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We hand-pick books tailored to the recipient, based on questions about authors and genres they love and loathe.

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Our books of the year

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The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
£16.99
Maurice and Maralyn by Sophie Elmhirst
Maurice and Maralyn by Sophie Elmhirst
£18.99
Intermezzo-9780571365463
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
£20.00
Evenings and Weekends by Oisin McKenna
Evenings and Weekends by Oisin McKenna
£16.99
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
£9.99
Caledonian Road : The Sunday Times bestseller-9780571381357
Caledonian Road : The Sunday Times bestseller by Andrew O'Hagan
£20.00
Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon
Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon
£16.99
You Are Here by David Nicholls
You Are Here by David Nicholls
£20.00

Our book of the month

The Barn by Wright Thompson

Even though Wright Thompson grew up just a few miles from where 14-year-old Emmett Till was lynched in 1955, he was never taught about one of the Deep South's most notorious racist killings. In this extraordinary book, Thompson - one of Tom's favourite writers - returns to the scene of the crime to unearth the murky past, and present, of America's original sin.

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Upcoming events

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SOLD OUT 13th November - Madhumita Murgia, Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI
SOLD OUT 13th November - Madhumita Murgia, Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI
From £15.00
SOLD OUT 20th November - Jonn Elledge, A History of the World in 47 Borders
SOLD OUT 20th November - Jonn Elledge, A History of the World in 47 Borders
From £15.00
22nd November - Winter Session, Alex Cambridge
22nd November - Winter Session, Alex Cambridge
£5.00
SOLD OUT 28th November - Tim Shipman, Out
SOLD OUT 28th November - Tim Shipman, Out
From £15.00
4th December - Dan Keeling, Who's Afraid of Romanée Conti
4th December - Dan Keeling, Who's Afraid of Romanée Conti
From £15.00
SOLD OUT 5th December - Jay Rayner, Nights Out At Home
SOLD OUT 5th December - Jay Rayner, Nights Out At Home
From £15.00
6th December - Winter Session, HerOrangeCoat
6th December - Winter Session, HerOrangeCoat
£5.00
20th December - Winter Session, Average Ginger
20th December - Winter Session, Average Ginger
£5.00

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Give the gift of Backstory and let your loved one choose their own haul of books with book vouchers. We can post them to you or straight to the recipient with a message of your choice, or you can collect from the shop.

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Recommendations from our booksellers

