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Literary London: events and activities for book-lovers

Our guide for London bookworms: beautiful libraries and landmarks to book-based events and literary talks

Are you sitting comfortably? Then let us begin… our tale of literary London. Actually, it’s not really a tale, it’s more a one-stop-shop for all our favourite book-based things to do in the city. No beginning, no middle, no end. Just books. From literary landmarks and London’s best bookshops , to talks, events and anything else you can shake a hardback at, browse our guide to London for book-lovers and go get story hunting. 

Also:  Our guide to the best 100 children’s books ever . London’s most beautiful and inspiring libraries .

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The best of literary London

The Charles Dickens Museum

The museum, library and headquarters of the Dickens Fellowship – and the house where Dickens lived from 1837-39 – allows visitors a glimpse of how the writer worked and how people lived in Victorian London.

Shakespeare’s Globe

• Shakespeare

The modern Shakespeare’s Globe only has about half the capacity of the original, but you can still get a rich feel for what it was like to be a ‘groundling’ (the standing rabble/moshpit at the front of the stage) when you come to see a play here, in the circular, open-air theatre. However, a visit here isn’t just a history lesson. The theatre productions here are among the best in London.

Keats House

• Historic buildings and sites

This was the home of the Romantic poet from 1818 to 1820, when he left for Rome in the hope of alleviating his tuberculosis (he died of the disease the following year, aged just 25). As well as mooching through the rooms, you can attend events and talks in the poetry reading room and see a display on Keats’s sweetheart, Fanny Brawne, who lived next door.

The British Library

• Libraries, archives and foundations
• King’s Cross

A copy of every publication produced in the UK and Ireland is sent to The British Library – an institute that has amassed a collection of more than 150 million items and adds some 3 million new items each year. Some of the most famous written and printed items in the world are displayed here, and you might see the Lindisfarne Gospels, Shakespeare’s First Folio, Handel’s ‘Messiah’, the Gutenberg Bible, drafts of the Magna Carta and the Beatles’ manuscripts.

The Sherlock Holmes Museum

• Specialist interest
• Baker Street

The Sherlock Holmes Museum – founded in 1989 on a site approximating that described by Conan Doyle, though actually standing at number 239 – fought long and hard for the right to claim the address 221b Baker Street as its own. When you visit you are likely to be greeted by an august person wearing a bowler hat and whiskers; this, you will deduce, is Doctor Watson. And every lovingly recreated detail here conspires to persuade visitors to suspend their disbelief and feel themselves travelling back in time to a fragment of historical reality.

Dr Johnson’s House

Samuel Johnson’s home from 1748-1759 and the place where he compiled the first comprehensive English dictionary houses collections of pictures and period furniture.

Highgate Cemetery

The final resting place of some very famous Londoners, Highgate Cemetery is a wonderfully overgrown maze of ivy-swathed Victorian tombs and time-shattered urns. Visitors are free to wander through the East Cemetery, with its memorials to Karl Marx, George Eliot and Douglas Adams, but the most atmospheric part of the cemetery is the foliage-shrouded West Cemetery, laid out in 1839.

House of Illustration

• Art and design

This charming little gallery is dedicated to the art of illustration and generally hosts two or three small exhibitions at a time. Quentin Blake is the gallery’s patron, so fans of his scratchy pictures are in for a treat.

Poets’ Corner

• Religious buildings and sites
• Westminster

Tucked away in London’s gothic masterpiece, Westminster Abbey, you’ll find all the big dogs of literature immortalised in marble and bronze. Check out Shakespeare doing a casual ‘best playwright ever’ lean, accompanied by lines from ‘The Tempest’. Then there’s Matthew Arnold with hefty stone chops, a creepy bust of William Blake, a whimsical quote on Lewis Carroll’s memorial and a very Christian one for CS Lewis.

• Spitalfields

This tech-free bookshop is so into printed words on physical pages that mobile phones are actually banned. 'Techpreneur' - and former special advisor to David Cameron - Rohan Silva founded the analogue bookshop as a reaction against digital distractions. The design is fun - shelves designed by Slade School artists, a whisky bar for events and a printing press downstairs.

Bookish pubs

• Bars and pubs

Why splash out on a walking tour when you could be in the pub? Drink with the spirits of George Orwell, Dylan Thomas and Brendan Behan in the boozers of central London: Orwell based the prole pub in ‘1984’ on The Newman Arms, while the Welsh and Irish poets patronised The French House. Legend has it that Thomas drunkenly left his ‘Under Milk Wood’ manuscript in the Soho favourite one night, which makes abandoning your laptop in a taxi seem trivial.

Gay’s the Word

Raided by the police in 1984 and attacked on several occasions (including during the 2011 riots), this bookshop is still the UK’s most radical. Check out its appearance in Bafta-winning film ‘Pride’ for more of its history.

Bunhill Fields

This leafy graveyard is a great place to add to your dead poets’ society. People have been making visits since as far back as 1867. Forget Highgate and Nunhead for cemetery kudos: William Blake is buried here, as is Daniel Defoe (‘Robinson Crusoe’) and John Bunyan (‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’). Blake’s headstone always seems to have fresh flowers in front of it – testament to the fact that his poetry’s still alive and kicking.

Bust of Rabindranath Tagore

• Public spaces

This is Bloomsbury’s home to a humble monument for the first person from outside Europe (well, technically apart from Rudyard Kipling) to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Bengali poet Tagore studied at UCL and was instrumental in opening the West to new writing, especially from Indian authors and poets. A short walk away, you can also find a bust of Virginia Woolf, who lived in and often wrote about this area of London.

The Feminist Library

• Elephant & Castle

Want to do some reading beyond the dusty old farts in Poet’s Corner? This is for you. More than 5,000 books from 1900 to now, including 500 books of poetry, collected over 40 years are available for Londoners curious about gender, sexuality and the history of equal rights in the UK. Visit on Saturday afternoons for coffee, cake and stacks of women’s literature.

The Poetry Library

Word nerds, book a date with yourself this weekend. If you haven’t yet been to the Poetry Library, then you have missed out on 200,000 poetry, magazines and critical studies all in one quiet, welcoming library. Open till 8pm every day except Monday, it also offers free poetry editing. Get away from it all – or, if you like, get back to what you love.

Discover the loveliest libraries in London

London's most beautiful libraries

• Things to do

These gorgeous libraries have a lot more to offer than just reading material. Come in and explore (quietly).

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A Book Lover’s Tour of London

By: Author Roy Stevenson

The English do love to read. And nowhere is this more evident than in London Town’s plethora of bookshops. Although I long ago tapped out London’s most noteworthy tourist sights (and many of a lesser degree) I still schedule a hedonistic day or two taking a book tour of London when I’m passing through.

Also read: 3 Day London Itinerary  

Book stores along Cecil Court

My Book Tour of London

Bookshops are spread widely throughout London’s suburbs, so you can waste a lot of subway time zipping back and forth between them if you don’t plan your browsing carefully. But by far London’s best bookstore bang for your buck is around Charing Cross Road—possibly the most ‘literate’ mile anywhere in the English-speaking world.

At my last count, there were 43 bookstores along or immediately off Charing Cross Road. A few close their doors each year as digital publishing and the recession have hit brick and mortar bookstores hard. However, never fear—there are still plenty of thriving bookstores in London to lighten your wallet . . . and weigh down your travel bags!

I start my annual London bookstore rampage at Trafalgar Square and proceed up Charing Cross Road, with side excursions along the small, quaint Victorian bookstore alleys like Cecil Court, and Lisle St and Earlham St.

Cecil Court

My tour focuses on a few of Charing Cross Road’s most eclectic and interesting bookshops including Davenports, Forbidden Planet, Koenig Books, Lovejoys, Mysteries, W. H. Smith, and of course the blockbusters—Foyles and Waterstones.

Pace Yourself

Although you, as a bibliophile, may be seduced enough by the smell of printer’s ink and binding glue and oh, so many books, to want to explore each and every book shop in the Charing Cross area, you are well advised to briefly slip through the smaller book stores in order to save time for the larger bookstores that await at the Grande finale of this book lover’s tour de force.

The windows of Koenig Books will draw you inside.

Warning: You will buy books! This tour can, and probably will, reduce your bank balance substantially. The author of this book tour article is held harmless for, and takes no responsibility for, any financial damage inflicted upon any hapless bibliophile who follows this tour. London’s bookstores are fraught with financial peril. Proceed at your own risk.

Why So Many Book Shops Clustered along Charing Cross Road?

The area’s storied association with the book trade started in the early 1900s, when William Foyle set up shop here. In its 1950s heyday, writers like Dylan Thomas and Auberon Waugh would stagger from the nearby Soho drinking dens into the bookshops, no doubt calculating the royalties from their books on the groaning shelves.

Over the years, Charing Cross Road has become renown for its specialist and second-hand bookshops. The section from Leicester Square tube station to Cambridge Circus is home to specialist bookshops, and general second-hand and antiquarian shops such as Quinto Bookshop, Henry Pordes and Any Amount of Books.

Smaller second-hand and specialist antiquarian bookshops can be found on adjoining Cecil Court. The northern section between Cambridge Circus and Oxford Street features more general bookshops like the venerable Foyles and Blackwell’s.

Daunt’s books are lovingly displayed on magnificent Edwardian style shelves

Watkins Books Cecil Court Watkins Books will give you your fix on all things mystic, the occult, tarot readings, oracles, crystals, eastern religions, astrology, channeling, spirituality, and all related paranormal topics. It’s London’s largest and oldest esoteric bookshop

Davenports 7 Charing Cross Underground Shopping Arcade, Covent Garden, London WC2N 4HZ

From budding Harry Potters to dynamic David Copperfields, Davenports is a haven for magicians of every level and ability. The oldest, family-run magic business in the world this is a friendly, fun environment to while away an afternoon. Rummage through the diverse collection (from limited edition collectables to books, cards and accessories) and enjoy the well-executed demonstrations from their team of magic professionals.

Forbidden Planet 179 Shaftesbury Avenue Forbidden Planet is the world’s largest and best-known science fiction, fantasy and cult entertainment retailer and the largest UK stockist of the latest comics and graphic novels. FP specializes in action figures, books, comics, DVDs, and graphic novels.

The aptly titled Any Amount of Books

Any Amount of Books 56 Charing Cross Road AAOB has books as cheap as £1 and rare books at many thousands of pounds. With 19,000 books in stock—which explains where the shop gets its name. Rated “Favorite Second-Hand Bookshop” by The Times Literary Supplement.

Rare books, first editions, modern literature, art, poetry, scholarly/academic, antiquarian, leather bound sets, general stock. First editions of fiction by known or collected writers, art, children’s and Illustrated books, science fiction (also fantasy and crime) architecture, design, military, transport, serious history collections, poetry, plays, music, theology, philosophy, pulps, erotica, sport, natural history, photography, science and travel.

Henry Pordes Books

Henry Pordes 58-60 Charing Cross Road Henry Pordes has been a famous name in the book trade for more than fifty years as a bookseller, publisher of learned periodicals, academic titles, Jewish books, as well as a wholesaler of remainders.

The Porde’s staff is helpful, knowledgeable, and carries the whereabouts of most of the book stock in their heads. It’s an old-fashioned shop with old-fashioned service but with modern methods.

Quinto 72 Charing Cross Road This second-hand bookshop shares the same entrance as the Francis Edwards bookstore.

Quinto second hand bookstore

Koenig Books 80 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0BF

An inspiring German-owned independent bookshop specializing in art, architecture and photography tomes. Done out stylishly in black with every book given respectful prominence – products are displayed with their covers rather than spines facing customers to ensure full effect. Koenig stocks the most up to date monographs by the big name publishers plus a wide variety of lesser known and rare titles, as well as many independently published artist books and zines.

