Behind every great book, there's a backstory

All Christmas picks
Signed copies & personalised books
Subscriptions

On the front table

View all
Flesh-9780224099783
Flesh by David Szalay
£18.99
Thirsty: 100 Great Wines and Stories by Tom Gilbey - signed & dedicated. Dispatches 5th December.
Thirsty: 100 Great Wines and Stories by Tom Gilbey - signed & dedicated. Dispatches 5th December.
£20.00
Eat Like a Sardinian: Live to 100 by Francesco Mattana - signed and dedicated edition. Dispatches 28th May
Eat Like a Sardinian: Live to 100 by Francesco Mattana - signed and dedicated edition. Dispatches 28th May
£22.00
SIGNED & DEDICATED Private Eye Annual 2025, signed by Ian Hislop - DISPATCHES 5TH DECEMBER
SIGNED & DEDICATED Private Eye Annual 2025, signed by Ian Hislop - DISPATCHES 5TH DECEMBER
£12.99
So Good Express by Emily English - signed and dedicated edition. Dispatches 7th May 2026
So Good Express by Emily English - signed and dedicated edition. Dispatches 7th May 2026
£25.00
Introducing Mrs Collins by Rachel Parris - signed and dedicated edition. DISPATCHES EARLY DECEMBER, pre-Christmas
Introducing Mrs Collins by Rachel Parris - signed and dedicated edition. DISPATCHES EARLY DECEMBER, pre-Christmas
£18.99

Novel of the year

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan

This engrossing story of two families and one long-buried secret had us all rapt.

Buy now

Your Christmas Gifts

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler
Fiction
Daughters of the Bamboo Grove : China's Stolen Children and a Story of Separated Twins-9781783787227
Non-Fiction
Letters to a Monster : A monstrously funny picture book for ages 3+-9781526615817
Kids
The Pub : Wit, wisdom & weirdness on Britain's best-loved establishment-9781529935684
Food & Drink
An Opinionated Guide to London Walks-9781914314933
Stocking Fillers

Our latest bestsellers

View all
The Wedding People : The hilarious and moving million-copy bestseller-9781399622752
The Wedding People : The hilarious and moving million-copy bestseller by Alison Espach
£9.99
The Safekeep-9780241999776
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
£9.99
The Finest Hotel in Kabul : A People's History of Afghanistan-9781529151022
The Finest Hotel in Kabul : A People's History of Afghanistan by Lyse Doucet
£25.00
You Are Here : The Instant Number 1 Sunday Times Bestseller, from the author of One Day-9781444715460
You Are Here : The Instant Number 1 Sunday Times Bestseller, from the author of One Day by David Nicholls
£9.99
So Thrilled For You : the conversation-starting, smart, funny new book club novel from the bestselling author - this is the book for every woman you know-9781529301687
So Thrilled For You : the conversation-starting, smart, funny new book club novel from the bestselling author - this is the book for every woman you know by Holly Bourne
£9.99
The Impossible Fortune-9780241743980
The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman
£22.00
The Compendium of (Not Quite) Everything : by the Sunday Times #1 Bestselling Author by Jonn Elledge
The Compendium of (Not Quite) Everything : by the Sunday Times #1 Bestselling Author by Jonn Elledge
£16.99
There are Rivers in the Sky-9780241988749
There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak
£9.99
The Two Roberts by Damian Barr
The Two Roberts by Damian Barr
£18.99
The Tainted Cup : an exceptional fantasy mystery with a classic detective duo-9781399725354
The Tainted Cup : an exceptional fantasy mystery with a classic detective duo by Robert Jackson Bennett
£22.00
The Unwilding by Marina Kemp
The Unwilding by Marina Kemp
£9.99
The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller
The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller
£10.99

Upcoming events

View all
17th November, 7.30pm - An Evening with the Guardian Long Read
17th November, 7.30pm - An Evening with the Guardian Long Read
From £15.00
18th November, 7:30pm - Alayo Akinkugbe, Reframing Blackness
18th November, 7:30pm - Alayo Akinkugbe, Reframing Blackness
From £15.00
25th November, 7:30pm - Tharik Hussain, Muslim Europe
25th November, 7:30pm - Tharik Hussain, Muslim Europe
From £15.00
1st December, 7:30pm - Mark Diacono, Abundance
1st December, 7:30pm - Mark Diacono, Abundance
From £15.00

Join our club

Be the first to hear about our latest events, receive curated book recommendations and our very popular Overheard at Backstory newsletter.

Booker Prize shortlist

View all
Flesh-9780224099783
Flesh by David Szalay
£18.99
The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller
The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller
£10.99
Flashlight by Susan Choi
Flashlight by Susan Choi
£20.00
The Rest of Our Lives by Benjamin Markovits
The Rest of Our Lives by Benjamin Markovits
£9.99
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai
£25.00
Audition-9781911717324
Audition by Katie Kitamura
£18.99

Beautiful Penguin clothbounds

View all
War And Peace-9780241265543
War And Peace by Orlando Figes
£25.00
Persuasion-9780141197692
Persuasion by Jane Austen
£16.99
Around the World in Eighty Days-9780241468654
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
£16.99
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde-9780241552681
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
£16.99
The Little Prince : And Letter to a Hostage-9780241508664
The Little Prince : And Letter to a Hostage by T V F Cuffe
£14.99
The War of the Worlds-9780241382707
The War of the Worlds by Brian Aldiss
£16.99
Great Expectations-9780141040363
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
£16.99
Grimm Tales : For Young and Old-9780241472729
Grimm Tales : For Young and Old by Philip Pullman
£20.00
Animal Farm-9780241453865
Animal Farm by George Orwell
£14.99
The Odyssey-9780141192444
The Odyssey by D.C.H. Rieu
£16.99
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes-9780241347782
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
£18.99
Nineteen Eighty-Four-9780241453513
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
£16.99