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Celebrating Black Authors

Celebrating Black Authors

October Round-Up

October Round-Up

Indie Books At Our Indie Bookshop

Indie Books At Our Indie Bookshop

Tom's free newsletter

Confessions of a journalist-turned-bookseller, in your inbox every Sunday

Backstory bestsellers

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The Backstory subscriptionThe Backstory subscription
The Backstory subscription
From £45.00
Evenings and Weekends by Oisin McKenna
Evenings and Weekends by Oisin McKenna
£16.99
Butter by Asako Yuzuki
Butter by Asako Yuzuki
£14.99
Damascus Station : 'The Best Spy Thriller of the Year' THE TIMES-9781800752696
Damascus Station : 'The Best Spy Thriller of the Year' THE TIMES by David McCloskey
£9.99
Yellowface-9780008532772
Yellowface by Rebecca F Kuang
£9.99
Kala by Colin Walsh
Kala by Colin Walsh
£9.99
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
£9.99
Murder on Lake Garda-9781804942369
Murder on Lake Garda by Tom Hindle
£9.99
Brotherless Night : 'Blazingly brilliant' CELESTE NG-9780241997673
Brotherless Night : 'Blazingly brilliant' CELESTE NG by V.V. Ganeshananthan
£9.99
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
£16.99
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow : Treat yourself to the Sunday Times #1 bestseller this New Year-9781529115543
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow : Treat yourself to the Sunday Times #1 bestseller this New Year by Gabrielle Zevin
£9.99
Demon Copperhead : Winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction-9780571376483
Demon Copperhead : Winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction by Barbara Kingsolver
£9.99
Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
£16.99
Backstory magazine - issue 2
Backstory magazine - issue 2
£6.95
In Memoriam : THE TOP FIVE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER-9780241567838
In Memoriam : THE TOP FIVE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER by Alice Winn
£9.99
The Bee Sting-9780241984406
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
£9.99
Caledonian Road : The Sunday Times bestseller-9780571381357
Caledonian Road : The Sunday Times bestseller by Andrew O'Hagan
£20.00
Milk Teeth-9781473682825
Milk Teeth by Jessica Andrews
£9.99
The Satsuma Complex-9781398521230
The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer
£8.99
Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey
Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey
£9.99
Strong Female Character : Nero Book Awards Winner-9781914240478
Strong Female Character : Nero Book Awards Winner by Fern Brady
£10.99
Kairos : Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize-9781783786138
Kairos : Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize by Michael Hofmann
£9.99
In Ascension : Longlisted for The Booker Prize 2023 by Martin MacInnes
In Ascension : Longlisted for The Booker Prize 2023 by Martin MacInnes
£9.99
The List-9780008544539
The List by Yomi Adegoke
£9.99
Monsters : What Do We Do with Great Art by Bad People? by Claire Dederer
Monsters : What Do We Do with Great Art by Bad People? by Claire Dederer
£10.99

Tom's picks

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At Swim, Two Boys-9780743207140
At Swim, Two Boys by Jamie O'Neill
£9.99
This is Europe : The Way We Live Now-9781447276265
This is Europe : The Way We Live Now by Ben Judah
£12.99
Ordinary Human Failings : The compulsive new novel from the author of Acts of Desperation-9781787332508
Ordinary Human Failings : The compulsive new novel from the author of Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan
£16.99
A Waiter in Paris : Adventures in the Dark Heart of the City-9781800960206
A Waiter in Paris : Adventures in the Dark Heart of the City by Edward Chisholm
£10.99
Young Mungo : The No. 1 Sunday Times Bestseller-9781529068764
Young Mungo : The No. 1 Sunday Times Bestseller by Douglas Stuart
£16.99
A Place Apart : Northern Ireland in the 1970s-9781780600116
A Place Apart : Northern Ireland in the 1970s by Dervla Murphy
£13.99
Backstory vouchersBackstory vouchers
Backstory vouchers
From £10.00
Brideshead Revisited : The Sacred and Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder-9780241472736
Brideshead Revisited : The Sacred and Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder by Evelyn Waugh
£8.99
Call Me By Your Name-9781786495259
Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman
£9.99
Capital-9780571234622
Capital by John Lanchester
£10.99
Cleanness-9781509874675
Cleanness by Garth Greenwell
£9.99
Conclave : Soon to be a major film-9781784751838
Conclave : Soon to be a major film by Robert Harris
£9.99
Dancer from the Dance-9781529110760
Dancer from the Dance by Andrew Holleran
£9.99
Foster : by the Booker-shortlisted author of Small Things Like These-9780571379149
Foster : by the Booker-shortlisted author of Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
£8.99
Hot Milk-9780241968031
Hot Milk by Deborah Levy
£9.99
Little Faith-9780571351114
Little Faith by Nickolas Butler
£8.99
Lucy by the Sea : From the Booker-shortlisted author of Oh William!-9780241607008
Lucy by the Sea : From the Booker-shortlisted author of Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout
£9.99
Milk Teeth-9781473682825
Milk Teeth by Jessica Andrews
£9.99
Milkman : WINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2018-9780571338757
Milkman : WINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2018 by Anna Burns
£9.99
Normal People : One million copies sold-9780571334650
Normal People : One million copies sold by Sally Rooney
£9.99
Notes on Grief-9780008470302
Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
£10.00
NW-9780141036595
NW by Zadie Smith
£9.99
Saltwater: Winner of the Portico Prize-9781473682801
Saltwater: Winner of the Portico Prize by Jessica Andrews
£9.99
Say Nothing : A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland-9780008159269
Say Nothing : A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe
£10.99

