My Trip to England in Seven Bookshops
Let's make every day Independent Bookstore Day – all over the world!
—Traveling through books at Mr B’s Emporium in Bath, England.
Sometimes, when I’m trying to find a place for a newly arrived book in my tiny house in Amalfi, I’m tempted to think that perhaps I might have too many books. Earlier this morning, however, I looked around and realized that books really are my life. Between being a passionate reader and a writer, books are my life – my whole life. One simply can’t have too much life.
It will come as no surprise then that books often find their way into my travels as well. While you can truly travel the world in a bookshop, there’s something I deeply love about traveling the world to go to a bookshop. It’s one of life’s quietest adventures.
Earlier this month I went on just such a book-inspired adventure with a trip to Bath and London that was sparked by the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth in 1775. In addition to the Austen connections, Bath and the Somerset area have been on my radar for the past year in particular thanks to two very special bookshops. London—always my favorite city—has some of the best bookshops that I always look forward to seeing on every visit. Plus, I had planned to go to a very special literary event at a bookshop that has long been on my London list.
While preparing for the trip to England, I came across a sweet song called “My Life in Seven Bookshops” by Samantha Whates and M G Boulter.
While summing up my life so far in only seven bookshops would be impossible, I realized that without planning it I ended up going to seven bookshops while in England – each one oh so special in its own way. So, to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day today—although an American thing but bookshops know no boundaries—I thought it would be fun to share my trip to England in seven bookshops. Let’s make every day Independent Bookstore Day – all over the world!
1 - Persephone Books, Bath
—Beautful Persephone Books in Bath, England.
If a bookshop could launch a thousand ships, it would surely be Persephone Books. Well, at the very least, it brought me to Bath! I wish I could recall exactly when I first came across this remarkable publisher and bookshop, but I believe it was last summer while I was looking for books by Willa Cather’s lifelong friend Dorothy Canfield Fisher. That led me to Persephone Books, founded in 1999 by Nicola Beauman and dedicated to republishing—in a lovely and distinctive way—neglected and forgotten books written primarily by women. Be still my heart.
While I’m sometimes quite shy in bookshops, there was something so friendly and welcoming about Persephone. I ended up chatting with Fran, daughter of the bookshop’s founder, who graciously helped me pick out which Dorothy Canfield Fisher book to start with – The Home-Maker. (Yes, she’s read every book they publish!) Given my interest in Cather, she also suggested Fidelity by another midwest writer, the Iowa-born Susan Glaspell.
I had also wanted to get a book for a friend who likes true crime and mystery stories, but had forgotten where I saved the name. All I had to go on for Fran was: “You shared once in a newsletter or on Instagram about a book that was an amazing psychological thriller of its time … and that’s all I can remember right now.” It took her only a split second to mention three titles and less than a minute to help me find exactly the one I was looking for. (I can’t tell you what it is though because the gift hasn’t been given yet!) But that, that right there, is what independent bookshops are all about.
Even if you can’t make it to Bath, you can sign up for The Persephone Letter, a monthly newsletter that is full of the most unexpected reading inspiration.
Persephone Books
8 Edgar Buildings, Bath
www.persephonebooks.co.uk
Instagram: @persephonebooks
2 - Mr. B’s Emporium of Reading Delights, Bath
—The warm glow of Bath stone on a sunny day.
Bonus points already for the fun name, right? Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights came recommended by a friend who visited last summer, and it did not disappoint. Founded in 2006, this multi-level labyrinth of books has twice been picked as the UK's best independent bookshop and was listed in 2015 by the Guardian as one of the 10 best bookshops in the world. But, besides the recommendation and awards, I also wanted to visit this bookshop because of a song. One of my favorite songs about books was written by a band founded at Mr B’s - aptly named The Bookshop Band.
“There’s a story waiting inside
Behind the door, as it opens wide
And I wander in, hoping to find something
As they tell the stories we know
And those we don’t are waiting to be held,
And taken home …”
Does every bookshop need a song? Yes, absolutely, and I’m so pleased to have been able to visit the one that inspired this one. 🎶
Mr. B’s Emporium
14-15 John Street, Bath
www.mrbsemporium.com
Instagram: @mrbsemporium
3 - Topping & Company Booksellers, Bath
Besides being curious about its location in the historic Meeting House between the Bath Abbey and Roman Baths, Topping & Company Booksellers was on my list while in Bath because I was sorry to have missed their bookstore in Edinburgh last November. While they have many locations (Bath, Edinburgh, Ely, St Andrews), this independent bookstore was founded in Ely and has been in Bath since 2008. Also, it was the first shop I visited on my recent trip since they’re open past the usual shop closing time of 5:30 or 6pm in Bath … very nice!
—Lovely Jane Austen themed table at Topping & Company in Bath.
With the Jane Austen theme of my trip, I couldn’t resist picking up the slim—and very portable while traveling—copy of Love and Freindship (yes, that’s not a typo), a funny little book Austen wrote as a teenager. It was a silly but enjoyable read!
Topping & Company Booksellers in Bath
York Street, Bath (near the Abbey)
www.toppingbooks.co.uk
Instagram: @toppingsbath
4 - Sherlock & Pages, Frome
The beautiful and surprising side of Instagram brought Sherlock & Pages from the small town of Frome in Somerset into my life. Opened in 2023 by Luke Sherlock and Agathe Cavicchioli in a lovely little spot at the base of the impossibly charming Catherine Hill, Sherlock & Pages is a conservation-themed bookshop with a very enjoyable and inspiring social media presence. For Christmas, I ordered myself a copy of Nature Writing for Every Day of the Year from Sherlock & Pages – after they shared about it online.
