On Books and Bookshops
Nothing
beats browsing in a bookshop - the unhassled peace and quiet and a host of
books to explore, with displays of books on tables, designed to attract your
attention or bring to your notice the latest offerings. A real treat.
As the points accrue to your loyalty card you
reach the point where you can buy a free and guilt-free book.
Like many capital cities, London is blessed
with a range of bookshops, from large chains to small, individualistic or
specialist shops.
Below are listed some of my favourite stores, in
order of size from large to small.
Some favourite and other bookshops:
- Waterstones,
Piccadilly Occupying the Simpsons building, Waterstones Piccadilly is
Europe's largest bookshop with over eight miles of bookshelves on five floors.
Seating is available for you to sit and browse. Flagship of a nationwide
chain of shops of varying size with 31 shops in london.
- Hatchards
Piccadilly Also owned by Waterstones in Piccadilly (next to Fortnums)
is Hatchards, London's oldest bookshop and booksellers to the Royal households,
also on five floors. Also of note is Waterstones
Gower Street, originally Dillons and adjacent to the University
- Foyles
Charing Cross Road, A favourite of mine with around 4 miles of bookshelves,
neatly laid out on four floors. Foyles was founded in 1903 by brothers William
and Gilbert Foyle, on Charing Cross Road in 1906 and moved to its current
locationin 2014. There has been a tendency recently to reduce some areas
that interest me, such as computing, cookery and transport, to offer more
children's books and gifts but it remains my first port of call. Foyles
have recently expanded with smaller stores at strategic locations.
- London
Review Bookshop Opened in 2003 by the London Review of Books
in Bloomsbury and smaller than the above with around 20,000 titles, it is
a place for people who love books to meet, talk, drink excellent tea and
coffee, and enjoy its renowned array of cakes. It aims to represent on its
shelves the distinctive character of the Review.
- Daunt
Books Marylebone Housed in a former Edwardian bookshop built in 1910,
it was bought by James Daunt in 1990 and originally specialised in travel
books and literature. The books are all arranged by country,independent
of their subject matter. There are nine Daunts around the Capital, some
under a different name.
- The
Book Warehouse A small chain established in 1990, describing itself
as London's largest and longest established discount bookseller. Branches
currently in Camden, Golders Green, Holborn, Notting Hill, Islington and
Waterloo.
- The House
of Books An independent chain of attractive bookshops with branches
in Crouch End, Muswell Hill and West Hampstead.
- Stanfords the
map shop has always been part of London. Set up by Edward Stanford, map
publisher, in 1853, it recently moved to new premises at 7 Mercer Walk and
prides itself on being the world’s largest map and travel book retailer.
It stocks historical maps as well as modern maps and guides.
- Books
for Cooks Books for Cooks in Notting Hill was originally founded in
1983 by Heidi Lascelles. It stocks around 8000 books and has a test kitchen
and hosts cookery classes.
- John Sandoe Books
John Sandoe Books in Cheslea offers a thoughtful and enticing selection
of new books across the humanities. John Sandoe opened his tiny Chelsea
shop in 1957. Expanded to occupy the two adjacent old shops, it has room
for some 30,000 titles.
- Libreria Libreria is
in Hanbury Street, E1. They state: "At Libreria we curate our books
to maximise serendipity. Our shelves are arranged according to broad themes
like 'Wanderlust', ‘Enchantment for Disenchanted’ and ‘The
City’, so you’re constantly encountering titles you might not
have come across otherwise. Browsing in our bookshop is a world away from
the narrow algorithmic recommendations of Amazon.com.
- Lutyens
& Rubinstein Bookshop Since 2009 in Kensington Park Road, Notting
Hill, Lutyens and Rubinstein have been selling fiction and general non-fiction
with special sections for children’s books, poetry and art books.
- Gay's The Word
Marchmont Street, Bloomsbury WC1, is the UK's original LGBT bookshop and
a touchstone for the broader LGBT community. Set up in 1979 by a group of
gay socialists as a community space where all profits were funnelled back
into the business. This ethos continues today with shelves bursting with
books and the space used for book and community events
- Primrose
Hill Books Regent’s Park Road, NW1, is worth a visit when in the
area.
- Owl Bookshop
in Kentish Town covers food and drink, gardening, sport and fiction and
a children’s section.
- Broadway Bookshop
in Broadway Market, E8 They specialise in literary fiction and have
a good range of poetry, philosophy & essays, politics, biography, city
literature, travel, art, fashion, music and children’s books but more
is available on line.
- Belgravia
Books in Ebury Street is an independent bookshop owned by publisher
Gallic Books that opened in 2011.
See also Bookmongers
in Brixton, Heywood
Hill Mayfair • Persephone Books has moved to Bath.
tonero