Savannah's Picks

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Demon Copperhead : Winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction-9780571376483
Demon Copperhead : Winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction by Barbara Kingsolver
£9.99
Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon
Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon
£16.99
Piranesi : WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE 2021-9781526622433
Piranesi : WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE 2021 by Susanna Clarke
£8.99
In the Dream House : Winner of The Rathbones Folio Prize 2021-9781788162258
In the Dream House : Winner of The Rathbones Folio Prize 2021 by Carmen Maria Machado
£10.99
In Ascension : Longlisted for The Booker Prize 2023 by Martin MacInnes
In Ascension : Longlisted for The Booker Prize 2023 by Martin MacInnes
£9.99
Drive your Plow over the Bones of the Dead-9781910695715
Drive your Plow over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
£12.99
The Right to Sex : Shortlisted for the Orwell Prize 2022-9781526612540
The Right to Sex : Shortlisted for the Orwell Prize 2022 by Amia Srinivasan
£9.99
Cloud Cuckoo Land-9780008478674
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
£10.99
In: The Graphic Novel-9781529316117
In: The Graphic Novel by Will McPhail
£22.00
A Day of Fallen Night-9781526619792
A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon
£18.99
The Grapes Of Wrath-9781857151541
The Grapes Of Wrath by John Steinbeck
£14.99
What You Can See From Here : 'A clear-eyed tonic in troubled times' (Guardian)-9781526638540
What You Can See From Here : 'A clear-eyed tonic in troubled times' (Guardian) by Mariana Leky
£8.99

Denise's picks

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Romantic Comedy : The bestselling Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick by the author of RODHAM and AMERICAN WIFE-9780857527493
Romantic Comedy : The bestselling Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick by the author of RODHAM and AMERICAN WIFE by Curtis Sittenfeld
£16.99
Where'd You Go, Bernadette-9781780221243
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
£8.99
Ordinary Time-9781474621175
Ordinary Time by Cathy Rentzenbrink
£20.00
A Bit of a Stretch : The Diaries of a Prisoner-9781838950170
A Bit of a Stretch : The Diaries of a Prisoner by Chris Atkins
£10.99
The Past : 'Poetic, tender and full of wry humour. A delight.' - Sunday Mirror-9780099597469
The Past : 'Poetic, tender and full of wry humour. A delight.' - Sunday Mirror by Tessa Hadley
£9.99
Mr Wilder and Me : `A love letter to the spirit of cinema' Guardian-9780241989715
Mr Wilder and Me : `A love letter to the spirit of cinema' Guardian by Jonathan Coe
£8.99
Standard Deviation-9780008105532
Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny
£9.99
Great Circle : The soaring and emotional novel shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2022 and shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2021-9781529176643
Great Circle : The soaring and emotional novel shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2022 and shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2021 by Maggie Shipstead
£9.99
American Wife : The acclaimed word-of-mouth bestseller-9780552775540
American Wife : The acclaimed word-of-mouth bestseller by Curtis Sittenfeld
£9.99
Magpie Murders : The Sunday Times bestseller now on BBC iPlayer-9781409158387
Magpie Murders : The Sunday Times bestseller now on BBC iPlayer by Anthony Horowitz
£9.99
Dear Reader : The Comfort and Joy of Books-9781509891559
Dear Reader : The Comfort and Joy of Books by Cathy Rentzenbrink
£9.99
Unsettled Ground : Winner of the Costa Novel Award 2021-9780241457467
Unsettled Ground : Winner of the Costa Novel Award 2021 by Claire Fuller
£9.99

Join the book clubs that meet with the author

We run two book clubs that meet monthly on Zoom, for fiction and non-fiction. The best thing about them is that the author herself attends each session.