W.H. Smith Charing Cross Railway Station I have a soft spot for W.H. Smith; so I always drop by this busy little shop for a quick browse of their mainstream publications.

Foyles Books, a book-lover’s Nirvana

Foyles 113-119 Charing Cross Road Few bookstores move me enough to kneel on the sidewalk and genuflect to give thanks for a book lover’s Nirvana, but Foyles is one such temple. The renowned and legendary Foyles has a long history. The five-storey Charing Cross Road branch is England’s best-known bookstore. Its dimensions and contents are staggering: 200,000 different titles, 37,000 square feet of retail space, and four miles of shelves. Whoever said size doesn’t matter has obviously never visited Foyles.

This world-famous flagship bookstore boasts the widest range of titles of any bookshop in the UK, plus a Café, Auditorium, Gallery and year-round literary and music events. The impressive full height central atrium and large windows fill the space with natural light, while the layout allows for easy navigation and the serendipitous discovery of new books.

Founded in 1903 by brothers William and Gilbert Foyle, this store first opened on Charing Cross Road in 1906 and moved to the current site in 1929. Declared by William Foyle to be ‘the world’s first purpose-built bookshop’, it quickly became one of the capital’s most well known literary landmarks.

My Favorite Foyles History Anecdote

When Hitler started burning books in the 1930s, William Foyle immediately sent a telegram to the Fuhrer requesting that he be able to purchase them instead, and would offer a good price. The Nazi response quickly came back that Germany had no books to sell and the burning would continue.

Years later at the start of the bombing Blitz of London, Foyles filled sandbags with old books to protect the shop from damage and William announced that he was covering the roof with copies of Mein Kampf to ward off bombers. Then a near miss by a bomb left a giant crater just outside the shop, destroying the front of the Sun Electric offices across the road. William Foyle treated the sappers to sandwiches and ginger beer while they worked and when the bridge over the crater was complete the engineers happily let him name it the Foyle Bridge, complete with ribbon cutting ceremony!

Waterstones 203-206 Piccadilly If Foyle’s isn’t enticing enough, Waterstones is another monstrous, money-devouring shrine to the goddess of printed matter. Abandon all hope, ye who enter here, and take out a second mortgage to pay for those weighty tomes. This place is huge. In fact, it’s touted as the largest bookstore in Europe!

Book shopping at Waterstones

This multilevel bookstore offers a fine Studio Lounge Bar cafe (lower ground floor) and city views of the London Eye and Parliament buildings from the top (5 th ) floor. Perfect for escaping the Piccadilly Circus madness outside and spending a quiet weekend afternoon reading. The book selection here brings tears to my eyes. It has an outstanding array of fresh and classic readings. And despite how busy it appears, Waterstones is large and spacious with 8 stories and plenty of comfortable seating (if you can snag one).

You’re likely to find whatever book you’re after in this flagship branch – whether it’s the latest novel or fiction best seller; a travel guidebook or a biography of your favorite celeb.

My Favorite Waterstone’s Anecdote

An American tourist from Texas made the BBC news by being locked in this store for a couple of hours after the 9pm closing time. He had lost track of time. Being a good millennial, he tweeted that he was locked in the store and the post went viral. At 11:20pm, local police released him from his print penitentiary.

After I wrap up the Charing Cross section of London—and if I still have time and energy—I take the subway across town to the flagship store of one of the most famous and comprehensive travel bookstores in the world, Daunt Books, at Marylebone. Often, I’ll save Daunt’s for another day because it’s such a pleasant haunt for browsing.

A Treasure Trove of Travel Books at Daunt Books 83 Marylebone high street, W1 Across town, on posh Marylebone Street, is the world’s most thorough travel book collection and one of the country’s most beautiful bookstores. This gorgeous Edwardian building seemingly houses every travel book printed. I find myself drawn repeatedly to this travel writer’s nirvana to browse its thousands of guidebooks, travel stories, and sumptuously illustrated pictorial travel books.

Daunt Books has a quiet hushed atmosphere.

Daunt’s is regarded as THE travel bookstore and has rightly earned its’ world famous reputation. From the moment you walk in the oak paneled wooden front entrance—past racks of books stacked high in the display windows—and smell the binding glue and printing ink, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. This is not your grandma’s bookstore!

Daunt’s books are lovingly displayed on magnificent Edwardian style shelves with long oak galleries enticing you in all directions, and over three floors. The mezzanine level in particular looks like an old college library, with a quiet atmosphere to match. Wide glass skylights brightly light the deep bookshelves.

For a better idea of the layout at Daunt Books, go to their website and take the virtual tour. It displays the bookshelves in all their glory. Be warned: you WILL drool when you see the bookshelves and you WILL want to book a ticket to London after you take this virtual tour. The books are arranged geographically by country, and every type of book is thrown in together. So you’ll find Guidebooks, novels, books about hotels and resorts, phrase books, maps, books about travel writing, books on flora and fauna, history books, recipe and food guides, travel poetry, biographies, and colorful coffee table books all side by side here.

If you can’t find a book or two (dozen) about any country you’re planning on visiting, they simply don’t exist. And that includes the more obscure countries and principalities like Seborga, Lichtenstein, Monaco, and Luxembourg.

Daunt Books has a quiet hushed atmosphere and the knowledgeable and well-informed staff is very helpful. Daunt’s hosts frequent public readings by authors. It also has a cozy little café, a used books section, a children’s section, and plenty of standard fiction books at the front of the store.

Written by and photos by Roy Stevenson for EuropeUpClose.com

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Best of Bookshops Tour

• Certified Guide
• Leicester Square, Leicester, Square Station Underground Ltd, Cranbourn St, London WC2H 0AP, UK In front of the Wyndham Theatre outside Leicester Square Station. Guide will be wearing blue tights.
• Covent Garden, Underground Ltd, Long Acre, London WC2E 9JT, UK
• Not wheelchair accessible
• Service animals allowed
• Near public transportation
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• Most travellers can participate
• Walking tour, please dress for the weather
• This tour/activity will have a maximum of 9 travellers
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
• You'll start at Leicester Square Leicester, Square Station Underground Ltd, Cranbourn St, London WC2H 0AP, UK In front of the Wyndham Theatre outside Leicester Square Station. Guide will be wearing blue tights. See address & details
• 1 West End Theatre District Stop: 2 hours Walking, talking and browsing books. Based in Central London we will visit an eclectic collection of five bookshops that offer unique works, with local literary history along the way. Fun for locals and visitors. Read more
• You'll end at Covent Garden Underground Ltd, Long Acre, London WC2E 9JT, UK See address & details

More to explore in London

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Best of Bookshops Tour - with unbiased reviews

Walking tour of London’s best bookshops

This is a walking tour you can try yourself if you’re interested in bookshops. You might need to divide the tour into a couple days if you’re like me and end up walking around for 2-3 hours in one shop.

However, a lot of the shops have certain specialisations so you can miss a few shops if you’re not really interested in that subject and spend longer in other stores.

I recommend going into half the shops and spend about 30 minutes at the most to complete the tour. As you can imagine a lot of the time is spent near Charing Cross Rd but you will need a Zone 1 Tube Pass as you will need to take the underground a few times.

We start the tour at Leicester Square Tube Station on Charing Cross Rd and walk south cross the road and turn left into Cecil Court where you will find the following book shops.

Marchpane 16 Cecil Court: This is a Children’s Book Store with Children’s and illustrated books from the 18th Century onwards.

Watkins Books 19-21 Cecil Court: specialises in mysticm, occultism and metaphysics, complementary medicine and healing. Which is a pass for me, but whatever floats your boat.

David Drummond Pleasures of past times : 11 Cecil Court : Specialises in books about the performing arts but also has a range of illustrated and children’s books.

Travis & Emery Music Bookshop 17 Cecil Court: Specialises in out-of-print, secondhand and antiquarian music and on books about music. Travis & Emery also publishes their own books on music. This is a dangerous bookshop for me to enter if I want to see anything else.

Tenderbooks 6 Cecil Court : For independent press and artists publications, original print editions, late night launches and events.

Tindley & Everet t 4 Cecil Court: Specialises in First Edition literature from the 20th Century.

We walk to the end of the street and turn left onto St Martin’s Lane and walk to Long Acre  where we turn right on this street we find:

Stanfords: 12-14 Long Acre: The flagship Covent Garden store is still a must-visit for lovers of travel books and has been since it opened in 1853. The shop stocks the world’s largest selection of maps and travel books under one roof. Famous customers include Captain Scott, Florence Nightingale and Sir Ranulph Fiennes: you’ll be in good company shopping here! This is where I would be lost forever in this shop never to be seen again.

Now we walk back whence we came and continue down Great Newport Street where we find our next stop

Orbital Comics and Gallery 8 Great Newport Street: “London’s most colourful comic-book shop, stocking everything any comic enthusiast could desire, from weekly imports to vintage collectables and a huge selection of graphic novels and merchandise.” Also home to the UK’s only comic-art gallery.

We now continue down the street and turn right onto Charing Cross Rd and walk until we find the next bookstore

Any Amount of Books 56 Charing Cross Rd Over 15 thousand books for sale with more on their website. Some books as cheap as £1, some costing many thousands of pounds and many in between. Interested in buying large quantities of books and rare items. Still got a fair bit of walking so perhaps might need to pick up your purchases later. Scary Bookshop

Quinto & Francis Edwards 72 Charing Cross Rd : Quinto Bookshop stocks a wide range of second hand books. Francis Edwards stocks rare and antiquarian books on a range of subjects including travel, military, history, art and literature.

Henry Pordes Books 58-60 Charing Cross Rd : Specialises in art, literature, history, science and medicine with shelves full of books on performing arts, photography, architecture and cookery.

Foyles 107 Charing Cross Rd: Browse your way around 6.5km of book shelves, housing 200,000 titles at the world-famous London bookshop, Foyles. This vast bookshop has four floors crammed with every kind of book imaginable. As well as stocking the UK’s largest range of books, this flagship store has a café, auditorium and gallery, and hosts literary and music events.

Claire de Rouen Books 1st Floor 125 Charing Cross Rd: One of the last vestiges of old Soho, Claire de Rouen Books specialises in photography fashion and art with stock covering photo books, fashion monographs, micropublishing, rare, signed and limited edition books, international magazines, look books and artist publications. Unique prints and limited editions are also for sale.

You now walk to Denmark Street and continue until to Bloomsbury where you find

Bookmarks 1 Bloomsbury St: Specialises in Socialist literature and books

You now walk down Bloomsbury St and take a left on Great Russell Street where you find

Jarndyce Antiquarian Booksellers 46 Great Russell Street: 19th century booksellers in an 18th century building opposite the British Museum, specialising in English books published before the 20th century.

Walk along Great Russell St and turn right to Museum Street where you find

The Atantis Bookshop : 49a Museum Street : Europe’s oldest independent Occult bookshop. Aleister Crowley, Austin Spare, Dion Fortune and W B Yeats shopped here. New and secondhand books on all aspects of the esoteric sciences, Tarot cards, crystal balls, and regular  events.

Keep walking south and turn left on Bloomsbury Way then turn left onto Bury Place where you find

Enitharmon Books 10 Bury Place: A Gallery, bookshop and publishing house for Enitharmon Press & Editions, an independent poetry and arts press that specialises in fine quality literary editions, artists’ books and limited edition prints. Knowledgeable staff introduce you to an exceptional range of contemporary poetry books.

