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When Ann Patchett comes to visit, you ask for book recommendations!

We cherish Ann's writing, and her excellent taste in books, here at BookBar. What a joy to welcome her, one of our bookish idols, to the shop.

Signed copies of Whistler by Ann Patchett in stock at BookBar Chelsea and online while stocks last!

Your bank holiday weekend starts at BookBar with a good book, a tasty coffee and a delicious glass of wine 🍷☕📚

What are you reading this bank holiday weekend?

This Autumn is absolutely brimming with incredible books and we are bursting to tell you about them. Here's two to get you started 📚

Stations, Partita and plenty more are available to pre-order at our website or in store now!

Sunday reading sessions at the OG BookBar 📚☕🍷

Time to linger, turn the pages, sip a delicious @extractcoffee and soak up a slow Sunday in Highbury.

We're open until 6pm at both of our North and West London locations for books, wine and coffee.

Announcing... BOOKBAR CAPS 🧢📚

We've been plotting these for years and are so excited to reveal the latest addition to our bookish merch: BookBar caps!

Available in pink (with green embroidery), green (with pink embroidery), or cream (with green embroidery) these are now available for pre-order at our website.

There are only a limited number and they will be available by the end of September.

Bonnie Garmus is coming back to BookBar! (And scroll for more exciting event news!) ➡️

We were lucky enough to host Bonnie's first ever event at our Islington shop back in April 2022 and now your can join us at BookBar Chelsea to hear all about Bonnie's latest novel Peck & Peck.

We all fell in love with Elizabeth Zott and Lessons in Chemistry, now it's time to root for Batter Gray as his life turns upside down when he is hired by the most prestigious, secretive and dysfunctional poetry journal in the world: the renowned Peck & Peck. We laughed out loud and fell head over heels for this eccentric cast of characters (it may even feature a super-canine dog to rival Six-Thirty). We can't wait for you to read Peck and Peck, and now you can meet Bonnie!

Join us on Monday 9th November at BookBar Chelsea. Head to our website to get your tickets - we expect these to sell out today!

BookBar returns to @saatchi_gallery and @chelseaartsfestival !

BookBar is bringing the social side of reading to the Saatchi Gallery with a conversation with a collection of our favourite debut writers:

💫 Marcia Hutchinson, author of Women's Prize Shortlisted The Mercy Step
💫 Jem Calder, author of I Want You To Be Happy
💫 Sufiyaan Salam, author of Wimmy Road Boyz

Following our sell-out event with Elif Shafak last year, we can't wait to return to the Chelsea Arts Festival with this iconic line up.

Head to our website to find out more and get the link for tickets via the Saatchi Gallery.

Announcing... Jazz in the Bookshop 🎹🎵📚🍸

An evening of live jazz piano, cocktails, and socialising surrounded by our gorgeous shelves.

Music from 6-8pm.

Bookings are encouraged, and free to book. Walk-ins welcome on a first come, first served basis.

Head to our website to secure your spot!

(Gorgeous illustration courtesy of our talented bookseller Polly!)

Books, wine, coffee, and a passionate team of booksellers to recommend you a book while you sip? Sounds like heaven to us.

Introducing... SLEAZE by Francesca Reece ☀️⛱️📚

It's rare to read a book that has everything: a sunkissed Mediterranean setting, an unputdownable plot, a narrator with such a compelling voice (and some unhinged decision-making) that Muriel Spark would wish she had written her, storytelling so witty you'll laugh out loud. And it's got the cover to match.

Sleaze is next year's novel of the summer and @francesca.ree has outdone herself with this sharp-witted, page-turner of a book that sizzles with sass. We adored it, so much so we want to put it on your radar right now.

TELL ME MORE!

The irreverence and entertainment of Drive Away Dolls meets the wit and playfulness of Rachel Kushner in this delectable summer read.

Mari prioritises the finer things in life: between bouts of translation work, her time is spent with fellow émigrés, lounging on Mediterranean beaches, drinking on sun-bleached terraces and avoiding responsibility. When she meets Johnny, an older and dashing rogue, she decides – as any ingenue would – to have some fun with him.

The next morning, her pursuit of frivolity is rudely interrupted when she wakes to find him dead beside her. What's worse, his wife shows up to blackmail Mari into uncovering what really happened. Almost always, but especially on days like this, she doesn't like being told what to do. But the intrigue is irresistible, and an excellent distraction from her love life.