NEXT UP
Fiction book club: GAMES AND RITUALS by KATHERINE HEINY
Non-fiction book club: THE POISON LINE by CARA MCGOOGAN

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Darby's picks

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The Fifth Season : The Broken Earth, Book 1, WINNER OF THE HUGO AWARD-9780356508191
The Fifth Season : The Broken Earth, Book 1, WINNER OF THE HUGO AWARD by N.K. Jemisin
£9.99
Whale Fall-9781035024728
Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor
£14.99
The Last Sane Woman by Hannah Regel
The Last Sane Woman by Hannah Regel
£10.99
Dept. of Speculation-9781847088741
Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill
£8.99
Piranesi : WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE 2021-9781526622433
Piranesi : WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE 2021 by Susanna Clarke
£8.99
Wintering : The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times-9781846045998
Wintering : The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May
£12.99
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros - paperback
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros - paperback
£9.99
Autobiography Of Red-9780224059732
Autobiography Of Red by Anne Carson
£15.00
The Marriage Portrait : the Instant Sunday Times Bestseller, Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2023-9781472223883
The Marriage Portrait : the Instant Sunday Times Bestseller, Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2023 by Maggie O'Farrell
£9.99
Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare
Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare
£22.00
Limberlost-9781838956820
Limberlost by Robbie Arnott
£9.99
Little Eyes : LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER INTERNATIONAL PRIZE, 2020-9781786078612
Little Eyes : LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER INTERNATIONAL PRIZE, 2020 by Megan McDowell
£9.99

Catch up on Tom's newsletter

The Backstory Mewsletter

The Backstory Mewsletter

Tom Rowley
What's the book that changed your life?

What's the book that changed your life?

Tom Rowley
20 books to make you smile

20 books to make you smile

Tom Rowley

Megan's picks

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Arrangements in Blue : Notes on Love and Making a Life-9781787333895
Arrangements in Blue : Notes on Love and Making a Life by Amy Key
£18.99
Why Women Grow by Alice Vincent
Why Women Grow by Alice Vincent
£16.99
Take What You Need-9781914198649
Take What You Need by Idra Novey
£9.99
Wifedom : Mrs Orwell's Invisible Life-9780241482728
Wifedom : Mrs Orwell's Invisible Life by Anna Funder
£20.00
August Blue-9780241421314
August Blue by Deborah Levy
£18.99

Find us

Sally's Picks

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A God in Ruins : Costa Novel Award Winner 2015-9780552776646
A God in Ruins : Costa Novel Award Winner 2015 by Kate Atkinson
£9.99
Are You My Mother?-9780224093521
Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel
£20.00
Beloved-9780099760115
Beloved by Toni Morrison
£9.99
East of Eden-9780241980354
East of Eden by Mr John Steinbeck
£8.99
Evolutions : Fifteen Myths That Explain Our World-9781788547581
Evolutions : Fifteen Myths That Explain Our World by Oren Harman
£8.99
I Who Have Never Known Men : Discover the haunting, heart-breaking post-apocalyptic tale-9781784877200
I Who Have Never Known Men : Discover the haunting, heart-breaking post-apocalyptic tale by Ros Schwartz
£9.99
Lanny : Author of the Number One Sunday Times Bestseller SHY-9780571340293
Lanny : Author of the Number One Sunday Times Bestseller SHY by Max Porter
£9.99
Mrs Caliban (Faber Editions) : 'Wonderful' (Margaret Atwood)-9780571367986
Mrs Caliban (Faber Editions) : 'Wonderful' (Margaret Atwood) by Rachel Ingalls
£9.99
My Brilliant Friend : The International No. 1 Bestseller-9781609450786
My Brilliant Friend : The International No. 1 Bestseller by Elena Ferrante
£12.99
No Logo-9780007340774
No Logo by Naomi Klein
£10.99
No One Is Talking About This : Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2021 and the Women's Prize for Fiction 2021-9781526629760
No One Is Talking About This : Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2021 and the Women's Prize for Fiction 2021 by Patricia Lockwood
£14.99
Portable Paradise-9781845234331
Portable Paradise by Roger Robinson
£9.99

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