500,000
BOOK CATALOGUE
  •  “London's best bookshop” 
  • “Far more than just a bookshop”
  • London's independent bookshop of the year, 2026
  •  “Good for big-name speakers” 
  •  “A chic London bookshop” 
  •  “The staff are so friendly, and give great recommendations” 
  •  “Reminds you of the magic of human connection” 
NEXT DAY
DELIVERY

We host events every week. Come and join us

See what's on

Let's pick your next great read

We pride ourselves on giving an extremely warm welcome to everyone, in person and online. We stock a lovingly curated selection of fiction, non-fiction and children's books, and offer next-day delivery or collection on our full catalogue of 500,000 titles. 

Our top picks

Here's something Amazon can't offer

We like to give our locals the VIP treatment. So when you click-and-collect any of the 500,000 books from our website, we'll offer you a free cup of coffee when you pick up your book at our shop the very next day. 

Sorry, Jeff: we've found something you can't do. 

Our bestsellers

Meet Tom,
Backstory's founder

After 11 years on Fleet Street, Tom Rowley quit his job at The Economist to follow his dream of opening a bookshop bar. Four years on, he runs Backstory with his business partner Denise Wallin and a team of six passionate booksellers.

OUR BACKSTORY