Bookish Things To Do in London 2025

This post contains affiliate links and I may receive commission if you visit a link and buy something. Purchasing via an affiliate link doesn’t cost you any extra, and I only recommend products and services I trust.

Anyone who knows me will know that I am a real bookworm. I love to read, pretty much always have a book with me and love nothing more than browsing a bookshop, watching a film adaptation of a book or spending a few minutes with a cup of tea and my current read.

So I thought it would be nice to put together a few ides for book themed days out, experiences for book lovers and all the bookish things to do in London for you and your bookish friends and family to enjoy. So here are all the novel things to do in London!

Bookish Things To Do in London

Bookshops

It didn’t feel right to start with anything else aside from bookshops. Just a few of our favourite places where you can buy everything from first editions to new releases or simply browse books throughout London.

• Foyles – Stores across London
• Cecil Court London – A whole street of independent shops, tucked away near Leicester Square.
• London Review Bookshop – Just a stone’s throw from the British Museum.
• Daunt Books – One of the most beautiful, traditional bookshops in London.

• Word on the Water – Quirky bookstore on a canal barge on Regent’s Canal.
• Gay’s The Word – The UK’s oldest LGBT+ bookstore.
• Brick Lane Bookshop – An independent hidden gem in Tower Hamlets.
• Any Amount of Books – A secondhand treasure trove near Covent Garden.
• South Bank Book Market – A real London tradition!

Book Themed Food and Drink

I love having afternoon tea or a nice cocktail somewhere new. But, I love it even more if it’s a literary themed spread, a bookish venue or simply has a bookish twist. Here are all the food and drink book things to do in London:

Mad Hatter’s Alice in Wonderland Afternoon Tea at Sanderson London – 50 Berners Street, Fitzrovia, London W1T 3NG

Kings and queens adorn the teapots at Mad Hatters Afternoon Tea which is full of sweet treats and savory delights to tantalise your taste buds – including Grow Me, Shrink Me, Red Knight Army Shortbread Cookies.

Wizard Afternoon Tea at Georgian House Hotel – 35 St George’s Dr, Pimlico, London SW1V 4DG

Spellbindingly delicious and featuring so many goodies, this wizarding afternoon tea offers everything a wizard could wish for – perfect for a Harry Potter fan! There’s three courses of sweet and savoury delights, a tasty selection of secret desserts and some fantastical treats you can take home with you. Accompany this bewitching afternoon tea experience with a wizard potion or curious colour-changing gin for the ultimate wizard feast!

Library Afternoon Tea at County Hall – Westminster Bridge Rd, London SE1 7PB

Step from the bustling South Bank into The Library, and you’ll be enveloped by a sense of timelessness and relaxation. Once the members’ library of London’s County Council, this beautiful space is steeped in heritage – from the original oak bookcases stacked with literary classics to sweeping views over the city’s most historic and photographed landmarks. A destination like no other – and the perfect place to enjoy afternoon tea in the most bookish of surroundings. They event have a special Twits Afternoon Tea for an even more bookish experience!

Sherlock Holmes Mind Palace Afternoon Tea – W12 Shopping Centre, London W12 8PP

Get ready to take a trip down Baker Street with Sherlock’s Mind Palace Afternoon Tea and Mini Mystery. Visit this secret speakeasy to indulge in a delicious afternoon tea and test your skills of deduction with an original case to crack. You’ll need to work together as a team to solve a mini tabletop mystery, all whilst tucking into a tasty selection of savouries, buttery scones, and homemade sweet treats.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Afternoon Tea at One Aldwych – 1 Aldwych, London WC2B 4BZ

Fizzy lifting drinks, snozzberry jam, chocolate swudge milkshake mixed by waterfall – indulge your inner child and adventure into the magical, mouth-watering world of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with this enchanting afternoon tea inspired by Roald Dahl’s iconic story.

