London’s Best Bookshop
“Word on the Water” took first place out of every bookshop I stumbled upon in the UK. In March of 2021, I flew to Heathrow for a week to visit one of my good friends who was attending the Royal Veterinary College. Her flat was adorable, located on the canal in Camden and a short walk from numerous cafe’s, shops and sights. After landing and bussing back to Camden from Kings Cross, we decided to walk along the canal to the Canalside Green Steps and Granary Square Fountains. While passing the boats gently rocking in the canal, watching the sun go down and getting fresh air after so many hours flying, I spotted it.
“Word on the Water”
Floating in the Grand Union Canal was a book boat. In immediate eyesight were titles I have read, loved, and been recommended. I remember so clearly stopping in my tracks, not believing my eyes. After taking in the novelty, my first thought was ““Books and water? Is this safe?” Upon boarding, all thoughts of wet pages and running ink disappeared. I was convinced I had encountered perfection.
Inside the cabin was a maximalists dream. Books packed so tightly you could hardly read the spine, knick knacks and decorations used as bookends and bookmarks.
Everywhere you turned, there was something magical to see. Maybe it was because it was March, maybe it was the time of day, but it was completely serene. The canal was still, no tourists, just the shopkeeper and the sound of the parrot on board (yes, parrot) to keep us company.
Stepping in meant stepping below the streets of London and quite literally submerging yourself in the experience.
The shop quadruples in size as you round the small boat and recognize the entrance.
Above image by 1000 Libraries “London’s Floating Bookstore”
The entrance was book-ended by a canoe, halved and standing upright, using the benches as shelves. The creativity, love, work, and passion this small miracle would have needed to get started blows my mind even still.
One could almost believe they were in a regular, old bookstore with character and warmth.
The shop has nothing but small portholes to bring you back to your floating reality. I felt as if I had stepped into another world. Something out of my Pinterest board, and within mere hours of landing.
Enough about the inside, although I could go on forever. The outside was just as mesmerizing with perfectly spread titles for shoppers of all ages. This selection is a bibliophiles dream. It had the latest of every genre, but also classics and niche books that were on the verge of their own renaissance. The only downside was that it was night one of my trip (not yet even day one) and I knew there was much shopping to be done. I had to control myself, or there was going to be a checked-bag catastrophe on the way home.
Sadly, I only left with one title, but it was one that will not soon leave me.
It was (the fabulous) “The White Album” by Joan Didion.
It feels fitting that such a profound author was sitting in plain view, waiting for it’s moment to go home with the right traveler. This novel sparked my obsession with Joan Didion’s non-fiction backlog…and then her fiction…and finally her documentary on Netflix, “The Center Will Not Hold.”
I hope this inspires someone traveling to London, or someone who lives in the area, to stop by Granary Square Fountains and admire the floating Word on the Water.
Until next time,
Maddie