Inside Heywood Hill Bookshop in Mayfair, London
Located in the heart of London’s Mayfair, Heywood Hill is a prestigious literary establishment that first opened in 1936. Named after the founder, Heywood Hill, the shop is spread across two floors of a Georgian townhouse, with the ground floor open to the public for browsing.
I first came across the bookshop while writing an article for Sail Away Magazine about cruise ship libraries. I learned that Heywood Hill curate the onboard book collections for all of the ships in the Viking Cruises fleet, spanning from the dinky river ships to the larger ocean and expedition ships.
After sailing with Viking a few times, once on a river cruise from Paris and again on an ocean cruise through Southeast Asia, I knew that I had to visit the shop for myself.
Heywood Hill has a long and interesting history that spans almost 100 years, having opened just a few years before the second world war broke out. The owner’s aim was to curate a selection of the best books both old and new, as well as other beautiful objects and curiosities.
A blue plaque on the exterior of the building commemorates Nancy Mitford, who worked at the shop during World War Two. A place that she loved working, Nancy was also an acclaimed novelist, penning her most well known works, The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate, in the 1940s.
Admittedly, I was a little bit nervous when I first set foot inside the shop for myself. Mayfair is quite a well-to-do area, and with its prestigious history, I wasn’t sure how welcoming the shop would be to someone with a camera!
It turned out that I had nothing to worry about. The atmosphere inside the shop was relaxed, and the staff were happy for me to potter around and take photos. I really enjoyed perusing the shelves, which were stuffed with new, used and antiquarian books. There were lots of brand new hardbacks to look through, and a well curated selection of paperbacks too.
After browsing the selection on offer I decided to purchase a copy of Summer Rolls by Tuyen Do, which I hadn’t heard of before but sounded like something I’d enjoy.
In addition to the usual bookselling, Heywood Hill provides library building services and personal bookselling for a variety of high profile clients.
Their online shop offers a variety of gifts and subscriptions, with bundles curated on a variety of subjects. Prices range from £90 for a small collection of books on gardening to several thousands of pounds for rare first editions or large collections.
Opening Times:
Monday - Friday: 9:30am - 6pm
How to find Heywood Hill:
The shop is just a short walk away from Green Park underground station, which can be accessed via the Jubilee, Piccadilly and Victoria lines.
Local bus services are also available.
The full address for the bookshop is:
10 Curzon Street, London, W1J 5HH
Have you every visited Heywood Hill bookshop? Leave a comment and let me know.
More London Bookshops
The Book Elephant in Elephant and Castle
The Poetry Pharmacy in Oxford Circus