Welcome
Award-winning independent and much-loved bookshop, Dulwich Books has been serving the local community for over 30 years.
In these challenging times for retail, we value our loyal customers and hope that the personal aspect of shopping locally will prevail. We can order books for next-day delivery provided it is in stock and ordered by 5pm.
We are open, but monitoring the situation daily. If you are unable to come to the shop, we are able to offer free local delivery. You can place your order over the phone during working hours, by emailing us or by filling out the order form below.
We stock a wide range of titles, as well as a fantastic choice of children’s books. We also stock greetings cards, gift stationery, wrap and jigsaws. In addition we offer a loyalty card scheme – just ask at the till when making your purchases.
Our friendly, knowledgeable and experienced staff are on hand to recommend books and help with any questions. We have storytime for little ones on Friday and Saturday mornings at 11.00.
We hope to see you soon!
Welcome
Award-winning independent and much-loved bookshop, Dulwich Books has been serving the local community for over 30 years.
In these challenging times for retail, we value our loyal customers and hope that the personal aspect of shopping locally will prevail. We can order books for next-day delivery provided it is in stock and ordered by 5pm.
We are open, but monitoring the situation daily. If you are unable to come to the shop, we are able to offer free local delivery. You can place your order over the phone during working hours, by emailing us or by filling out the order form below.
We stock a wide range of titles, as well as a fantastic choice of children’s books. We also stock greetings cards, gift stationery, wrap and jigsaws. In addition we offer a loyalty card scheme – just ask at the till when making your purchases.
Our friendly, knowledgeable and experienced staff are on hand to recommend books and help with any questions. We have storytime for little ones on Friday and Saturday mornings at 11.00.
We hope to see you soon!
Order a Book for Next Day Delivery
Our expert booksellers are on hand to take your orders or to make suggestions and recommendations. You can call us on 020 8670 1920 during the shop’s opening hours to place an order. Books ordered by 5pm can usually be collected from the shop after noon the next day.
Alternatively, click the button below and fill out the form on our website with the details of the book you would like to order.
Books of the Month
Middle Grade
The Pear Affair by Judith Eagle
Faber, £7.99
A fabulous adventure story set in the underground tunnels and catacombs of Paris – perfect for fans of Emma Carroll and Natasha Farrant.
Young Adult
Run, Rebel by Manjeet Mann
Penguin, £7.99
A trailblazing verse novel that thunders with rhythm, heart and soul, exploring how to fight for one’s freedom.
Fiction
The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel
HarperCollins, £25
The stunning (and much-anticipated!) conclusion to Hilary Mantel’s Man Booker Prize-winning Wolf Hall trilogy.
Non-fiction
House of Glass by Hadley Freeman
HarperCollins, £16.99
A moving memoir following the Glass siblings through the twentieth century, House of Glass explores assimilation, identity and home.
Picture Book
The Song of the Tree by Coralie Bickford-Smith
Particular Books, £14.99
A lyrical, heart-warming new tale from Coralie Bickford-Smith – with stunning imagery throughout.
Upcoming Events
Story Time – Fridays & Saturdays at 11am
Every Friday and Saturday at 11am we have Story Time – readings and craft activities for pre-schoolers. No need to book, just turn up and enjoy!
Meet the Team
Cathy Slater
Owner
Cathy has enjoyed a career in publishing spanning over 3 decades, in International Sales and Foreign Rights. She joined Dulwich Books in January 2017, keen to learn about the bookselling side of the industry. She is very happy and excited to have an opportunity to run this much-loved bookshop, and continue to serve the local community.
When not reading, she loves gardening, walking, nature and wildlife. She sings in two local choirs and is part of a shanty group called Shotley Crue. She speaks Italian and French and a little Spanish.
Cathy recommends
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Bloomsbury, £18.99
A memorable family drama from one of America’s most loved writers. It tells the story of siblings Maeve and Danny, usurped – banished even – from their beautiful family home, the ‘Dutch House’ by their new wicked step-mother. The characters are wonderfully real, and the house itself is beautifully and described in incredible detail. Built in boomtime 1920s Philadelphia, it boasts Delft mantels and marble floors, a ballroom and a dining room with a gilt ceiling “more in keeping with Versailles than Eastern Pennsylvania”. The secret of their mother’s traumatic disappearance is also revealed with all the attendant shock, regret and pain. In the end the family learn to accept the past in this beautiful and emotional book.