London Review Bookshop 14 Bury Place: The bookshop of the London Review of Books offers a wide and intelligent selection of books, from fiction, politics, poetry, history, philosophy and a range of literary events, as well as teas, coffees and lunches in the Cake Shop. The London Review Cake shop is closed on Sundays.

We now walk back to Bloomsbury way a left on Southampton Place then to Holborn Tube station change at Oxford Circus station then one stop to Regents Park Tube on the Bakerloo Line. Walk onto Portland Place then right on Devonshire Street then a left on Marylebone High St.

Daunt Books 83-84 Marylebone High St: Specialist Travel Bookseller in an Edwardian bookshop on Marylebone High Street that is nothing short of glorious, with long oak galleries and soaring windows. Books are arranged by country, rather than alphabetically, so guides, maps, non-fiction and fiction all sit alongside one another, for a unique browsing experience.

We walk back to Regent Park Station and then go 2 stops South to Piccadilly Station then walk down Piccadilly to Hatchards.

Hatchards 187 Piccadilly, :On Piccadilly, in a prestigious spot next to Fortnum & Mason, is the UK’s oldest surviving bookshop. First opening its doors in 1797, Hatchards covers four floors and is home to 100,000 books.

Maison Assouline : 196A Piccadilly: Bookstore specialising in Fashion.

We now walk back to Piccadilly Tube station and get back on the Bakerloo line heading south to Waterloo Station and then walk to Waterloo Bridge and under the bridge you will find the

Southbank Book Market Waterloo Bridge :Tucked under Waterloo Bridge, you’ll find the Southbank Centre Book Market. Stocked with second-hand books, including classics, contemporary titles, maps and prints, it’s a lovely spot to browse. Open every day until 7pm – whatever the weather.  After a long day this is where the day ends browsing second hand books on the Thames.

17 Spectacular Independent Bookshops in London

By: Author Willow Heath

Posted on Last updated: 12th January 2024

Where else but London can you find such a marvellous selection of eclectic, unique, and utterly special bookshops? These beautiful independent bookshops in London exist as champions of feminism, LGBTQ rights and values, left-wing politics and ideals, and celebrations of the written word in all its strength and beauty.

Each of these thirteen bookshops has something uniquely wonderful about it, and deserves your time, love, and dedication. Support them, show them you care, and buy their books. The world of literature would not be as rich, diverse, and wonderful as it is without them. These are the thirteen best independent bookshops in London.

Read More : London Itinerary for Book Lovers

*Persephone Books has now moved to Bath, UK. You can read all about it and see what their new premises look like in our Guide to the Independent Bookshops in Bath .

London’s Radical/Activist Bookshops

London is home to some of the best radical bookshops in the UK. These are bookshops that promote and celebrate Black lives and the queer community. These are bookshops that offer readers the opportunity to learn more and discover the lives of people who have fought for their right to live a good life. These bookshops deserve all the power, support, and promotion you can give them.

Read More : 8 Must-Visit London Bookish Cafes and Bars

Gay’s The Word

One of the most legendary bookshops in London, Gay’s The Word , is another very special independent bookshop which boasts of the welcoming and diverse atmosphere that London offers. It’s a bookshop that couldn’t legally exist in many parts of the world, a fact that makes it all the more important to give your love, attention, appreciation, and money to.

Gay’s The Word has been out and proud since 1979 and even played a major role in the movement known as Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners. The alliance would often meet at Gays The Word back in 1984-85 and collect money in support of the miners’ strikes of the Thatcher era.

Gay’s The Word has a glorious history of hosting literary events and book launches (including the momentous recent launch of Indonesian poet Norman Erikson Pasaribu’s collection Sergius Seeks Bacchus – an event that Norman could sadly never have done in his home country).

Gay’s The Word is a celebration of liberal progress, of standing for your rights, of the transformative books written by LGBTQ writers from around the world.

Read More: 5 Literary Cities in the UK

The Common Press

We’re excited and overwhelmed to report that The Common Press is a London bookshop and cafe that curates and sells the exact kinds of books that we at Books and Bao love to read.

What you’ll find at this, one of the most beautiful and friendly bookshops in London, is a range of queer books by LGBTQ writers, books by Black authors, and books in translation from around the world. This is everything we stand for in a single London bookshop.

The Common Press also happens to be a cafe and events space. Author talks come up frequently, and they even offer studio spaces for podcast recordings (equipment included) which visitors can rent and use as they see fit. This is the bookshop of the future, promoting the best of contemporary writers. It is activism through kindness and beauty, and a very special bookshop indeed.

New Beacon Books

New Beacon Books is, to use its own words, “Specialists in African and Caribbean Literature since 1966”. This is an incredible London bookshop which offers fiction, non-fiction, and children’s books from black British, Caribbean, and African writers.

Having a bookshops in London like this one, it goes without saying, is incredibly important for guaranteeing the spread of diversity, love, and empathy within this enormously multicultural city.

New Beacon Books offers a space for members of the black community to read more of their own literature and history, and for non-black readers to see the world from a different perspective, and to learn as much as possibly about black, African, and Caribbean culture.

With an incredible history of its own , Housmans is a bookshop that has, since its doors first opened in 1945, championed the rights of minorities by promoting works by black authors, queer writers, feminist writers, and all written words by minorities fighting to have their voices heard.

If you’re shopping for feminist manifestoes, queer stories, the history of the Black Lives Matter movement, comics by transgender writers, or anything else beyond the stories of straight white men, Housmans is a must-visit bookshop that deserves your support. They have spent decades supporting minorities, and we should likewise support them in this ongoing fight.

The world at present can seem like a dark place for many of us. The book, as Esra Pound once said, should be a light in one’s hand. And what better kind of book to fan the flames of resilience against evil than ones that come from the left?

Perhaps, as a far-lefty myself, I’m biased, but if you’ll allow me one more pretentious quote, I always felt a big connection with what Prime Minister William Gladstone once said: “Liberalism is trust of the people tempered by prudence. Conservatism is distrust of the people tempered by fear.”

Gladstone also once said that books are delightful society. And I’m sure that the people at Bookmarks (obvious pun is obvious) agree. Bookmarks is a London independent bookshop that sells books on politics, history, and society all from a socialist perspective.

It’s a bookshop worthy of the support of anyone who cares for truth and good in the world. We need more spaces like Bookmarks in the world.

London’s Travel Bookshops

A unique theme amongst bookshops is that of the travel bookshop: an entire store dedicated to the world within books. Most of these travel bookshops sell maps and guides, as well as personal travelogues, the histories of far-flung places, and (our favourite) literature from countries the world over.

Stanfords (established in 1853) is a bookshop that prioritises travel over all other things. Travel writing, travel guides, maps, globes, and translated literature. It’s a bit of a dream shop, from where we’re standing. And, in fact, Stanfords also has a Bristol branch which was immeasurably impactful on the very existence of this site.

During our time living in Bristol in 2016, we frequently visited Stanfords and were inspired to buy and devour book after book on Asian travel and translated literature. Thus, Books and Bao started to take shape.

This is the power of a good bookshop: without Stanfords, we would not exist as a site. For that, we are eternally grateful to Stanfords and what it has accomplished as a bookshop.

Daunt Books

There are, in fact, five branches of Daunt Books in London: four smaller ones and a flagship store in Marylebone near Tottenham Court Road. The flagship store is an enormous Edwardian building with an arched window of glass at the back, framed on either side by wooden walkways walled by bookcases.

The very best thing about Daunt Books, from our perspective, is that it stands for what we stand for: celebrating books by celebrating countries. Daunt Books categorises its books by continent and country: if you go to the Asia section, you’ll find wall-to-ceiling books on China, Japan, Korea etc.

Fiction, biography, and non-fiction all blend together here because the priority is celebrating cultures and nations rather than strictly categorising by genre or type. We love this shop and its philosophy dearly, and it is perhaps the most grand and beautiful bookshop in London.

If you’re a budding bookstagrammer , you need to visit Daunt Books in Marylebone and go crazy.

Read More: 11 Literary Tattoos for Book-Lovers

The Notting Hill Bookshop

In Notting Hill, that iconic British film of British Britishness featuring an American film star, Hugh Grant’s character owns a delightful little travel bookshop on Portobello Road. Well, that bookshop is real, and it did originally exist as a travel bookshop when it opened in 1979.

Today, you’ll find a wider range of genres and styles when you visit (perhaps as a result of all the confusion felt by people who visited the film’s version of the shop).

Thanks to Notting Hill’s massive success (we re-watch it on a yearly basis), The Notting Hill Bookshop has become a frequent destination for tourists visiting London. And with good reason: it’s a quaint and friendly space that very much epitomises the local English bookshop, and thus one of the very loveliest independent bookshops in London. And it’s on one of the most vibrant and eclectic streets in London.

More Great Independent Bookshops in London

Here are a few more independent bookshops in London which deserve your attention and your custom. Each one offers a unique aesthetic or theme, or is simply a heartfelt little business that loves literature. Check them all out when you visit London!

Located in Islington, Bookbar is a joyous space with an emphasis on community and the social side of being a bookworm. It’s one of the most active and exciting bookshops in London, by far. What sets Bookbar apart is their community spirit. Selling coffee by day and alcohol in the evening, Bookbar invites people to talk, drink, browse, and make new friends through their shared passion for reading.

On the books side, Bookbar is also very impressive. Their shelves are curated so spectacularly with the best of the current bestsellers. With an emphasis on women writers , Black writers , and books in translation , this is exactly our kind of space. The tastes of the booksellers at Bookbar are immaculate!

Our biggest love (after translated literature) is comic books. And Gosh! is the best independent comic book shop in London. Gosh! understand the breadth of comic books. They stock translated comic books from across the world, experimental and little-known comics from small art-house publishers, as well as the biggest names in the industry.

Comics are a medium of literature that’s very close to our hearts. That love stretches from the campy adventures of classic DC Comics all the way to the very best award-winning graphic memoirs of Fun Home and Persepolis. And, as die-hard comic book lovers, we couldn’t appreciate more the range and quality of comics stocked by Gosh!

Word on the Water

There’s a cold war that never ends between London and the other great cities of the West: a hipster war fought with artists, fashion designers, markets, cafes, and bookshops. Cities like Berlin, New York, and Bristol give London a run for its money but, bitch, please. London has Word on the Water.

Word on the Water is an independent bookshop that floats. And it floats on Regent’s Canal near King’s Cross in an old 1920s Dutch barge. It is perhaps the most romantic place in all of London to go book shopping. A tranquil environment where you can find really, fantastically well-priced books. The barge also has a friendly dog, a warm stove, and frequent live music playing on-deck.

Read More: 5 Books for the Literary Traveller

Reinventing the concept of the bookshop is a behemoth undertaking, but Libreria has done an impressive job. And where else would you attempt such an undertaking than East London?

As Libreria’s own website explains, “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.”

Statements like these are what really raise book-shoppers’ intrigue levels to their peak, and draw people in from all over the city. Libreria is a fantastically modern space with a dynamic aesthetic, but its mission statement is far more traditional, encouraging a love and a dedication to literature and the written word. We respect and adore everything that Libreria manages to achieve, and we are so glad they exist.

Brick Lane Bookshop

Brick Lane Bookshop is, undoubtedly, one of the most famous and beloved bookshops in London, despite not being a chain. Its fame comes from the strength of its character.

This is a bookshop built by community spirit, with more than forty years of history. It is a bookshop that celebrates readers, language, protest, change, and the strength of the written word.