Just for this one book alone, Sherlock & Pages will always have a special place in my heart. It has became a new morning ritual and has brought so many new voices into my life. (Including an unexpected rabbit hole into George Eliot’s time on the Amalfi Coast early yesterday morning!) So, of course, since I was so close to Frome, I had to make a visit while in Bath (only about 15 miles away). Highly recommend!
The town itself is beautiful, with so many independent shops and artist studios. Luke had been very kind to recommend lunch at Rye Bakery Cafe, located in a former 19th century church, which was one of the best meals I’ve had in a very long time. Well-fueled, I enjoyed a good browse at Sherlock & Pages, and picked up the book I’m currently reading - Square Haunting: Five Women, Freedom and London Between the Wars by Francesca Wade. (Just shared about it here.)
A special thank you to Sherlock & Pages for the continued inspiration. Long live the independent bookshops!
Sherlock & Pages
2 Catherine Hill, Frome
www.sherlockandpages.com
Instagram: @sherlockandpages
5 - Winstone's Hunting Raven Books + The Frome Bookshop, Frome
This is a two-for-one … but who doesn’t love a bonus bookshop? Winstone's Hunting Raven Books is a lovely and welcoming bookshop located on historic Cheap Street. This is the only street in England with an open aqueduct, called a leat, running down the center. (You can spot it in the photo above on the left.) I wanted to spend more time in this bookshop, but the street was so charming that I actually spent more time looking at it from a coffee shop just opposite.
Winstone's Hunting Raven Books
9-10 Cheap St, Frome
www.shop.winstonebooks.co.uk
Cheap Street ends at King Street and that’s exactly where you’ll find The Frome Bookshop. This antiquarian and second-hand bookshop had a great selection. I’m still thinking of a beautiful copy of James Whiteside’s Italy: In the Nineteenth Century published in 1860. I hadn’t come across that before, but I’m still wishing I had more time to take a closer look at it.
The Frome Bookshop
18 King Street, Frome
www.thefromebookshop.co.uk
6 - Hatchards, London
All too soon it was time to leave Somerset and head to London. For a book lover, any trip to London isn’t complete without a visit to Hatchards. Founded in 1797, it’s London’s oldest bookshop, and has a long and inspired history. Spread out over 5 levels, it’s a wonderful literary escape on Piccadilly. How could one not fall for a bookshop with an entire section dedicated to P. G. Wodehouse? At the heart of the store is a spiral staircase, and while admiring the Wodehouse, a group of young kids went dashing up the stairs yelling, “Books books books books!” Same kids, I thought, hard same.
If you love travel writing, or need a good guidebook, head downstairs at Hatchards for a real treat. They have a huge travel section! Last year, after an all too quick visit, a friend asked if I had looked to see if my book was there. I hadn’t! So, of course, I had to go back again. It was quite an experience signing a copy of Moon Amalfi Coast with Capri, Naples & Pompeii in London’s oldest bookshop. There may have been an unfortunate happy dance. (Thankfully without any photographic evidence …)
Hatchards
187 Piccadilly, London
www.hatchards.co.uk
Instagram: @hatchardspiccadilly
7 - The London Review Bookshop, London
The final bookstore of the trip was a very special one. While I’ve ordered online from the London Review Bookshop, I hadn’t ever been to their shop in Bloomsbury. This was a unique visit, because I was able to get tickets to hear Edmund de Waal speak with Laura Beatty about her latest story Pear Trees published by Hazel Press. It’s not every day you can pop into a bookshop and hear one of your favorite authors speak!
—Edmund de Waal in discussion with Laura Beatty at the London Revew Bookshop.
An incredible artist, potter, and writer, de Waal’s books The Hare with Amber Eyes and Letters to Camondo are among the books that have moved me the most in my life. There are lines from both that have changed me. (He also shares many beautiful things on Instagram.) The discussion was broad but also very grounded in Beatty’s experience, and I still have a lot to unpack from what she shared about writing short fiction. Pear Trees is an excellent short read that reminded me—in the best of ways—of Eudora Welty’s short stories. I now have two more books by Beatty on my TBR pile, and I’m looking forward to reading them this summer.
The London Review Bookshop
14-16 Bury Place, London
www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk
Instagram: @lrbbookshop
Support Independent Bookshops!
—Inspired sign at Sherlock & Pages in Frome.
I hope, even if only in a small way, this ode to independent bookshops inspires you to not just celebrate Independent Bookstore Day today—April 26th, 2025—but also to find a way to make supporting your local bookshops something you do throughout the year. If you don’t have any indie bookshops near you, check out Bookshop.org, which supports local, independent bookshops and booksellers in the US. (There’s a UK version, too.) They’re even offering free shipping this weekend!
So get out there (or stay in your PJs at home) and support your local bookstores this weekend. Let’s give Amazon a hefty kick in the pantaloons. And please tell me about your favorite indie bookshops. Maybe I’ll travel there next! 📚
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I'm going to London next week. Thanks for this. Daunt Bookstore is on my list! Love London's still-lively book world. ciao!
There's nothing more welcoming to me ini a city or town than a wonderful bookshop. It lets me know immediately that I'm among kindred spirits. This was such a lovely post.