Playful, witty and thoroughly entertaining, Sleaze is a red-hot caper to die for.

COMING NEXT MAY FROM @serpentstail 🐍

Pre-order now at the link in our bio!

Come book shopping with Pulitzer Prize winning author of Less @asgreer, who spent time signing books, meeting customers and chatting about his latest novel Villa Coco, a sumptuous explosion of Italian summer. Out now, with signed copies in stock while they last!

SUMMER EVENTS ARE LIVE ✨✨✨

Some of our shops' best-loved authors are coming to BookBar later this summer. Author of The Guest and The Girls, Emma Cline will share more about her new novel, Switzy. Meg Mason, of Sorrow and Bliss fame, has another generous novel to introduce, Sophie, Standing There. Plus, BookClub favourite and author of North Woods, Daniel Mason (Mason double-trouble!) will also join us to talk about his new textural saga, Country People.

Continuing with our series of debut events at Islington, we will also welcome Karishma Jobanputra and explore her short story collection, The Body of the Thing. Fans of Saba Sams, Julia Armfield, and Raven Leilani, this is one for you! And last but not least, Wild Dark Shore author Charlotte McConaghy is coming to BookBar Chelsea. Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction, we cannot wait to chat to Charlotte about her spectacularly choreographed eco-thriller.

We're also so thrilled to announce that @annielord8 will be joined in conversation with journalist and author of viral @britishvogue piece 'Is it embarrassing to have a boyfriend?' @chantayyjayy to talk about Annie's debut novel The Project.

Head to our website to snap up your tickets now!

🪩 14th July - Annie Lord and Chanté Joseph - BookBar Chelsea
🪩 28th July - @lamowens - BookBar Chelsea
🪩 10th August - @charlottemcconaghy - BookBar Chelsea
🪩 18th August - @karishmaadj - BookBar Islington
🪩 14th September - Daniel Mason - BookBar Chelsea
🪩 16th September - Meg Mason - BookBar Chelsea
🪩 22nd September - @emmanancycline - BookBar Chelsea

Tickets on sale at our website now!

An update to our July events!

We've got some fabulous July events planned but wanted to let you know about some changes we've made due to the upcoming heat this week.

Our event with Phil Melanson and Rebecca Perry on Monday 6th July has now moved to our Chelsea shop as it's air-conditioned!

Then we've changed the date of our Natural Disaster event with Lisa Owens. This will now be on Tuesday 28th July at BookBar Islington. Tickets are available at our website so head there to join.

Thanks for understanding. Our priority is to keep our customers and team safe and comfortable and create brilliant, fun events centred around books.

New and Obsessed!

There are some exciting releases this week at BookBar that we cannot wait to rave about! Dave Eggers’ newest novel Contrapposto is a love letter to the people we meet in our lives, the small moments that leave huge impacts and the joys of witnessing relationships change over the decades. We follow Cricket, a shy child obsessed with drawing and Olympia, the older, confident girl who draws him out his shell as they attempt to find their feet in the art world and in life. It’s a must read for fans of Paul Murray and John Williams, and those who (like us) love stories with characters who sweep you up like Demon Copperhead and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.

In bonkers contrast, we have Paige Lewis’ debut novel Canon - a whacky, witty and camp epic, following God’s newest and unwilling prophet, Yara, as they are tasked with defeating ‘The’ Dominic. Why can’t one of the other prophets do it - well the obvious choice, Adrena, has just lost her direct line to the main man himself. Perfect for fans of Terry Pratchett, those seeking a little more whimsy or an adventure as twisty as a Greek epic!

Both of these books are brilliant and rewarding reads and blew us away in their own unique ways. They are both available now from BookBar!

Read with Pride! 🏳️‍🌈

Books have the power to raise up the voices of people made to feel small. Through stories, we find our communities, learn about experiences separate to our own, and find the humanity in all. This weekend, if you’re wondering what to add to your reading list, look no further than this curation of some of BookBar’s favourite books featuring LGBTQIA+ stories! Or come chat to us about our reccs - we’re always bursting with suggestions!

Part Two with our heat-fave @grahnort 📚

This time, the beloved author and broadcaster is bringing his top book recs - and what a joyful reader he is. Books mentioned are available via our website and in store!

What is your current read?

