to make friends, particularly in adulthood, when socialising outside of work or family can be difficult.

“People told us last year how hard it is to meet new people once you’re out of education or not in typical social spaces,” one team member explained.

“So we brought Coffee & Connections back – it just works.”

And this Saturday, the shop will open its doors for a Social Saturday, an all-day drop-in where anyone can pop in, meet the team, browse books, chat with strangers or simply sit with a cupcake and not feel alone.

House of Books & Friends Director Laura Jones  said: “Loneliness Awareness Week really brings together and raises awareness about the mission we work on all year round. The bookshop has slightly magical abilities in bringing people together to form friendships and connections in a welcoming and cosy environment and our team of booksellers are always on hand to put people at ease.”

A bookshop with a social mission

Launched as a social enterprise, House of Books & Friends was always intended to be more than a retail space. All profits are ploughed back into projects that encourage connection, break isolation, and build a community. That mission is embedded into the details,  from their Pay It Forward coffee and book schemes to subsidised events and charitable partnerships.

Through their Pay It Forward scheme, customers can gift a coffee or a book to someone else. These are then passed on to people in need via local charities or simply made available in the shop for anyone who needs them. The goal? To remove financial barriers from enjoying life’s little pleasures, whether that’s a cappuccino or a great story.

They have recently donated a load of books to Once Upon a Smile, who support children dealing with bereavement. They work with charities across Greater Manchester to get books where they’re most needed.

Another way they’re doing that this month is as a drop-off point for the Children’s Book Project, collecting good-quality second-hand books and redistributing them to children who don’t have access to books at home. It’s a national campaign with local roots, perfectly aligned with the shop’s belief that stories should be shared, not shelved.

What’s happening at House of Books & Friends?

In a city filled with culture, House of Books & Friends has found its own corner,  not competing with glitzy launches or commercial rollouts, but offering events that invite conversation and discovery.

Recent guests include author and musician John Robb in conversation with poet Tony Walsh, and an upcoming event features writer Sophie Calon, discussing her memoir about growing up with an alcoholic parent.

There are regular book clubs too: feminist titles, kids’ fiction, and online options, all designed with inclusion in mind. 

Loneliness can feel like an individual burden, but House of Books & Friends makes a compelling case that it’s something communities, and even businesses, can help fix. They’re proving that every story shared and every stranger welcomed chips away at isolation.

So, if you’re feeling disconnected this week,  or even if you’re not, why not pop in? You might just leave with a new book. You might also leave with a new friend.

Find out more about House of Books & Friends

You can find out more about the House of Books & Friends on their website here