Top Picks
Guides
What’s on
Where to go
See all

Paramount Books

Creative Tourist
Paramount Books book shop in Manchester
Per Gosche via Flickr

Located on Shudehill on the fringe of the Northern Quarter, you’re likely to hear Paramount Books before you see it, as opera and jazz boom from speakers positioned above the door. A wondrous atmosphere awaits with books to satisfy practically any interest. A large part of the shop is stacked with crates of Action Comics, Picture Posts and vintage girly magazines with seemingly innocuous yet strangely ominous-sounding titles like Beautiful Britons and Health & Efficiency. For those excited by books, it is certainly the best shop in Manchester set in an architectural gem which has remained pleasantly unaltered for decades.

25-27 ShudehillManchesterM4 2AF View map
Telephone: 0161 834 9509 Visit Now

Opening Hours

  • Friday10:00am - 6:00pm
  • Saturday10:00am - 6:00pm
  • Sunday10:00am - 6:00pm

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Featured in

UNITOM bookshop
Bookshops in Manchester

Manchester is a UNESCO City of Literature, so of course there are a few go-tos for books. Read our guide to discover the best places to pick them up.

What's on near Paramount Books

Stalker: 'Tom' 2024, oil pencil on acid-free card 186 x 186mm
ExhibitionsManchester
Memoria et Locus at Saan1

Saan1 presents a pop-up group exhibition from MMU students, exploring place as a whether literal, symbolic or metaphorical subject.

free entry
Until
ComedyManchester
The Comedy Vault

Every Monday night upstairs at Fierce Bar, The Comedy Vault hosts an outrageously funny open-mic night. Come and try your hand or just to watch and laugh.

free entry
Image of Rich(ard) Dawson
MusicManchester
Richard Dawson at The Stoller Hall

Declared “Britain’s best songwriter” by The Guardian, folk experimenter Richard Dawson performs two special shows at The Stoller Hall.

from £22.50
Until
ComedyManchester
Creatures of the Night Comedy Club

An insanely committed seven-nights-a-week, Creatures of the Night Comedy Club opens its doors (20.30-22.30 typically, though please check) for evening after evening of side-splitting comedy.

from £5.00
See all events

Where to go near Paramount Books

City Centre
Bar or Pub
The Washhouse

A cleverly-designed bar for those in the know, disguised as a laundrette but containing some top-class beers and cocktails.

Kōdo Entrance
City Centre
Restaurant
Kōdo

Kōdo, a secret bar like no other. It is all about discovery. The only way to enter is with a special code, which changes weekly.

Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
This & That Café

Eternally popular curry canteen taking its name from a time when patrons didn’t know what to call their orders, but pointed instead to a bit of “this” and “that”.

Ego Death
Manchester
Restaurant
Ego Death

Ego Death is a speakeasy-style secret bar in the Northern Quarter with a cocktail menu as good as its atmosphere.

Manchester
Restaurant
eden Manchester

eden is a brand-new botanical inspired all-day dining, drinking and entertainment destination based in The Printworks.

Manchester
Bar or Pub
Bar 21

A bar in Manchester’s Northern Quarter for fans of television and cinema science fiction. Enjoy food and drink amongst a off-beat selection of movie memorabilia.

Manchester Pubs
Manchester
Bar or Pub
Trof Northern Quarter

It’s a landmark year for Trof NQ. In the years since it first opened, the Northern Quarter has developed around it to become one of the city’s most prominent areas.

See all places

Manchester District Guides

People enjoying drinking in Altrincham
Things to Do in Altrincham

Plan a day out down Altrincham way, and you’ll soon find that one day isn’t nearly enough. Getting there is easy on the tram, or how about cycling along the…
Northern Quarter, Manchester
Northern Quarter, Manchester

Manchester’s most characterful, independent district is a jumbled network of streets to one side of Piccadilly Gardens. Here are the places you need to check out.
The cafe in the trees at the Whitworth
Oxford Road, Manchester

We cherrypick our favourite spots on Oxford Road, taking in unique theatres, characterful gig venues and fascinating museums.
Salford museum and art gallery exterior
Salford, Greater Manchester

Cross over the River Irwell, and you’ll find yourself in another city entirely – Salford, which is enjoying something of a regeneration.
The Quays, Greater Manchester

The Quays is home to MediaCityUK (the largest media hub in Europe) and studios purpose-built for the BBC’s move up North in 2011.
chinatown, manchester in sun by ben williams
Chinatown, Manchester

Chinatown is a network of back streets dotted with Chinese restaurants – go to Ho’s Bakery for perfect honey buns, Hunan for spice and Middle Kingdom for a very affordable menu.
Ancoats, Manchester
Ancoats & New Islington

Ancoats, just off the Northern Quarter in Manchester, is one of the city’s most increasingly desirable neighbourhoods. Find out why.

Culture Guides

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

DaDaFest’s 40th anniversary line-up, contemporary reimaginings and outlandish fringe, check out our top theatre picks for spring onwards.

Classical Music in the North

Read our latest highlights from the live classical music offer in Manchester and the North, taking in a number of the region's most cherished orchestral forces and venues.

GROVE
Music in the North

We’re championing all things underground this month, with a selection of gigs and festivals that embrace the strange.

Mohair Man, 1991, by Dave Swindells
Exhibitions in the North

Cinematic sets, 90s nightclub photography and even new gallery - we have a great mix of exhibitions for you this month.

image shows pinned butterflies and pretty paper with frames
Tours and Activities in the North

Boozy tours, art workshops and a 'hobby house' that champions all things DIY, get the creative cogs whirring with our latest batch of tours and activities.

Poet Imtiaz Dharker. Photo by Ayesha Dharker
Literature Events in the North

It's like the Woolies pick'n'mix counter this month in live literature land – so much choice, we're not sure where to start digging in.