It's #IndependentBookshopWeek so we had a visit from @grahnort to celebrate! Graham is such a joy and huge reader, so it was such a pleasure to spend some time discussing books, bookshops and his own writing with him.

Come see us this weekend to celebrate Independent Bookshop Week. We're open until 9pm tonight and until 6pm tomorrow. Signed copies to Graham's books are in stock now.

Look out for Part Two (which is brimming with book recommendations) to come.

If you were to open an independent bookshop, what would you call it?! Comment below with your answer!

Our shops now have Correspondent postboxes - and we are obsessed!

The Correspondent by @virginia.l.evans just won the @womensprize for Fiction and is a gorgeous novel told in letters that you'll immediately want to share with everyone you love.

So we're celebrating The Correspondent and the art of letter writing and encouraging you to come into our cosy shops and write someone a letter yourself.

All you have to do is come into our Islington or Chelsea shops, purchase a paperback copy of The Correspondent by Virginia Evans and we'll give you some gorgeous stationary. Sit with a coffee and write your letter, address the envelope and we'll post your letter and a copy of The Correspondent to your recipient, with postage free of charge.

And if you want to hear from Virginia and chat to other people about the book, The Correspondent is out July BookClub selection - head to our website to find out more!

Happy reading and happy writing!

#womensprize #TheCorrespondent #letterwriting

Announcing July events at BookBar!

After an action-packed June, we've got more treats in store for you next month, starting with a trio of iconic authors, from much-loved Vogue columnist and memoirist, Annie Lord, debut novelist Phil Melanson and Not Working author, Lisa Owens.

💫 Monday 6th July - @philmelanson with @poorsasquatch on Florenzer at BookBar Islington
💫 Wednesday 8th July - @lamowens on Natural Disaster
💫 Tuesday 14th July - @annielord8 on The Project

Tickets are on sale at our website now!

Exciting announcement!

The hottest romcom of the summer is nearly here: The Project by Annie Lord, Vogue dating columnist and author of acclaimed memoir Notes on Heartbreak. Billed as 'a romcom for messy girls everywhere' by Stylist, we know you're going to love hanging out with Daisy and Maya as they embark on a mission to radically reinvent modern dating.

We're partnering with Annie and her publisher Vintage to get you summer-ready, with exclusive-to-BookBar merch and signed and dedicated copies when you pre-order The Project with BookBar, plus a publication week event.

💫 Signed and dedicated copies of The Project by Annie, exclusively from BookBar when you pre-order

💫 Limited exclusive merch from BookBar when you pre-order The Project: choose between a scarf or a fan

💫 A publication week event at BookBar Chelsea on 14th July.
We'll be hearing from Annie about what makes the perfect romcom and how she went about writing her own, and whether it's possible - and even wise - to try to change a person into the 'perfect' partner. **Please note that merch is limited so it won't be available with event tickets but each ticket includes a copy of The Project that you'll be able to get signed by Annie on the night**

Head to our website via the link in our bio to grab your copies, merch and book your tickets! We can't wait for you to join The Project!

One year of BookBar Chelsea!

5th June marks the one year anniversary of BookBar Chelsea and what an incredible year it has been. We've hosted dozens and dozens of events with our (and your) favourite authors, including @lilykingbooks' first ever UK event(!) and a joyful celebration of @clairedaverley this week (scroll for pictures).

We've recommended thousands of books, served countless cups of coffee and glasses of wine and loved getting to know our Chelsea community. We are so grateful for the warm welcome we've received from this buzzing pocket of London, and the thriving community on Chelsea Manor Street and @inchelsealondon @kingsroad.london. Thank you for all the support so far ❤️ We were so proud to win a Chelsea Award just four months into being open and have felt so much love from the community ever since. From Chelsea in Bloom flowers and Chelsea Arts Festival event @saatchigallery, to @botivo singalongs and carol evenings, author signings and much more bookish joy, it's been a busy year! Here's to many more 🥂

We're open until 9pm tonight and tomorrow and until 6pm on Sunday so come and say hello!

Icons only 🔥

Our June events programme is 💫💫💫 - with four brilliant events featuring @lilykingbooks @sufiyaansalam @gurnaikjohal @clairedaverley and Eleanor Catton this week - and loads more superb events to come this month.

Here are some highlights for next week! We can't wait to welcome @emmalouiseboynton and @oliviapetter on Tuesday night and then iconic author and bookseller @emmastraub on Wednesday.