Found in London’s East End, Brick Lane Bookshop is more than a bookshop; it is a community space where booksellers take pride in their work and enjoy the community which a love of literature fosters. This is one of London’s most wholesome and beautiful independent bookshops.

The Open Book

In the fancy borough of Richmond, you’ll find a bookshop with a maximalist aesthetic but a deceptively curated selection of new books for sale. The Open Book is a brilliant bookshop that appears small at first, as you initially step inside, but reveals itself to be a deep space with plenty of shelves to explore.

The layout of this shop is dynamic, with the kinds of diagonal and isometric shelves that you don’t see often, but which actually make browsing the books easier and more dynamic.

Adding to the maximalist charm of The Open Book is the way in which books are stacked in small piles below the books, as though the shop values literature more than space, and we thoroughly respect that attitude. The Open Book is a general bookshop with a focus on fiction, and the front of the shop is where you’ll find the newest hardcover releases.

As you explore deeper into the shop, you’ll find the usual categories of poetry, crime fiction, and history books. It’s a wonderful independent London bookshop to check out when you’re next in Richmond.

The Alligator’s Mouth

Also located in the beautiful Richmond is the fantastic children’s bookshop The Alligator’s Mouth. This is a bookshop whose owners and booksellers have a true passion and respect for children’s literature and literacy. They even have their own yearly book prize, which has been running for several years!

Most big book chains do a terrible job of promoting diverse literature for children , instead leaning on old classics like the books of Roald Dahl or the overrated and problematic David Walliams. But children’s literature is a broad, diverse space that produces exciting new books on a regular basis, and too many bookshops don’t promote this.

The Alligator’s Mouth stands out by respecting that diversity of children’s literature. They visit local London schools and encourage children to read a wide selection of literature. They also don’t strictly categorise by age group, respecting the fact that children read at all different levels. They simply ensure that children of certain ages read books with appropriate content for their age.

The world needs more independent bookshops like The Alligator’s Mouth; ones that love and respect the wide world of children’s literature.

Queen’s Park Books

Located in the peaceful, residential area of Queen’s Park, which straddles Westminster and Brent, Queen’s Park Books is the perfect idea of a charming neighbourhood bookshop brought to life. In size, design, and presentation, this is every bookworm’s ideal local bookshop. Having this place on your doorstep would be a dream.

The aspect of Queen’s Park Books that visitors will be most grateful for is its curation. The booksellers here have immaculate taste.

Whether it be new hardcover releases or paperbacks from the past few years, they only stock the best of the best. And, beyond sheer quality, there is also a delightful amount of diversity here. Plenty of books in translation, books by LGBTQ+ writers, and books by writers of colour. Queen’s Park Books really do curate and stock only the very best books of the moment. Love that for them.

Lutyen & Rubinstein

A charming bookshop we discovered completely by accident as we were wandering the Notting Hill/Kensington area on the way to our favourite branch of Daunt Books. Both a bookshop and a literary agency, this two-floor treasure trove has all the latest hardback releases, a children’s section, and a downstairs with a range of classics and diverse readers from around the world.

We were also excited to find they stocked a wide range of Persephone Books, those dove grey tomes can never be mistaken.

They serve free coffee downstairs and there’s a table for sitting and choosing your latest reads. You can book a consultation with their expert booksellers and can sign up to their monthly subscription Year in Books where they will send you monthly, tailored reads.

There’s even a year in Cookbooks options for you foodies. This is very much a bookshop that offers a whole community for book lovers.

• Visit London >
• Culture & Art >

Best Bookshops in London

In the search for the best bookshop in London, we asked several writers to share their favourite places. From multi-storey shops to small local independents, these are some of the most inspirational and charming places to find books in the capital….your biggest dilemma will be which one to visit first!

Cecil Court Bookshops

The Tourist England Team:

There’s a tiny street in London, a few minutes walk from Trafalgar Square called Cecil Court. This is a paradise for second-hand book lovers, with around eleven (!!)  bookstores on both sides of the street. A treasure trove from a bygone era, this should be the first stop on any serious book lovers itinerary! From here, take a right onto Charring Cross Road. It’s a long street, and there are about eight bookshops, mostly on the left-hand side. This includes Foyles, one of the most famous multi-story bookstores in the world.

the London review bookshop:

London Bookshop Review

Abegail from The Poetry Shed :

“So much more than just a bookshop, the London Review Bookshop stimulates all the senses.  I love losing myself in there, drifting into the solitary calmness you find when you ease open a brand-new book. Their shelves are so well organised it’s easy to navigate from contemporary poetry and fiction to their wide range of non-fiction… then of course there’s the Cake Shop for a catch-up chat with friends… and the fabulous evening literary events… It’s not “just” a bookshop, it’s the heart of Bloomsbury.”

Tourist England top tip: This little “pocket” of London by the side of the British Museum have about eight bookstores, including on Bloomsbury Street and Great Russell Street.

Address:  14 Bury Place, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 2JL Nearest Underground Station:  Holborn or Tottenham Court Road

daunt books:

Daunt Books in Marylebone

Merilyn   from Books Unpacked :

“Daunt Books for Travellers is so, so much more. The Marylebone shop especially is an aesthetic delight, thousands of well-chosen books in an Edwardian restoration with soaring windows, oak balustrades, and shelves. Not only travel guides, but literary travel writing, arranged by country (the way we travel!). The best fiction and nonfiction, too, plus a publishing arm bringing back classics by Jamaica Kincaid, MFK Fisher, John McPhee, Saki, and more. Staff are savvy and kind, making every visit feel like a voyage of discovery.”

Address : 83 Marylebone High Street, London W1U 4QW Nearest Underground Station:  Baker Street or Bond Street

Additional stores in Holland Park, Hampstead, Cheapside, Chelsea & Belsize Park

Stanfords bookshop

Rohan from Travels of a Bookpacker :

“As a book lover and an avid traveller, Stanfords is my idea of heaven on earth. The world’s largest map and travel bookshop covers three storeys of anything you can imagine related to travel and books. Travel guides, journals, travel writing, gifts and of course an entire floor dedicated to maps and globes. There’s also a cafe if you need to recharge during your visit. Do not enter this store unless you have a spare few hours and are prepared to leave with a serious case of book-fuelled wanderlust!”

Address:  12-14 Long Acre, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9LP Nearest Underground Station:  Covent Garden or Leicester Square  

Heywood Hill:

Heywood Hill

Dane from Social Bookshelves :

“I’d have to recommend Heywood Hill in Mayfair. It’s a delightful little bookshop that’s been there since the 1930s and a blogger friend of mine, Eleanor Franzen from Elle Thinks , is lucky enough to work there. They sell a mixture of old and new books and also offer subscription deals. Eleanor has great taste and the bookshop itself is stunning with something for literally everyone, so be sure to stop by and say hello if you get a chance.”

Address:  10 Curzon Street, Mayfair, London W1J 5HH Nearest Underground Station:  Green Park

Any Amount of Books:

Any Amount of Books

Daniel from The Reader is Warned :

“My Favourite bookshop in London is the inimitable Any Amount of Books , a wistful paradise of second-hand wonders. The staff are always welcoming and the shop is restocked daily so there is always something special to be found. Upstairs has the expensive and newer items, but the basement is where the real gems are. Three rooms of books stacked floor to ceiling, with that rich scent of time and forgotten history wafting throughout. I always leave here with a vintage treasure.” 

Address:  56 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0QA Nearest Underground Station:  Leicester Square

more things to do

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Where to Stay in London - Best Areas in London

How Many Days Should You Spend in London?

9 Best London Literary Tours for Bookworms (2024)

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Ready to learn about your favorite authors and stories while touring London?

You’ve come to the right place, as we’re going to explore the best 9 literary tours in London – all led by expert guides who want to share their love of literature with other bookworms.

If you’re like, just cut to the chase already, then don’t worry.

The best London literary tour is this Literary Pub Crawl and Tavern Tour in London.

London has been home to dozens of talented authors.

It has inspired some iconic works of literary art.

Learn all about these English classics on a tour in London

⏳ Don’t have time to read the whole list?

The best London literary tour is this Literary London Pub Crawl & Tavern tour !

Click here to check prices and availability.

If you want to see what your other options are, here are 8 more tours that are definitely worth your time, including London literary walks, literary pub crawls in London, and literary tours of London.

So let’s get into the list of the best literary tours in London so you can book it already!

PS – booking in advance is highly, highly recommended so you don’t miss out.

Hey! Want more honest UK tips and planning advice? Click here to join my London and UK Travel Tips Facebook group , where I can answer more of your questions!

Easy Guide: Best London Literary Tours

1. literary pub crawl and tavern tour in london : best london literary tours.

⭐️  RATING:  4.5 out of 5 Stars, 46+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  3 hours | ✔️  BOOK NOW

WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THIS TOUR

• Walking tour of Soho and Fitzrovia
• Live entertainment with literary walking tour London
• Learn about historic and modern day creatives
• British pub quiz

This walking tour will take you all over Soho and Fitzrovia.

You’ll visit the historic haunts of people like Virginia Woolf , Karl Marx, and George Orwell.

You’ll also get to see places that are linked to more modern creatives, such as Paul McCartney and Damien Hirst .

Many creative people find their inspiration at the local pub.

As you visit some of these places, you’ll understand why.

Learn the history of these places as well as the people who frequented them.

Your tour guide will share so much information!

You’ll also be able to listen to readings and even participate in a British pub quiz .

The readings of poetry and select samples of stories will help you to truly envision London life throughout the ages.

Immerse yourself in history and literature during this pub crawl!

2. Small-Group Tour: Historical Pub Walking Tour of London

⭐️  RATING:  5 out of 5 Stars, 2,500+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  3.5 hours | ✔️  BOOK NOW

• Small group capped at 14 guests
• Pass by 10 locations
• Time to enjoy a drink
• Informative tour guide

If you love a good pub crawl, why not try a pub walking tour ?

Your guide will share the stories of many historic pubs . 

Where did Charles Dickens , Alfred Lord Tennyson, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle go for a pint?

Learn about their favorite haunts and see the world that inspired some of their iconic stories and poetry.

You’ll stop at four (or more) historic pubs to grab a pint.

Whether you prefer a local ale or cider, you’ll be able to drink something that appeals to you.

Learn about London’s drinking culture through the ages.

You might be surprised at some of the interesting factoids you will learn!

The traditional London pubs on this tour will give you a good idea of what an authentic British pub should be like.

Many of them still feel as though they are from a time in the past.

This tour will allow you to transport yourself to the days of some of the world’s most prolific authors.

3. A Christmas Carol and Charles Dickens Old London Walking Tour : book London tours

⭐️  RATING:  5 out of 5 Stars, 5+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  2-3 hours | ✔️  BOOK NOW

• Private group tour
• Professional guide
• Christmas cheer all year
• 7 attractions from Dickens’s life

Fans of Charles Dickens will love this tour !

Even if you’re not a huge fan of Dickens, if you love the Christmas Spirit, you might like this tour.

Since Dickens wrote many stories that we remember during the holiday season , you’ll be able to reminisce over Christmas memories no matter what time of year!

You’ll stop at many places that inspired Dickens’s iconic stories.

You’ll start at the Inner Temple and head to Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, of David Copperfield fame.

Visit the Royal Exchange Building London and a few other places Scrooge visited in A Christmas Carol.

You’ll visit one of the author’s favorite pubs as well as his favorite chop house.

The Hellfire Club convened in both of these places!

The tour will end in Leadenhall Market .

Many Harry Potter fans may recognize this place, but it’s also part of an iconic scene in A Christmas Carol .

Find out which scene on the tour! 

