There are few pleasures quite like getting lost in a good book. Immersing yourself in a great story can transport you to anywhere in the world, or even other worlds, to any time in history and amongst the company of some incredible characters. From heroes to scoundrels, paupers to princes and everything in between, their adventures tell us so much about our own lives and leave a mark upon us that is destined to last as long as the ink on the pages.
The great Italian postmodern author, Italo Calvino, famously wrote that “One reads alone, even in another’s presence”. In every town and city across the world you are likely to find these readers, engaged and captivated by another world while still very much a fixture of the hustle and bustle of the one that surrounds them.
Creating the right atmosphere, ambience and environment to access this wonderful experience can often depend on finding the perfect location. London, a city itself so steeped in literary history, is full of marvellous nooks that definitely fulfil this criteria.
Here we present a guide to a collection of the very best.
The London Library
Where better to begin than in the heaven of a library. The London Library was created in 1841 by the noted Scottish essayist, Robert Carlyle who had grown tired of the rigmarole of borrowing books from the British Museum. It stands somewhat discreetly amongst the grand architecture of St James’s square as the perfect sanctuary in which to devote time to the written word. There isn’t anywhere quite like the London Library in the city as it operates in a category of its own due to its independent library status open to anybody that wants to become a paying member.
As one passes through the elegant reception, it acts like a portal to the grand retreat of the Victorian Reading Rooms, a delightful warren of staircases, galleries and bookcases that beckon you further. The décor is everything you could imagine from a classic reading room with high windows, polished wood tables, red carpets and antique reading lamps. All that remains is take your choice from the shelves and take your own place in its history. You will be amongst stellar company too with Virginia Woolfe, T.S Eliot, Ian Fleming and Tom Stoppard all known to have done the very same during their time as members in this hallowed place.
Bunhill Fields Burial Grounds, Old Street
Sitting quietly where a collection of literary titans came to rest is a stirring prospect in itself. When this is combined with the exquisite surroundings of Bunhill Fields then you have a unique experience that is difficult to match anywhere in the world. You won’t find any curated playlists, coffee shops or polished shelves here and that seems to be the point entirely. A silent connection with your reading material is all that is required among the worn headstones and delicately overgrown ivy. There is a wonderful stillness in Bunhill Fields occasionally punctured by gentle birdsong, a feature made all the remarkable from this location’s proximity to the bustle of the city.
The visionary poet William Blake lies here, alongside other greats such as Daniel Defoe and John Bunyan, and it’s easy to remember his famous words as you open a book to spend some time here, even if only for a little while:
“To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.”
St Dunstan-in-the-East
London is famous for its fascinating open spaces that are hidden away among the ever-growing sprawl of a modern metropolis. Just moments away from the Tower of London and the nearby financial activity of Bank, you will find the elegant decaying church of St Dunstan-in-the-East provides a wonderful place to get lost in a book. The church itself has stood and fallen many times throughout its own story with some famous events and characters appearing in its chapters. Originally destroyed by the Great Fire of London in 1666, it was partially rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren before succumbing to another blaze almost 300 years later in the blitz of World War II. Since then, it was left to ruin before being converted into a public garden in the 1970s. Surrounded by the stone walls and crumbling remnants of Gothic windows, all open to the great expanse of the sky, it represents a wonderful hideaway of wildflowers and peace. There may no longer be a church here but a stolen moment with a book still feels suitably divine.
The Wellcome Collection Reading Room
The Wellcome Collection on Euston Road is a testament to the capability of humans to think differently. It was created as a result of the extraordinary life and collection of Sir Henry Wellcome, a man that recognised how important the connections between science, medicine and the arts are to us all. The Reading Rooms on the second floor are so much more than a place for study and silence. They represent a very modern version of the intellectual salons that the city was once famous for where conversations, collaborations and ideas are encouraged for the people that come here.
All of the rooms are split into various themes that address concepts of the body, the mind, time, faith and many more of those wonderful eternal questions. You are surrounded by interactive installations, historical artefacts and of course a superbly curated collection of reading material to dive into. Of course, the chaise longues and plush velvet armchairs that are also waiting for you to sink into them may be the most welcome addition of all.
London is full of stories. There are few places on the planet where even a short journey across its neighbourhoods and streets means walking in the footsteps of so many celebrated writers. Taking the time to visit these locations, and taking a book with you when you do, is a wonderful way to connect with it all.
You may even find your own story waiting for you there.