Bridgerton Afternoon Tea at The Lanesborough – Hyde Park Corner, London SW1X 7TA

Dust off your Regency best, as you’re presented with this new afternoon tea experience inspired by Bridgerton. The limited-edition menu pays homage to the Regency era; a time of great revelling and high style, of elegant parties, balls, and grand dinners, with a contemporary twist.

Wicked Afternoon Tea at the Clermont – 101 Buckingham Palace Rd, London SW1W 0SJ

Make it a wickedly-decadent day out by indulging in a delightful Wicked-themed afternoon tea. Enjoy a fanciful afternoon tea selection, including a chocolate and pistachio bombe, lemon meringue pie and lime cheesecake, traditional homemade scones with jam and clotted cream and delectable savoury finger sandwiches.

Peter Pan Afternoon Tea at Aqua Shard – Level 31, The Shard, 31 St Thomas St, London SE1 9RY

Experience our magical Peter Pan Afternoon Tea, inspired by the adventures of Peter Pan on the island of Neverland. Drawing on popular motifs from J.M Barrie’s much-loved novel, our afternoon tea is a fitting tribute to the author and his fictional characters.

Mr Fogg’s Tavern – 58 St Martin’s Ln, London WC2N 4EA

A Victorian-style tavern that lies in the heart of theatre-land. Left by Phileas Fogg’s late Aunt Gertrude to her loyal housekeeper Fanny McGee, her home has been transformed into a haven for art-lovers and theatre-folk to enjoy a selection of snacks and delicious tipples. Patrons can marvel at the walls and ceilings bedecked with an eccentric array of memorabilia and can now enjoy drinks in our large outdoor seating area.

The Fable – 52 Holborn Viaduct, City of London, London EC1A 2BN

Inspired by fairytales and the fables of Aesop, The Fable is a beautiful bar and restaurant in the heart of the City. Spread across three floors with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out across Holborn Viaduct, this beautiful bar and restaurant is anything but ordinary.

Book Bar London – 166 Blackstock Rd, London N5 1HA

Book Bar Notting Hill is a bookshop, wine bar, events and social space centred around celebrating the social side of reading. BookBar believe there is nothing better than sharing a good book. The joy of unravelling the characters and plot points with a friend over a glass of wine or coffee, hearing inspiring ideas at a book club, sharing in the community a love of reading inspires.

The Dickens Inn – 50 St Katharine’s Way, London E1W 1LA

The Dickens Inn is steeped in history, it is believed that it was built in the 1700s as a tea factory or a local brewery. Years later, it was converted into a local tavern, with sawdust strewn floors, where diners enjoyed candlelit meals on the balconies. After a relocation and refurbishment, The Dickens Inn was opened in May 1976 by the grandson of Charles Dickens, Cedric Charles Dickens. Charles Dickens was particularly fond of Thameside and East London with his work full of characters and scenes memorably linked with the area.

Monuments and Memorials

Sightseeing is one of our favourite literary things to do in London. There are so many monuments and memorials across London, celebrating literary figures, authors and books. Here are just a few that you can visit and appreciate:

• Virginia Woolf bust in Tavistock Square – Cast from a 1931 sculpture by Stephen Tomlin, the bust was unveiled in 2004. Woolf lived at 52 Tavistock Square between 1924 and 1939 and it was there that she and her husband Leonard Woolf ran the Hogarth Press, publishing T.S. Eliot, E.M. Forster and Katherine Mansfield among others and translating the works of Sigmund Freud into English.
• Paddington Bear, Shakespeare, Mary Poppins and Harry Potter statues in Leicester Square – These are technically statues based on characters from the big screen but as they are also figures from literature I think they are well worth a visit!

• John Keats statue in the grounds of Guy’s Hospital in Southwark – Keats lodged at 8 St Thomas Street and whilst there, in May 1816, he wrote his first published poem.
• Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens – A 1912 bronze sculpture of J. M. Barrie’s character Peter Pan, commissioned by Barrie and made by Sir George Frampton. This original statue is displayed to the west of The Long Water, close to Barrie’s former home on Bayswater Road.

