ARTS & CULTURE
Li terary London
EXPLORING THE CAPITAL’S INDEPENDENT BOOKSHOPS
Have you heard the buzz around
bookshops? At recent count there are 867 independent bookshops in the UK, each thriving in competitive times by offering a unique at- mosphere, selection of books and specialist advice. Print is on the ascendant. With small pub- lishers producing beautifully de- signed and written books, while booksellers offer events, art shows and even cocktails. There is a whole host of reasons to visit bookshops, from making meaningful connections in your community and exploring new areas when visiting other towns and cities. To get you started, here is a sampling from London for residents and visitors.
Travel back in time by visiting the row of booksellers in Cecil Court, a quiet lane around the corner from Leicester Square Station. The Gascoyne Cecil family of Hatfield House in Hertfordshire developed the street in the 18th century, and
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the shops today are tenants of the same family. Harry Potter tour guides tout Cecil Court as “the inspiration for Diagon Alley.” Marchpane takes you through the looking glass, owner Kenneth Fuller spe- cialises in antiquarian illustrated children’s books and is the au- thority on Lewis Carroll’s Alice books. He offers authentic punk memorabilia for sale and dis- plays two Daleks, so well worth a visit to this tiny quintessen- tially British establishment. Be sure to stop in Watkins Books, the oldest esoteric shop in London, opened here in 1901 when London society was fascinated by the occult and ancient Egypt. Watkins is a mind, body and spirit bookshop with relaxing ambiance, knowl- edgeable staff and a wide range of new books. Spend an after- noon visiting the remaining eight bookshops of Cecil Court, specialis- ing in modern literature, art, music, travel and more.
Beauty and innovative organisa- FOCUS The Magazine 15
Iconic booksellers in film and TV
84, Charing Cross Road, is a collection of the droll correspondence between a London bookseller Frank Doel and American author Helene Hanff. First published in 1970, the book has been adapted many times, most famously as a 1987 film with Anthony Hopkins and Anne Bancroft. In the comedy television series Black Books (2000-2004), Dylan Moran plays hilariously unpleasant bookseller Bernard Black. Co-starring Tamsin Greig and Bill Bailey, Black Books is part of the national consciousness.
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