4. Private Sherlock Holmes Walking Tour in London : literary walks London

⭐️  RATING:  5 out of 5 Stars, 20+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  3 hours | ✔️  BOOK NOW

• Hotel pick-up and drop-off
• Comfortable mini-coach
• Sherlock Holmes museum
• Visit filming sites

Sherlock Holmes has been a favorite literary character for ages.

As the world changes, the world’s love for this detective stays the same. 

On this tour , you can learn all about Sherlock Holmes.

Walk in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s footsteps .

See what his world was like and how he brought Sherlock Holmes to life.

You’ll visit the detective’s home , museum, and souvenir shop.

You’ll also tour many filming sites for the popular BBC TV series about this sleuth.

Your guide will share loads of knowledge with you.

You’ll learn so much about Holmes, Dr. Watson, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

You will stop at 16 locations to learn about their links to Sherlock and take a few pictures.

You can also visit Torrington Square and Bloomsbury.

Both of those places are quite instrumental for the creation of the Sherlock Holmes we know and love today!

5. Shakespearean London: Theater, magic and history

⭐️  RATING:  4.5 out of 5 Stars, 4+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  40 minutes | ✔️  BOOK NOW

• Self-guided walking tour
• Leisurely tour at your own pace
• Offline chapter and powerful mapping
• Lesser-known facts about Shakespeare

This self-guided tour is a casual way to explore Shakespeare’s London .

It’s extremely affordable and doesn’t take too long.

This is perfect for anyone who would love to learn about Shakespeare, but is too busy doing other activities throughout their London vacation!

You’ll be provided with audio commentary, music, and poetry to commemorate William Shakespeare.

Walk by some iconic places in his life.

Explore Southwark and London Bridge and catch a glimpse of the Globe Theatre !

You’ll walk by London Bridge, the Clink Prison Museum, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, the Rose Theatre, the Queen Square Park and Garden, and Southwark Cathedral.

Learn about why each of these locations are significant to the works of Shakespeare.

You’ll be able to go at your own pace and enjoy a laid-back walking tour of this cultural part of London.

6. Harry Potter London Walking Tour : literary things to do in London

⭐️  RATING:  4.5 out of 5 Stars, 230+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  2 hours | ✔️  BOOK NOW

• Insider trivia
• Filming locations
• Iconic London attractions

Harry Potter fans have many tours to choose from.

While most of them mostly focus on the movie, this tour will satisfy people who prefer the books. 

Not only will you see locations from the Harry Potter books and movies , you will see many quintessential London landmarks, as well. 

The best part about visiting locations from the movies is that you can recreate scenes with your friends.

Take lots of pictures while you visit the Leaky Cauldron or Ministry of Magic !

You’ll make 4 main stops on this trip.

Visit St. Paul’s Cathedral , Millennium Bridge, Leadenhall Market, and Borough Market.

You’ll learn how each of these destinations is linked to Harry Potter’s life.

It is a fast-paced tour .

This allows you to see the most things in a small amount of time.

This is perfect for people who are already busy but want to enjoy a Harry Potter tour while in London.

7. Sherlock Holmes Walking Tour in London

⭐️  RATING:  4.5 out of 5 Stars, 100+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  2 hours | ✔️  BOOK NOW

• Learn Sherlock Holmes trivia
• Royal Academy

This is your chance to follow in the footsteps of Sherlock Holmes .

He is one of the most prolific detectives of all time–and he is a part of a fictional world.

Although Sherlock Holmes is a fictional character in a literary world, his home was based on London.

As you walk around London, you’ll see the same sights that Holmes would’ve seen.

This tour includes stops at the Pentonville Prison , Royal Academy , and the Diogenes Club. 

While many of these locations have been made famous by the BBC TV show Sherlock , that’s not the only screen adaptation you’ll learn about.

This tour also shows sites from other adaptations, such as the popular Murder by Decree . 

The tour will take many breaks for photo opportunities.

The guide will be sure to share loads of knowledge with you as you see Sherlock’s world.

8. Shakespeare London Walking Tour : literary London tour

⭐️  RATING:  5 out of 5 Stars, 5+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  2 hours | ✔️  BOOK NOW

• Professional actor
• Listen to extracts from Shakespeare’s plays
• See where the classics were written
• Follow in Shakespeare’s footsteps

No matter how you came to know and love Shakespeare, you’ll appreciate this tour .

The tour guide is also an actor who will help to immerse you in the world of William Shakespeare.

You’ll walk along the same footsteps as the Bard himself as you learn all about him.

You may even learn some controversial ideas for the first time.

As you walk throughout London, you’ll learn about the different locations that have been linked to Shakespeare.

See where he wrote some of his most popular works, such as Othello or Macbeth. 

Hear excerpts from his plays as you look at the world that inspired some of these stories.

This is one of the best ways to immerse yourself into the world of Shakespeare.

9. London Literary Private Walking Tour Of Bloomsbury

⭐️  RATING:  4.5 out of 5 Stars, 3+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  3 hours | ✔️  BOOK NOW

• Professional guide on this London literary tour
• Explore museums and squares
• Commentary about many literary heroes

Bloomsbury was a haven for 19th and 20th century writers .

On this tour , you’ll be able to explore the Bloomsbury district and learn about the authors who lived here.

On this tour, you’ll explore many of the squares in the area.

Learn about how each square is connected to a literary icon .

Maybe they were home to an iconic author.

Maybe they inspired the idea for a world-famous book. Find out on this tour!

Obviously, you’ll learn about Charles Dickens and Virginia Woolf .

This tour will also take you to locations linked to George Orwell, Aleister Crawley, WB Yeats, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Visit the British Museum and a few sites with suffragette history attached.

This private tour will accommodate your desires and allow you to learn about your favorite authors.

It will also be a dreamy day that may inspire you to put your own words on paper.

Hey! Want to use our trusty guides to the best tours in other places across the UK? Check these out!

• 11 Best Tours of the Cotswolds from London in 2023
• 11 Best Tours of the Scottish Highlands from Edinburgh in 2023
• 5 Best London Open Top Bus Tours
• 9 Best Scottish Outlander Tours
• 9 Best Ghost Tours in Oxford
• 5 Best Bath Ghost Tours
• 9 Best Bus Tours in Edinburgh
• 19 Most Unique London Tours
• 9 Best Day Trips to Oxford from London
• 7 Best Stonehenge Day Trips from London
• 7 Best Changing of the Guard Tours in London
• 11 Best Oxford Walking Tours
• 11 Best London Rock ‘n’ Roll Tours
• 11 Best London Museum Tours
• 3 Best Morse Tours in Oxford
• 11 Best London Beatles Tours
• 11 Best Walking Tours in Bath
• 13 Best Harry Potter Tours in Oxford
• 11 Best Jack the Ripper Tours in London
• 11 Best London Biking Tours
• 9 Best Street Art Tours in London
• 13 Best Evening & Night Tours of Edinburgh
• 15 Best London Pub Crawl Tours
• 11 Best London Bus Tours for Families
• 17 Best Harry Potter Tours in London
• 17 Best London Foodie Tours
• 13 Best Ghost & Haunted Tours in Edinburgh
• 11 Best Edinburgh Walking Tours
• 11 Best Private Tours in London
• 11 Best Ghost Tours in London
• 11 Fun Tours of Royal London
• 13 Isle of Skye Tours for a Magical Time
• 13 Mysterious Tours of Loch Ness
• 7 Best James Bond Tours in London
• 7 Best Paris Tours from London
• 7 Best Stratford-upon Avon Tours from London
• 7 Best Tours of Bath from London
• 7 Best Black Cab Tours from London
• 11 Best Downton Abbey Tours in the UK
• 5 Best Graffiti Tours in London
• 9 Best London East End Tours

UK Travel Planning Guide: the FAQs

🏥 Should I buy UK travel insurance?

Absolutely yes. Basic coverage is not expensive, and as a visitor you are NOT covered under the NHS. Compare policies and prices with Travel Insurance Master here , a big name in the travel insurance business, and cross that off your list.

🔌 Do I need travel adapters for the UK?

Yes, you do, otherwise you won’t be able to plug in your electronics/phone/lifelines. I recommend this one , which is all-in-one so you can use it in other countries.

🚗 What do I need to drive in the UK?

The first thing you need to check out if you’re planning on renting a car in the UK is this guide to driving in the UK for visitors – the roads, signs, and driving experience will likely not be what you’re used to and it’s essential to prepare yourself to stay safe and aware.

🛌 What’s the best way to book hotels in the UK?

For UK hotels, Booking is the best site as it offers free cancellation on many properties. If you want an apartment, I always recommend VRBO over AirBnb.

📳 Will my phone work in the UK?

Yes – if you set it up right. Check out my guide on making your foreign phone work in the UK to ensure that you get the type of service you need.

🚿 Can I drink the water in the UK?

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Uptown Oracle

Live Your Bookish Lifestyle

London Bookshop Tour

13/01/2020 Books

Moving just outside of London meant that I had to explore some of the bookshop options around me and in the centre. As I have a train direct into Paddington, many of the central London bookshops are an easy tube away – and so I gave myself a challenge of visiting as many as I could in one week.

Daunt Books, Cheapside

Our first stop was a kind-of out of the way bookshop, Daunt Books on Cheapside. Daunt Books was suggested by multiple people, and we chose the Cheapside one because we took a scenic tourist walk afterwards. We took the tube to Mansion House station, althought there’s multiple others nearby such as St Pauls and Bank,

Daunt Books has a few bookshops all across London, and they have a wide selection of books in all genres and formats. Cheapside just happened to be one that was close to tourist-y things and was walking distance to our next stop.

Close to St Paul’s Cathedral and many of London’s bridges over the river meant we had a slow tour around the area. We walked over Blackfriar’s bridge to make our way towards Waterloo next.

Calder Bookshop and Theatre

The Calder Bookshop and Theatre is as the name suggests, both a bookshop and a theatre. As you walk into the building it’s piles of books in the middle with large shelves all around – and at the back is an archway leading into a theatre area. Whilst we’d walked here, it’s super close to Southwark and Waterloo tube stations.

Whilst I’m not a big reader of plays or scripts or anything like that, I loved the feel of the shop as it had a lot of older and used books. (I don’t know about you, but I love the smell?). They do also have some books that are mixed genre too! But not as many as the theatre related books they specialise in.

Ian Allen Bookshop

Another specialised shop near Waterloo! Ian Allen focuses on transport (buses, trains and planes) as well as some war history books. Not really one for me – and I don’t think the map listing really made this clear.

Unfortunately the staff were a bit rude and made comments about us being there too – apparently two 20 year old women aren’t their usual customers.

Foyles Southbank

We ended the day with a bookshop to fit everyone’s needs and wants – Foyles near the river (just up from Waterloo!). As with other Foyles, it’s fairly large and has a wide selection in each genre. I personally loved the selection of graphic novels in this store – and the set up on the newest releases near the front.

There is also an additonal smaller Foyles within Waterloo station itself. But the Southbank one has a good view of the river and is surrounded by some lovely food places with a view.

Heywood Hill

On our second day we got the tube to Oxford Cirvus and walked down to Heywood Hill first. Whilst its closest station is Green Park – it wasn’t that far a walk and it was easier than changing tubes.

Heywood Hill is a gorgeous little store in Mayfair that sells both old and new books. Whilst most of the books at the front were new, we did have a peek at some of the older and more antique books in the back (which also doubles as an office). The entire Aesthetic of the bookshop, both inside and out was wonderful.