• Poet’s Corner at Westminster Abbey – More than 100 poets and writers are buried or have memorials here.
• Bunhill Fields – The final resting place of John Bunyan, author of The Pilgrim’s Progress; Daniel Defoe, author of Robinson Crusoe; William Blake and more.
• Highgate Cemetery – The final resting place of George Eliot , Douglas Adams, Karl Marx, Catherine Dickens and more.

Museums and Attractions

There are so many days out, museums and attractions across London with a connection to literature. They are fantastic things to do in London for book lovers. Here are just a few ideas:

Charles Dickens Museum – 48-49 Doughty St, London WC1N 2LX

Dickens’s London home from 1837-1839 is now home to the museum. Whilst living there Dickens finished writing The Pickwick Papers, wrote Nicholas Nickleby and Oliver Twist. 

Today the Charles Dickens Museum is set up as though Dickens himself had just left. It appears as a fairly typical middle-class Victorian home, complete with furnishings, portraits and decorations which are known to have belonged to Dickens.

Sherlock Holmes Museum – 221b Baker St, London NW1 6XE

Located at one of the world’s most famous addresses, the Sherlock Holmes Museum lovingly recreates the gas-lit world of London’s iconic detective and his Victorian surroundings. Immerse yourself in a treasure trove of items relating to Sherlock and the famous cases he solved, in the very setting which inspired them.

The British Library – 96 Euston Rd., London NW1 2DB

The national library of the UK with over 170 million items creating a collection that gets bigger every day.

National Poetry Library – Level 5, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London SE1 8XX

Housing the world’s largest public collection of modern poetry, free to join across the UK, and London’s only space dedicated to poetry study.

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre – 21 New Globe Walk, London SE1 9DT

Founded by the pioneering American actor and director Sam Wanamaker, Shakespeare’s Globe celebrates Shakespeare’s transformative impact on the world by conducting a radical theatrical experiment.

Keats House – 10 Keats Grove, London NW3 2RR

Keats House Hampstead was the home of John Keats from December 1818 until he left for Rome in August 1820.

The Freud Museum – 20 Maresfield Gardens, London NW3 5SX

The Freud Museum was the final home of Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, and his daughter Anna Freud, a pioneering child psychoanalyst. The heart of the house is Sigmund Freud’s study and his famous psychoanalytic couch. Freud spent the last year of his life here, and died in his study.

Dr Johnson’s House – 17 Gough Square, London EC4A 3DE

The home of Samuel Johnson, a professional writer in a new age of print, who rose to become one of the greatest literary figures in the English language, redefining how we think about, use, and record language.

Bookish Theatre Shows

No trip to London would be complete without a trip to the theatre – and many London shows were originally books. Here are just a few that are currently showing in the city:

The Mousetrap – This thrilling West End production is the genre-defining murder mystery from the best-selling novelist of all time. For over 70 years, Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap has kept millions of people from every corner of the globe on the edge of their seats.

Wicked – When Dorothy famously triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West, we only ever heard one side of the story. Gregory Maguire‘s acclaimed 1995 novel, ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’, re-imagines the Land of Oz, creating a parallel universe to the familiar story written by L. Frank Baum and first published as ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ in 1900.

Harry Potter & The Cursed Child – There’s magic in every moment at Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the most awarded new play in history. And now, the 8th Harry Potter story is bringing the magic back to London’s West End.

Matilda The Musical – Matilda The Musical is the multi-award winning musical from the Royal Shakespeare Company, inspired by the beloved book by Roald Dahl.

Oliver! The Musical – With a sensational score, including Food Glorious Food, Consider Yourself, You’ve Got to Pick-a-Pocket or Two, I’d Do Anything, Oom Pah Pah, As Long As He Needs Me and many more, the Olivier, Tony and Oscar-winning masterpiece vividly brings to life Dickens’ ever-popular story of the boy who asked for more.

Witness for the Prosecution – Step inside the magnificent surroundings of London County Hall and experience the intensity and drama of Agatha Christie’s gripping story of justice, passion and betrayal in a unique courtroom setting.