Tickets are on sale at bookbaruk.com/events now!

BookBar Wants You to be Happy 🍺📚

Introducing our Book of the Month for June... I Want You To Be Happy by Jem Calder ✨✨

It's the book to be seen with on Highbury Fields this summer, and we've got our very own Highbury-themed window to celebrate.

A 30-something man meets a 20-something woman in East London and embark on an ill-advised, uncommunicative relationship. I Want You To Be Happy reminded us of why everyone went wild for Normal People, with the spare and emotionally observant writing style, but the relationship dynamic of Cleopatra and Frankenstein, the Londony vibes of Evenings and Weekends, and even the wry and knowing social observance of Vincenzo Latronico's Perfection. Despite all these touchstones, with the sharpest writing and the wryest observation, the novel never feels generic or exhausted.

We're celebrating with a glorious shop window celebrating North London clichés at our Islington shop, and giving away exclusive stickers and matchboxes when you buy a copy of I Want You To Be Happy (while stocks last).

I Want You To Be Happy has its very own beer in collaboration with Beak Brewery! Buy a copy of I Want You To Be Happy and get a beer to enjoy in the shop for £4.60.

Jem is also coming to BookBar Chelsea on 16th June in conversation with Ana Kinsella - tickets still available on our website!

UPDATE TO WEEKEND HOURS AT BOOKBAR ISLINGTON!

What a time to be in Highbury! The last few weeks have been a heady whirlwind of joy and community as Arsenal men's team won the Premier League.

Blackstock Road is going to be extremely busy with festivities this weekend so we've reviewed our opening hours:

BookBar Islington will be open from 10am until 6:30pm tomorrow (Saturday 30th May) and we'll be closing all day on Sunday 31st May as our community celebrates both the men's Premier League win (and maybe even a Champions League win 🙏) and the women's FIFA Women's Champions Cup. We'll be open until 9pm tonight.

BookBar Chelsea will be open as normal all weekend: until 9pm tonight, 10am-9pm tomorrow and 11am-6pm Sunday for all your bookish needs.

We're so proud to be part of the Highbury community and are cheering Arsenal on for the double on Saturday night!

Happy Publication Day to these two brilliant books ✨✨

💋 In Pleasure, @emmalouiseboynton explores why many women feel disconnected from our bodies and how we can find that connection again. Part memoir, part cultural investigation, this is a personal book uncovering the broader societal truth behind the often-complicated relationship women have to desire, sex and pleasure. As the creator of @sextalksmedia, Emma-Louise's mission is to help women understand and be able to talk openly about their bodies and desire in order to find liberation, free from shame.

Emma will be joining us in conversation at BookBar Chelsea on Tuesday 9th June. Tickets are available at our website now!

🐚 We also loved Hannah Murray's wise and moving memoir about her experience in a wellness cult following years in the Hollywood spotlight that led to a mental health episode. Frank, propulsive and beautifully written, it's a raw story about reality and imagination, the true and the invented self.

It's a long, sunny bank holiday weekend and the last weekend of Chelsea in Bloom so come on down to see our beautiful display, inspired by Aya Koda's beautiful book Tree and put together by @wild_renata_flowers in partnership with @penguinclassics 🌷☀️

We're open until 6pm tonight, from 10am-9pm tomorrow and from 11-6 on Sunday.

About the book and our display...

'Forest time is different from the time people keep … I wondered whether the forest moves slowly, or whether people’s lives are particularly fleeting.’ – Aya Koda, Tree

BookBar's iconic purple facade will be decorated in Aster clouds to create a surreal, dream-like design that mirrors the essence of Tree, and celebrates the wondrous beauty of the everyday. Tree is written in the zuihitsu form, meaning ‘follow the brush’, a genre of Japanese writing akin to the contemplative essay – and throughout the book we follow Aya Koda, as she journeys across Japan, in search of its most majestic trees. As with everything we do at BookBar, books are at the heart of our display and our goal as always is to bring people together through reading.

Pick up your copy of Tree, enjoy a glass of wine or a coffee and build you bank holiday reading piles. ☀️🌷📚☕🍷

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✷ ORDER TODAY FOR FREE DELIVERY OVER £30 ✷ JOIN THE BOOKBAR BOOKCLUB FOR EXCLUSIVE EVENTS, PERKS AND MORE✷

browse our shelves

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