Across the road (and not planned!) was Maggs Bros Ltd. The internet says that this is one of the world’s largest and oldest antiquarian booksellers – and it looked it from the outside! We didn’t actually go in because we definitely can’t afford antique books – and didn’t want to disturb the staff member in such a small shop. But a sneaky look through the window means that I can tell you it looked like old book heaven.

Next up we walked down Picadilly towards Hatchards. Hatchards is a huge bookstore which Waterstones have now bought (I believe!) but it has kept it’s original name. They also run as a separate entity as they have their own book subsription service that was advertsised in store.

It’s a huge winding maze of books (5 floors!!) and it took all my effort not to just find a spot and sit down and read.

Maison Assouline

Maison Assouline is one of those stores that you just can’t really afford! It has a large selection of what I would call coffee table books – that look fantastic and elegant, and beautiful… but cost a lot more than normal books.

Waterstones, Piccadilly

Still on Piccadilly we took a quick (a lie) stop into the massive Waterstones. Simialar in size to Hatchards – and with pretty much all the same stock we still wandered all around this store. It’s also a bookshop I’d already been before, so I kind of knew where I wanted to go. The YA section is huge as well as the foreign fiction section.

We also had a stop in the top floor restaurant/cafe for some lunch! Unfortunately there’s not much of an impressive view but it was super affordable compared to other places nearby.

The Second Shelf

Unfotunately The Second Shelf was closed due to inventory check/changes the whole week we were in London! It did however look super sweet from the outside – and was right next to coffee shops (which always makes things better!).

If we had managed to get in (and I’m sure I’ll revisit at a later date!!) we would have seen many women authors on the shelves.

Any Amount of Books

Oh. My. God. I loved this bookshop! It’s a used bookstore that is filled with books – I’m talking floor to ceiling shelves over two floors. Plus Any Amount of Books had a great deal that everything in basement was on half price… so I managed to buy 5 fantasy books for £5!

Henry Pordes Books

Whilst also a used book store – Henry Pordes also has a selection of older antique books and so was more expensive than Any Amount of Books. But, it also had SO MANY books and these were floor to ceiling too.

Stanfords mainly specialises in travel books (and maps!) but also has a selection of new releases and stationary. I loved the little globe section and how they’d split their specialised sectipn from mixed genre upstairs.

The Astrology Shop

As we were walking towards Magma we took a wrong turn and wandered into the Astrology Shop. As the name suggests, this contains many books around the specialised subject of astrology.

Unfortunately I completely forgot to take a photo outside Magma – but it’s a lovelys troe full of magazines, comics and books. I loved the feel of the shop – and it had a wide range of content in different topics from fashion to busienss.

Forbidden Planet, Shaftesbury Avenue

We took an extremely brief look in Forbidden Planet, however it contained much of what it has up and down the country. Similar to Waterstones and Foyles – it had similar products and books that are popular and new.

Foyles, Charing Cross

Our last stop of the ssecond day was Foyls of Charing Cross. This Foyles is HUGE and has such a large selection of books across all genres. I don’t know about you but I love just looking at the full boookshelves so this was a gorgeous store for me.

Judd Books is a stunning independant that is super clsoe to King’s Cross station. Just a short walk leads you to a floor to ceiling style shop with a basement also full of books!

Gays the Word

Gay’s the word is a cute little store full of books that focus on LGBT+ characters and issues. Many of the books I saw were books I’ve seen in the blogger/booktuber space but there was also a huge range of new books I’d not heard of before!

Skoob Books

Skoob Books has a massive basement full of books as well as a free books section right as your walk in! It has so many books from all genres but I especially loved the fantasy section and the Orange Penguin section.

Persephone Books

An independant of Aesthetic creations. Grey covers of a bunch of stunning classic books is where Persephone Books shines – plus we saw these editions in local Waterstones too!

London Review Shop

Suggested by many different people we ventured to the London Review shop and founda a quaint little store full of books plus an asjoined cafe. Downstairs contained most of the YA and Kids books and there was a great selection of fiction on the ground floor.

The Atlantis Bookshop

Need something a bit witchy? Look no further than the Atlantis Bookshop full of witch related books.

Speaking of witchy…. Treadwells has a wide selection of books that relate to witches, astrology and other almost magical topics.

Waterstones, Tottenham Court Road

We eneded our book tour at Waterstones on Tottenham Court Road before admitting defeat and going home. After days of walking findin ourselves in the comfort of books we knew, owned and loved was something special.

To see our routes check out Google maps:

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14/01/2020 at 8:31 pm

Holy moly, London is bookshop HEAVEN! I love that there are so many options, and that antiquarian one looks super cool if not out of my price range.

15/01/2020 at 9:30 pm

Literally so many good bookshops (that are out of my price range haha)

17/01/2020 at 9:03 pm

i cant seem to like this post but!!! wow what a great way to spend the week, sounds like u had fun 😉

03/02/2020 at 9:03 pm

omg has this broken again??

Also yeah unfortunately had a pest in my home at the same time 💁‍♀️

A Lady in London

And Traveling the World

Lady’s Things to Do for Book Lovers in London

If you read my latest post , you’ll know I’m launching a new itinerary series on the A Lady in London blog. Today is the first installment, and since so many of you have given me positive feedback on my content about things to do for book lovers in London, I decided I would start with a London itinerary for book lovers.

London Itinerary for Book Lovers

This itinerary will take you though some of London’s best-loved literary locations. From bookshops to libraries and museums, it will allow you to discover a lot of the city’s best places for books.

It covers a 2-day period, but you can mix and match to tailor it to the amount of time you have in the city. I hope it helps you find the best things to do for book lovers in London.

London Itinerary for Book Lovers: Day 1 – Morning

Begin the first day of your itinerary at Foyles on Charing Cross Road. This iconic bookshop has a cafe at the top, so it’s the perfect place for a coffee to start the day.

Foyles is enormous, so a caffeine boost will help you browse through all the titles your heart desires.

When you’ve finished at Foyles, make your way down Charing Cross Road to Cecil Court. This little alley is full of antiquarian shops selling books and other curiosities. It’s a great place to pick up something unique.

From Cecil Court, walk through Covent Garden to get to Stanfords. This bookshop is a travel lover’s dream, with everything from books to maps and globes. Spending time here is one of the top things to do for book lovers in London.

London Itinerary for Book Lovers: Day 1 – Afternoon

After getting your fix at Stanfords, continue through Covent Garden to the London Review Bookshop. This bookshop also has a cake shop, so it’s a great place to get lunch or a cup of tea and cake (or all three).

The bookshop itself is packed with great titles, and the area around it has more shops to explore (not to mention the British Museum, which is just up the street).

From the London Review Bookshop, make your way into Bloomsbury . This area is famous for its literary connections to the Bloomsbury Group.

Its members lived and worked around here, so keep your eyes out for blue plaques marking their homes as you explore. There’s even a bust of Virginia Woolf in Tavistock Square.

While in Bloomsbury, don’t miss Treadwell’s Books. This unique bookshop on Store Street specializes in esoteric literature on magic and spiritualism.

Also in the area is the Charles Dickens Museum, another must for literary lovers in London.

Set in his former home, the museum gives an overview of his life and work. There’s also a little cafe here if you need a tea break (and who doesn’t?).

London Itinerary for Book Lovers: Day 1 – Evening

And speaking of Dickens, not far from the museum is a place that appears in one of his books. Over by Farringdon station, Bleeding Heart Yard featured in his novel Little Dorrit as the home of the Plornish family.

The yard itself is a pretty place, too. There are restaurants and pubs in and around it if you want to end the first day of your London itinerary for book lovers with a drink or meal.

London Itinerary for Book Lovers: Day 2 – Morning

Start your second day at Daunt Books in Marylebone . This bookshop is one of the most famous in London, not least because of its beautiful interior. It also has a travel focus, so if you love to travel as much as I do, you’ll be in heaven here.

Once you’ve finished browsing and buying, make your way up to the Sherlock Holmes Museum.

This place on Baker Street is famous for its connections to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional detective. It’s a great place to channel your inner mystery lover.

From the museum you can walk or take the tube down Euston Road to The Wellcome Collection. It has a beautiful reading room where you can tuck into whatever titles you picked up at Daunt and soak up the literary atmosphere.

Just down the road from the Wellcome Collection, the British Library often has exhibitions. You can pop in and see what’s on, taking in the contemporary surroundings as you go.

London Itinerary for Book Lovers: Day 2 – Afternoon

The library isn’t far from King’s Cross station, where the famous Platform 9 3/4 from the Harry Potter novels resides. There’s also a Harry Potter shop if you want to pick up some themed souvenirs .

If you’re interested, you can even do my free self-guided Harry Potter walking tour . It will take you to lots of places that featured in the books and movies.

Just north of the station, Word on the Water is a canal-boat-turned-bookshop that can usually be found in Regent’s Canal below Granary Square.

It’s a fun place to channel your inner book lover, and the big steps nearby lend themselves to al fresco reading on sunny days. There are also great restaurants around if you’re in the mood for lunch.

London Itinerary for Book Lovers: Day 2 – Evening

From King’s Cross , hop on the tube and take the Northern line up to Hampstead .

This village in north London is full of literary history and charm. Not only did it feature in novels like Dracula , but many famous writers and authors also lived in Hampstead.

If you walk around the village, you’ll see blue plaques dedicated to everyone from George Orwell to Robert Louis Stevenson.

There’s a museum dedicated to poet John Keats, and Daphne du Maurier’s father and grandfather are buried in the local cemetery.

Hampstead is home to some of the coziest pubs in London, so if you want to stay for dinner make sure to head to the Holly Bush.

Its warren of wood-paneled rooms with fireplaces will make you feel like curling up with a book and staying all night.

Things to Do for Book Lovers in London

I hope you’ve enjoyed this London itinerary for book lovers. If you want more inspiration, I’ve written a self-guided London literary walk and blog posts about the best places for books in London , the best independent bookshops in London , the best specialty bookstores in London , and books that will make you fall in love with London .

There will be more themed London itineraries to come, so stay tuned for the next one in a week’s time.

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8 Comments on Lady’s Things to Do for Book Lovers in London

What a fantastic post, looking forward to the series.

Thanks, Susan!

Lovely! We normally plan trips around architecture, museums, and used books stores. I know Skoob Books is a popular used book store in London, but Judd Books down the street is my favorite – they have a great art/architecture selection. I always stop in when I’m in London.

We also visited the Wellcome Collection’s reading room for the first time on our last visit. Amazing!! I wish it was closer to home for me 😉

That’s great! The reading room is lovely.

I was gutted the day that Stanfords shut down in Manchester, so whenever I’m in London and near Covent Garden, I always pop in to the one there! Not heard of Daunt Books, but sounds like somewhere I would check out. And one day, I’ll actually manage to get to the Sherlock Holmes museum.

You’ll love Daunt Books!

Would really love to visit Persephone Books one day, I see it a lot on Booktube! All your other recommendations look great, too 🙂

Thanks! I hope you get a chance to go there someday.

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London Literary Tours

Theatrical walking tours about famous writers in Bloomsbury and St James's

Come on one of our tours of literary sites and delight in tales about some of London's most illustrious writers - like Virginia Woolf, Ian Fleming, Graham Greene and Noel Coward - brought to life in their own words, and with performances of excerpts from their novels, plays and poems.

Key features of our tours: • Limited to small groups • Two guides, Mike and Cindy, working as a double act • Performed extracts from novels, plays and poems • Writers ‘brought to life’ with quotations from their letters and diaries • Researched and created by guides 

THE BLOOMSBURY BLAST Starring Virginia Woolf, T S Eliot and friends

Available Saturday mornings and Wednesday afternoons

Characterised by grand garden squares and streets lined with bookshops, cafes and pubs, Bloomsbury is an area synonymous with  writers, commemorated in numerous plaques on the walls of their former residences.

