Bookartbookshop features the publications of some of Britain’s best-known artist presses and publishers of artists’ books, as well as books from abroad. The shop is a centre and a service for individual & institutional collectors, artists, publishers and the aesthetically and bibliographically curious.
It is presently a not-for-profit organisation ploughing back any profits into the improvement of the enterprise, and while it aspires to have a team of full paid staff it is still dependant partly upon volunteer labour.
Daunt Books was founded in 1990 by James Daunt in the beautiful Edwardian premises at 83 Marylebone High Street in London – originally built for antiquarian booksellers Francis Edwards in 1910.
At the heart of the shop is a long, galleried main room which has as its focus a beautiful arched window partly glazed with stained glass. The intention then, as now, was to arrange books principally by country, whatever the nature of the book – fiction or non-fiction, biography, history, guide or novel – and in so doing creating wonderful browsing both for the traveller and the general reader.
With a 25-year track record in the industry and enthusiastic, knowledgeable staff, Gosh! Comics remains London’s must-visit store for those who love the medium.
Their range of graphic novels is second to none, and they’re always striving to source new and interesting product, whatever the genre. From translated European albums to mainstream superhero antics; vintage children’s books to contemporary graphic fiction; compulsively readable manga to cutting edge small press: they have got something for everyone.
Hatchards is London’s oldest bookshop, having been established in 1797 by John Hatchard, a young bookseller who had been plying his trade in the ‘literary coffee houses’ of London since his adolescence. Hatchards has been a landmark on one of the finest and most famous streets in the world, Piccadilly, since Georgian times, occupying the current building, number 187, for over two centuries.
Its customers have been the literary, political, artistic and social lions of their day and, since its inception, a link has been forged between the fine booksellers of Hatchards and the royal households of Britain and europe, as demonstrated by the three royal warrants it currently holds. Eight generations of customers and booksellers have come and gone since the shop first opened its doors. Many things have changed but the essence of the place remains the same and is unchangeable. Hatchards is a unique British institution.
Situated in the heart of Mayfair, Heywood Hill is one of the leading bookshops of London, trusted by readers and collectors throughout the English-speaking world. Their staff are dedicated bibliophiles who understand the importance of matching the right book with the right person. They offer a range of tailored literary services, all marked by old-fashioned courtesy and good humour.
This Chelsea bookshop opened in the 1950s and since then has maintained its deservedly excellent reputation as an independent literary bookshop. You will find an eclectic array of books piled up on every available surface of this 18th-century building, making this fantastic place to wile away a winter afternoon.
Judd Books has a large stock of used and bargain mainly academic books on two floors. Literature, Art, Film, Media, Architecture and Music are on the ground floor.
Downstairs, which is considerably larger, has History, Philosophy, Psychology etc. plus Economics in the Hall and Politics, International Relations etc. in the back room. There are over 50,000 titles in stock at any time and the shelves are replenished daily.
Surrounded by books and fragrant with tea, the London Review Cake Shop is the modern answer to London’s long-lost literary coffee-houses. Accessed through the Bookshop via a corridor in the history section, the Cake Shop offers a small but vibrant menu, a wide selection of fine teas and a superior espresso. Above all, it provides a haven for reading and reflection.
Persephone Books reprints neglected fiction and non-fiction by mid-twentieth century (mostly) women writers. All of their 112 books are intelligent, thought-provoking and beautifully written and are chosen to appeal to busy people wanting titles that are neither too literary nor too commercial.
They publish novels, short stories, diaries, memoirs and cookery books; each has an elegant grey jacket, a ‘fabric’ endpaper with matching bookmark, and a preface by writers such as Jilly Cooper, David Kynaston and Elaine Showalter.
Primrose Hill Books is a friendly bookshop, a welcoming place to hunt for the latest titles. It is also worth turning to turning up for author events and readings here, organised by the enterprising owner.