Philip Maltman
Senior Bookseller
Do any of you really need introducing to Philip? Probably not, because he’s been here forever. But let’s spend a moment anyway, contemplating the Godfather of Dulwich Bookselling. He went to art school, which we won’t dwell on, and these days only stops reading long enough to paint.
And when he paints? It’s about books. It is always worth stopping him in the shop to ask what he’s reading, he is constantly searching out the unique, surprising and wonderful.
Philip recommends
Light Years by James Salter
Penguin, £9.99
“James Salter wrote American sentences better than anyone”, according to novelist Richard Ford. Whilst I would put a strong recommendation on everything he has written, Light Years as a novel is a masterpiece where Salter wields, no, not wields, crafts, his elegant prose. Fine cracks begin to spread through the shimmering life of a near-perfect married couple.
‘We dash the black river, its flats smooth as stone.’ (Light Years) First sentences are important to me. James Salter is a master of prose. This is one of the best.
Kitty Spence
Bookseller
Kitty read Modern and Medieval History at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Since then, she has worked in retail, as well as volunteering at various theatre and new playwrighting festivals. She joined the Dulwich Books team at the start of 2018 as a Saturday bookseller and is now a full-time member of staff.
She enjoys reading all sorts of books, but has a particular fondness for novels set in London, literary biographies and anything published by Virago. As well as reading, she loves going to the theatre, live comedy, culture podcasts and long walks in London.
Kitty recommends
The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard
Picador, £8.99
The first volume of the wonderful Cazalet Chronicles. Set during the summers of 1937 and 1938, it follows three generations of the Cazalet family as they spend their holidays together at Home Place in sunlit Sussex. Howard expertly explores the tensions and tangles of family life and she writes with a generosity towards each of her many characters. This captivating novel unfolds at a delightfully unhurried pace, making it a perfect book to get lost in. It’s always a pleasure to revisit the Cazalets and the later volumes follow the family through the Second World War and beyond.
Rachelle Keyes
Bookseller
Passionate about books, my first ever job was as an editorial assistant at Bloomsbury Books. The BBC followed, creating content for various web sites – at the time a job that was thought to be a complete waste of time as people weren’t quite sure the internet was going to be a thing of the future. I believed them and left to join Channel Four and the world of interactive television – possibly not my best move!
Three children and a dog later, I am now delighted to be surrounded by books again. I have long been a fan of this bookshop and it is a complete privilege to be working here. Aside from books, I love being outside as often as possible, getting lost in the countryside, heading to the theatre, playing board games, trying every now and again to ride horses and failing miserably to grow anything on my allotment.
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Location
6 Croxted Road
West Dulwich
London
SE21 8SW
hello@dulwichbooks.co.uk
020 8670 1920
Opening Hours
Mon to Sat 9:30am – 5:30pm
Sun 11am – 4pm
Nearest overground stations:
West Dulwich & West Norwood
Number 3 bus:
Stops just outside the shop
Place an order
Our expert booksellers are on hand to take your orders or to make suggestions and recommendations. You can call us on 020 8670 1920 to place an order during the shop’s opening hours to place an order. Books ordered by 5pm can usually be collected from the shop after noon the next day.
Alternatively, fill out the form below with the details of the book you would like to purchase and we will send a confirmation email that the order has been processed.
For Schools
We have a lot of experience working with local schools and can arrange free delivery of books to your school. We can often offer free author visits to schools and organise book sales at events.
Our expert staff can share their knowledge and offer guidance on all book related enquiries to teachers and librarians, and we are happy to offer competitive discounts, so please contact us with your requirements.
Bookshop Hire
We hire out the shop for private events, such as book launches, in the evening. We charge for this service, as we will provide staff, utilities, and assistance.
If you are interested do email hello@dulwichbooks.co.uk with details of your event, and we will be happy to help.
For Publicists & independent authours
If you are an independent author, please visit the shop to see what kind of books we have in stock and email hello@dulwichbooks.co.uk with info about your work. We have had plenty of success with local and independent authors and will consider each book on its merits.
Off Site Sales
We work with lots of venues to sell books for their events, festivals, book signings and launches. All books can be put through Book Scan, and we can take credit card sales via our GPS-enabled machine as well as cash and cheques.
Don’t hesitate to call us on 020 8670 1920 or to email hello@dulwichbooks.co.uk if you need an expert bookseller for your event.