On our Bloomsbury Blast you'll meet dazzling literary stars like Virginia Woolf, T S Eliot, W B Yeats, D H  Lawrence and E M Forster, and unique, experimental women like Charlotte Mew, Dorothy Richardson and Hilda Doolittle. Joined by a giant of world literature in Rabindranath Tagore, and movers and shakers like Ezra Pound and Wyndham Lewis we'll reveal a Bloomsbury buzzing with radical ideas, progressive movements and literary pioneers.

• The price is £25 per person and pre-booking is essential. Click on 'Book Tour' to see available dates.
• Private tours - on day and time of your choosing - available by appointment.
• Discounts for student groups. 
• Can be purchased as a gift - see below. 

THE ST JAM ES'S JAUNT Where Mrs Dalloway meets James Bond

With its clubs, shops and galleries, and a library at its heart, swanky St James's has been a magnet for writers over centuries. Scenes have been set here, plays performed here, and masterpieces penned here.

Our St James’s Jaunt ranges from World War 1 to the Cold War, from the poems of Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon to the spy novels of Graham Greene and Ian Fleming. We celebrate brave, experimental women like Virginia Woolf, Nancy Cunard and Edith Sitwell, and we relish the biting wit of Noel Coward and Evelyn Waugh. The wry prognostications of Aldous Huxley and Rose Macaulay complete a picture of a St James’s bristling with intellect and intensity.

This tour is seamlessly crafted by the guides themselves who are passionate aficionados of the interwar literary landscape.  Not only do they recite and perform excerpts that transport you to the London of that era, in so doing Mike and Cindy offer insight into the socio-political climate of the time.  The warmth and charisma with which Mike and Cindy welcome us into this world nurtures a sense of connection and belonging irrespective of biblio-credentials, and when the tour concluded it felt like bidding adieu to family.

Róisín McGrogan

Never has learning been more fun!  Cindy and Mike were amazing guides, their knowledge is extraordinary and the passion they have for their subject is infectious.  Not only did they bring these incredible characters to life in the places they lived and worked, but they showed how their lives were interwoven and regaled us with scandalous stories of what they all got up to!  They gave me enough of a taste of the writers' work, at times moving and at others hilarious, to make me want to go out and read, read, read...

Gunna Finnsdottir

AND FOR YOUR FRIEND WHO LOVES BOOKS...

Simply click on either the gold 'Book Tour' button at the top of this page, or the floating 'Book Now' button at the bottom and you'll have the option to purchase a gift card.

The recipient(s) can then get in touch with us to come on a tour of their choice, on a date that works for them.

WHY NOT MAKE A GIFT OF ONE OF OUR TOURS?

Hi from Mike and Cindy

London Literary Tours exists to spread passion for brilliant writing on the streets of the city that we love and call home.

We follow in the footsteps of some of our greatest literary figures, tell scintillating stories about them peppered with extracts from diaries, letters and reviews, and perform extracts of their writing in places where they lived, loved, worked and unwound.

Regardless of what you've read or not read, there will be plenty for you to discover about both popular and lesser-known writers.

Expect to be wowed and have a good laugh along the way!

Poetry Matters How London writers featured on our literary walking tours valued poetry We love to relate how, in 1944, Edith Sitwell

Introducing Our Bloomsbury Tour Two years ago – as we came out of lockdown – we launched our St James’s Jaunt. Now we’re thrilled

Bookish Bonding It’s a wonderful thing that guests can arrive on one of our tours as strangers but leave as –well, friends.

“So many books, so little time."

“the person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”, “literature sets up a vision which guides people to a better understanding of themselves and their world.”, “i have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library.”, “no entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting.”, “a book should serve as an axe for the frozen sea within us.”, “many people, myself among them, feel better at the mere sight of a book.”, “a room without books is like a body without a soul.”, “books are the mirrors of the soul.”, “literature is mostly about having sex and not much about having children. life is the other way round.”, “a book is like a garden in the pocket.”, "being locked in a bookshop is a sort of fantasy of mine. a night of quiet surrounded by words.", "a good bookshop is just a genteel black hole that knows how to read.", "bookstores are lonely forts, spilling light onto the sidewalk.".

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Bookshop Tours of Britain

By louise boland.

Published: 22/10/2020 ISBN: 9781912054473 Length:   320 RRP: £19.99 Format: Paperback

Based on her touring of bookshops, which she did over the three years since starting Fairlight, Louise Boland’s Bookshop Tours of Britain is a slow-travel guide, navigating bookshop to bookshop.

Across 18 bookshop tours, the reader journeys from the Jurassic Coast of southwest England, over the mountains of Wales, through England’s industrial heartland, up to the Scottish Highlands and back via Whitby, the Norfolk Broads, central London, the South Downs and Hardy’s Wessex. On their way, the tours visit beaches, castles, head down coal mines, go to whiskey distilleries, bird watching, hiking, canoeing, to stately homes and the houses of some of Britain’s best-loved historic writers – and last but not least, a host of fantastic bookshops.

Please share your tours on social media using #BookshopTours.

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Words leave imprints in your mind like footprints in the sand...

Bookshop Tours of Britain by Louise Boland

• Submitted: 17th November 2020

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Tour the Bookshops of Britain

This is a book all booklovers need. I do love a trail and a booktrail or two, of course, to see the places the author writes about and where the characters live, but imagine doing a tour of ALL THE BOOKSHOPS!

Louise Boland has put together a wonderful book full of hope and wonder in these troubled times and there are pictures and pictures of bookshops inside and out. Perfect for exploring now when the real life things are sadly shut.

Here’s the total list of the tours:

Booktrail the locations in Bookshop Tours of Britain

Travel around the country via bookshops.

Here’s the full and wonderful list…….

Scotland Tour – Scottish Borders Tour

NORTHERN ENGLAND TOUR

N E England Tour – Peak District Tour – England’s Industrial Heartland Tour I and II – Yorkshire Dales Tour – N W to E England Tour

South West England Coastal Tour  –  Bristol and Bath Tour  – Oxford and Cotswolds Tour –

South Wales Coastal Tour – Brecon Beacons, Malvern and Shropshire Hills country – North Wales Tour

SOUTHERN ENGLAND

South Downs Tour – Hardy’s Wessex Tour – Suffolk and Norfolk Coastal Tour

London – 3 tours and a Bookshop Bagging (G London & England tour)

It’s a wonderful book with delightful illustrations and photographs which are going to make you want to visit the bookshops you haven’t yet. And revisit the ones you have. We all know of that allure that a bookshop has and this book captures that magic and more.

There’s lot of literary snippets throughout too such as classic writers and information about settings. There’s a lovely bit about Thomas Hardy’s Wessex for example – a real allure for all fans of classic fiction.

(c) Forum Books

So who is the wonderful word wizard behind this book?

Louise Boland is the CEO of Fairlight Books and she got the idea for this book while touring the  bookshops, which she has done over the three years since starting Fairlight.

Fairlight Books logo

Just looking at this book reminded me of all the wonderful bookstores we have in the UK and why it’s so sad they  are closed now. As Forum Books in Northumberland says ‘There’s nothing quite like a real bookshop” and they’re right. This book shows you just why they are so magical and invaluable. Wouldn’t it be lovely if people bought this book as a gift for either themselves or another bookworm and thereby helped the very bookshops themselves to survive during lockdown.

This book captures the magic and wonder of everything that books are. Travelling around the country and seeing what delights can be found is the perfect bookish dream!

BookTrail Boarding Pass: Bookshop Tours of Britain

Twitter:  @FairlightBooks o ks  Web: www.fairlightbooks.co.uk/

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Bluestocking Books UK

What’s On

A perfect match – Book Garden popup and The Platform Cafe. A wide range of books and a green café in South London.

Open between 7-17 March, 2024. All books are at the same price, £3 each, with something for everyone, cash-free shop (card payments only).

Free paper crafts table at the pop-up. Follow @bookgardenpopup on Instagram for details and preview photos of books.

Thursdays 7 & 14 popup from 3-7pm

Fridays 8 & 15 popup from 3-7pm, saturdays 9 & 16 march, 11am to 5pm, sunday 10 & 17 march, noon-5pm.

Location SW9 7AH Nearby stations: Brixton, Denmark Hill & Loughborough Junction

Venue and food availabilty details visit The Platform Cafe

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email [email protected] for a tour request

 My passion is to  mostly   provide  exclusive private tours  –   ( I also love commissions – new tours are so exciting to research). 

I work also for corporate clients such as Deloitte, CBRE, DWS, Deutsche Bank, London BID teams, The City of London Corporation and the Guards Museum.

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Here is a list of some of my tours:

City of London

    Roman London Wall – London’s most ancient boundary marker defining the “Square Mile” dating back to around 200 AD, this is the extent of original Londonium. It can still be visited in many surprising places, including building basements, a car park, museum, underground stations and medieval churches.  Experience the might of the Romans in this far flung rainy outpost of the Empire.

Dickens tour – the evocative places from the man who invented Christmas

Ye Olde Pub tour

Heroes and Villains of the City

Harry Potter  – City of Magic tour with iconic film locations

Fleet Street Stroll – the Street of Shame

Fleet Street Apocalypse (A Radiohead inspired tour)

Wall to River- Aldgate to Tower

Roman City tour – the original Londinium, founded in 43 AD

Spooky City – a ghostly tour of the City of London

“Westward Ho!” – Guildhall to Blackfriars

Billingsgate Roman Bath House – a unique surviving private house with an astonishing extra bathhouse – who knew!

Coffee Houses history tour

Guildhall Art Gallery tour

Leadenhall Market Tour – meet Tom, Dick and Harry Potter

Guildhall interior

Corruption and Lies tour – history of financial crime in the City

Moorgate meander 

City of  Westminster

Covent Garden – Opera, aristocracy, crime, thievery and illicit pleasures

Sculpture Wars – statues have been attacked for millennia, Colston toppling is nothing new – a history of violence both political and surprisingly artistic.

Soho – Theatreland, the literary demi-monde and clashing cultural values

Royal Westminster tour

Harry Potter Magical Westminster tour with iconic film and book locations

Great Scotland Yard Hotel – the heart of Crime in the centre of Government

Spies and Secrets – A tour of Spy Central in London – Westminster and St James’ – learn your own tradecraft, brush shoulders with Bond and real life traitors

Victoria’s values – from Suffragettes to Slums, from MI6 to Monarchy  

National Gallery tour

Guards’ Museum tour

Bond Street – the Heart of Luxury

British Museum treasures tour

Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace

Fitzrovia – George Orwell, the Great Satan himself and banished revolutionary heroes.

Other Areas:

Kings Cross – stunning new developments against industrial heritage

Clerkenwell – a centre for protest and revolt, an ancient Order of St John and cutting edge modern architecture

Paddington – Brunel’s greatest station, the home of Paddington Bear, amazing bridges, SOE spies and much more

I also often provide volunteer tours at the Guildhall Art Gallery and for the Friends of City Churches Watcher scheme. 

Email [email protected]

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‘Forbidden Broadway’ Scraps Summer Broadway Run, Citing Crowded Season

The parody show was scheduled to begin performances in July at the Helen Hayes Theater.

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By Michael Paulson

In a sign that there are not enough investors and ticket buyers to sustain all of the Broadway shows now onstage and in the works, the producers of “Forbidden Broadway” said Friday that they were canceling a planned summer run.

