Cecil Court - Book Review

The authors say Cecil Court is, "London's unique street for books." And they are absolutely correct. They have put together a wonderful book which is an enjoyable insight into this small side street in London.

Why should one small pedestrianized street in London be famous enough to deserve its own book?

Saverio Paffumi, an Italian, visited Cecil Court and fell in love with its shops, the books, the people, the ambiance, everything. He decided to create a book about Cecil Court, and along with Maria Grazia Marino, an Italian translator, their labor of love has come to fruition with this book. They were probably first drawn to Cecil Court to visit The Italian Bookshop at no. 5 (the only one of its kind in the UK) but they have now visited all the shops and have met all of the owners.

Entering Cecil Court feels like stepping back in time. This small street between Charing Cross Road and St. Martin's Lane is synonymous with old, interesting books.

The streets appears to be Victorian with the antiquarian street lighting and the shop facades but the shop owners have changed a lot in the last century.

This book includes some of the history of the street, explaining the booksellers arrived around 1900. (You can find out more Cecil Court history from www.cecilcourt.co.uk.)

The bulk of this 64 page book is dedicated to the shops. Each feature has photos and interviews with the owners which are fascinating and enlightening.

Not all of the shops are booksellers; you'll also find art and prints, stamps, maps, antiques, jewelry, music, and even key cutting.

You may be concerned that the shops in Cecil Court could be intimidating as they are all independent specialist stores, but reading these interviews has made me realize what welcoming shopkeepers have set up business there. Reading this book has convinced me to visit Cecil Court again very soon.