The scrapped production, “ Forbidden Broadway on Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song ,” was announced in February and was to be the first Broadway venture for the satirical revue, which has been performed periodically since 1982, mostly Off Broadway but also on tour. The show, consisting of comedic sketches that parody Broadway hits (and misses), has been frequently rewritten to remain reasonably timely and topical; the Broadway run was to feature a number of Sondheim spoofs, reflecting the heightened interest in his work since his death.

In a statement, the producers, Ryan Bogner, Victoria Lang and Tracey Stroock McFarland , called the move a postponement, and cited the volume of offerings on Broadway — there are currently 36 shows running, 12 of which opened in a nine-day stretch before the Tony-eligibility season ended Thursday night.

“The Broadway landscape is enormously crowded at this moment,” the producers’ statement said, “and while we adore Forbidden Broadway, we are disappointed that the show will not open at the Hayes on Broadway this summer.”

The show, written by Gerard Alessandrini, was to begin previews July 15 and to open Aug. 5 at the Helen Hayes Theater, and was to be capitalized for $3.2 million, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. It is not clear if the producers had successfully raised all that money, and ticket sales, which began earlier this month, had been slow.

“Without getting into the details of the financials or sales, it is self evident by looking at the current offerings on Broadway and their sales that in this incredibly crowded environment without recent precedent, the title would not have been served by launching at this time,” the producers said in a written answer to questions about the show’s economics.

This is the second show to cancel a Broadway production this year; in February, the producers of a planned run of Rob Madge’s “My Son’s a Queer (But What Can You Do?)” announced that they were postponing that production less than three weeks before previews were to begin.

As for Madge, the performer is planning to take “My Son’s a Queer” back to the Edinburgh Fringe, this summer . But first, next month Madge is planning a show in London, reflecting on the Broadway disappointment. The title, of course, is “ Regards to Broadway .”

Michael Paulson is the theater reporter for The Times. More about Michael Paulson

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The Cult add extra London show to 2024 UK anniversary tour

It comes after the band announced a 40th-anniversary tour earlier this month

The Cult have added an extra London show to their upcoming anniversary tour. Check out ticket details below.

The announcement comes just days after the rock icons announced details of an upcoming UK tour for the end of 2024 – which will see them celebrate 40 years as a band.

Upcoming shows will be held in 10 cities across the country, and mark the milestone anniversary of Ian Astbury and co. coming together as we recognise them today – swapping their name from the original title ‘Death Cult’ into ‘The Cult’.

Now, following the initial date at London’s Royal Albert Hall selling out, the band have announced details of a second show in the UK capital, this time held at the Roundhouse venue in Camden.

The date is added as an extension to the original run of shows and will take place on Tuesday, November 5 – the day after the Royal Albert Hall gig. Tickets are available now and you can check out an updated itinerary for the UK shows below.

The Cult 2024 updated tour dates are:

OCTOBER 21 – Leicester, De Montfort Hall 22– Swansea, Swansea Arena  24 – Edinburgh, Usher Hall [SOLD OUT] 25 – Manchester, O2 Apollo 27 – Bristol, Beacon [LOW TICKETS]  29 – York, Barbican 30 – Newcastle, O2 City Hall      

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NOVEMBER: 1 – Portsmouth, Guildhall 2 – Wolverhampton, Civic Hall 4 – London, Royal Albert Hall [SOLD OUT] 5 – London, Roundhouse

The dates for 2024 come following a tour the band embarked on last year, celebrating 40 years since their first formation under the name ‘Death Cult’ .

Taking place around the UK, Ireland and the US, the tour was called ‘Death Cult 8323’ and saw Duffy and Astbury return to play iconic venues they previously performed in at the start of their career.

The live shows focused on Death Cult and their eponymous EPs, and also boasted a setlist that spanned “the three phases of the band, from Southern Death Cult, to Death Cult, and The Cult’s first two albums: ‘Dreamtime’ (1984) and ‘Love’ (1985).”

Announcing the new run of dates, guitarist Billy Duffy said: “Following up from the great energy of ‘Death Cult 8323’ shows, I’m looking forward to bringing that sense of celebration of the band’s music, and the communion with our fans, to ‘Cult 8424’… CFFC. Let the ceremony commence!”

More recently, Billy Duffy joined Johnny Marr on stage in Frome last summer to play tracks by The Smiths and Depeche Mode .

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Many airlines have 'stopover' programs that let travelers tour a city between connecting flights, and some will even pay for a hotel — here's how to book them

• Many people intentionally book flights with long connections so they can explore the layover city.
• Airlines capitalize on this trend with "stopover" programs, some even offering free hotels and food.
• These stopovers benefit travelers, airlines, and the carrier's home country by boosting tourism.

A special segment of adventurous travelers will purposely book itineraries with long connections in layover cities just to leave the airport and explore for a few hours or days between flights.

Airlines have jumped on this growing trend with built-in "stopover" programs, which can come with free or discounted hotels, excursions, transportation, and food at the layover destination.

It's basically a vacation within a vacation.

Although it sounds too good to be true, stopovers benefit everyone involved. Travelers get more choices and don't have to be confined to an airport, airlines gain customers who may have otherwise chosen a nonstop option on a competitor, and the carrier's home country sees a boost in tourism.

Plus, the cheap or complimentary accommodations typically come at a small cost to airlines, thanks to partnerships with local hotels or tour companies.

Not all stopover programs are structured with an emphasis on tourism, though, as some were created simply to offer conveniences during long layovers. Still, they are a way to secure a free hotel and explore an extra city.

Here are 22 global airline stopover programs, each lasting anywhere from hours to months.

Many carriers allow stopovers to be added to a regular cash booking, but some are only available via award tickets . This means the flight was paid for using points/miles or a combination of points/miles and cash.

Air Canada has a stopover option built into its Aeroplan loyalty program. It allows customers booking award flights to add a stop on international journeys and explore practically any city the airline flies to outside the US and Canada.

The add-on costs 5,000 Aeroplan points each way and can only be booked if the stop is at least 24 hours, capping out at 45 days.

Air France/KLM

Air France and Dutch carrier KLM's Flying Blue loyalty program offers a stopover of 24 hours or more in a connecting city on either carrier or their airline partners.

The option is free to add to award tickets, and passengers can stay up to a year in the stopover city.

China Southern Airlines

China Southern Airlines offers a free one-night hotel stay for transfer passengers with connection times lasting between six and 30 hours, though there are some time and route restrictions.

Breakfast and transportation are included for eligible travelers.

Copa Airlines

Copa Airlines' Panama stopover program allows customers to spend anywhere from 24 hours to seven days in the nation's capital, Panama City, on their outbound or return trip.

The option is free for the first stopover, but a second stopover can cost up to $250 plus taxes. Copa offers discounted hotels and tours that can be booked via its stopover website.

Emirates allows a stopover in Dubai with the option to add discounted tours or hotel bookings to the itinerary via its website.

The UAE carrier also has a " Dubai Connect " program that gives passengers with layovers between 6 and 26 hours, depending on the cabin, a complimentary hotel, transfers, meals, and any needed visa.

Dubai Connect only triggers if the customer takes the next available flight. Essentially, you can't intentionally book a longer layover to quality for the free stopover hotel.

Ethiopian Airlines

Ethiopian Airlines' transit program gives customers flying via Addis Ababa a free hotel, transit visa, and transfers during layovers lasting between eight and 24 hours.

The hotel on the airline's website is the Ethiopian Skylight In-Terminal Hotel, located inside the airport.

Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways offers a stopover in its Abu Dhabi hub, which comes with an undisclosed discount at select three-star hotels for up to two nights.

Two and four-night stays can be booked at more luxurious four and five-star hotels at a 40% discount. The minimum stay is 24 hours.

Although Etihad's website says it is temporarily unavailable, the airline used to allow eligible travelers to use a so-called Transit Connect Package that provided a free hotel near the airport for layovers lasting 10 to 24 hours. It is unclear when or if the program is returning.

Fiji Airways

Fiji Airways offers a stopover program in Fiji for those traveling to and from Australia, New Zealand, and other South Pacific nations.

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Hotels and activities like ziplining and beach resorts can be booked through the airline as part of the stopover package.

Finnair allows passengers to book 6, 12, or 24-hour layovers in Helsinki at no additional fare charge and outlines itinerary ideas and information on its website , like transportation, free walking tours, and restaurants.

Customers can book a hotel through the airline and earn Finnair Plus points.

Iberia customers can plan a stopover in Madrid to or from an international destination for one to six nights at no extra cost.

Discounts on hotels, excursions, and transfers in the Spanish capital are available through Iberia.

Icelandair offers a stopover option for one to seven days in its capital city of Reykjavik on transatlantic itineraries for no additional charge.

The airline offers itinerary help and assistance in booking excursions and tours. Hotels need to be booked separately.

Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines considers itself one of the "most stopover -friendly" carriers in the world.

The stopovers, which trigger at 24 hours, are not limited to JAL's hubs in Tokyo but can be enjoyed in places like Osaka and Kyoto using the airline's multi-city booking tool.

Latam Airlines

Latam Airlines offers stopovers for between one and three days on flights that connect in São Paulo, Brasilia, Fortaleza, Recife, Manaus, Curitiba, and Belem. Only international itineraries that connect in São Paulo.

Hotels and amenities can be booked via Latam, but the stopover booking is free.

Oman Air offers customizable stopover packages to give travelers time to explore the country's capital, Muscat, and beyond. An additional fare charge may be applicable, though the airline does not fly to the US.

Packages and a-la-carte options include discounted hotels for up to three nights, as well as organized tours, meals, and transfers.

Australian flag carrier Qantas offers its stopovers in a similar manner to JAL in that multi-city bookings can be manipulated to add extra days between flights in layover cities, like Bangkok, Osaka, or San Francisco.

This comes at no extra cost on eligible Qantas fares and can be used on its Oneworld partner airlines.

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways' stopover program allows passengers with a minimum layover of 12 hours and up to 24 hours to choose from a list of deeply discounted four and five-star hotels. Certain flight itineraries allow for up to four nights.

Nightly hotel rates start at $14 per person for 1 night at four-star standard hotels, with premium five-star beach hotels starting at $30 per person for one night.

Royal Jordanian Airlines

Royal Jordanian Airlines' transit program gives economy and business-class travelers with at least eight and six-hour layovers, respectively, a free hotel room, meals, and transit, assuming certain fare conditions are met.

However, the connecting flight must be the earliest possible — meaning, similar to Emirates, passengers can't intentionally book a longer layover to be eligible for the complimentary perks.

Swiss International Air Lines

Swiss International Air Lines, or SWISS, has a multi-city stopover booking tool on its website that allows passengers to find itineraries with extra days in Switzerland.

The cost of hotels and other perks is on the customer, though.

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines' stopover program is available via the multi-city tool, similar to other carriers, where travelers can add hotels, transfers, and activities. The stopover can last one to seven days.

Singapore also offers free transit tours to passengers with layover times between five and a half and 24 hours at Singapore's Changi Airport. It's first-come, first-serve and includes sightseeing around Singapore.

TAP Air Portugal

TAP Air Portugal allows customers to add a stopover in Lisbon or Porto between one and 10 days, offering discounts on hotels, food, and activities.

It also offers 25% off a domestic flight to a second Portuguese destination, like the Azores or Madeira islands, to take during the stopover.

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines' stopover program gives economy travelers a one-night free hotel stay and business flyers a two-night free stay if the period between their connecting flights in Istanbul exceeds 20 hours.

Those traveling from the US in economy class can stay up to two nights in a four-star hotel, while those traveling in business can stay up to three nights in a five-star hotel.

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