The Great Gatsby – The Great Gatsby is the brand new musical based on the classic American novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, New York, this is one wildly entertaining night at the theatre, and musical theatre at its finest.

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical – When New York City teenager Percy Jackson discovers that he is the half-blood son of the Greek god, Poseidon, his life takes a dramatic turn as he is plunged into a world much bigger than he could possibly have imagined. Based on the much loved Rick Riordan series.

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – Watch the nation’s favourite novel The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe come to life on stage in this spectacular production which is guaranteed to delight all ages.

The Phantom of the Opera – Experience the thrill of the West End’s most haunting love story, created by Andrew Lloyd Webber and based on the novel by Gaston Leroux.

Les Misérables – Les Misérables is undisputedly one of the world’s most popular musicals based on the French epic historical novel by Victor Hugo.

The Devil Wears Prada – Featuring irresistible songs by Elton John and a terrific performance from Vanessa Williams in the iconic role of Miranda Priestly, this new musical based on the blockbuster film and bestselling novel is a devil of a good time!

Mrs Doubtfire – Mrs Doubtfire is the West End’s hit comedy musical based on the beloved film, originally a novem, Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Based on the iconic short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald and reimagined in a Cornish fishing village by award-winning writing team Jethro Compton and Darren Clark, this unique, actor-musician led story is epic and cinematic with a tremendous score.

Literary Locations

Fancy visiting places that feature in your favourite books? A must for book lovers! Many novels take place on the streets of London and here are just a few places you can visit to walk in the footsteps of many beloved characters:

• Bleeding Heart Yard featured in Dickens’ Little Dorrit as the home of the Plornish family.
• Platform 9 3/4 is a classic place to visit from the Harry Potter novels at Kings Cross Station. And there’s a fantastic Harry Potter shop there too.
• Hampstead – This whole area featured in Dracula
• The George Inn at Talbot Yard is the site where the pilgrimage began in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales and it featured in Dickens’ Little Dorrit too!
• Cavendish Square features as the home of Dr Lanyon, Jekyll’s former best friend in Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
• Bridget Jones lived in Holland Park in the books – although her flat in the films was a flat in Borough Market!
• The 101 Dalmatians were walked on Primrose Hill
• The Darling family from Peter Pan lived near Kensington Gardens
• Victoria Station is the place where baby Jack was found in a handbag in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest
• Orwell based the prole pub in 1984 on The Newman Arms

Blue Plaques

There are so many blue plaques around London where you can see all the places the literary greats wrote, lived, worked or died. Here are just a few:

• Samuel Pepys – 14 Buckingham Street, Charing Cross, London, WC2N 6DF
• Agatha Christie – 58 Sheffield Terrace, Holland Park, London, W8 7NA
• Charles Dickens – 48 Doughty Street, Holborn, London, WC1N 2LX
• George Eliot – 4 Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, London, SW3 5QZ
• TS Eliot – 3 Kensington Court Gardens, Kensington, London, W8 5QE,
• Ian Fleming – 22 Ebury Street, Belgravia, London, SW1W 8LW
• James Joyce – 28 Campden Grove, Holland Park, London, W8 4JQ
• Rudyard Kipling – 43 Villiers Street, Charing Cross, London, WC2N 6NE

You can see the full list of literary blue plaques over on the English Heritage website.

Self Guided London Literary Walks

There are a few literary walks that you can do around London if you like someone else to make a plan for you! Here are some suggestions of both self guided and guided walking tours:

• Bohemian Bloomsbury Walking Tour – Follow in the footsteps of some of history’s most celebrated authors during this literary-themed audio tour of London’s Bloomsbury neighbourhood. Discover an easy-to-follow, self-guided and smartphone-based itinerary, with offline access available to audio narration, maps, and geodata. Highlights include the English pub where Dylan Thomas met his wife, a Dickensian alleyway, the British Museum, and Virginia Woolf’s former residence.
• London Walks: London Literary Tours – So many choices from Charles Dickens and Shakespeare to Mary Shelley, Sherlock Holmes and T S Eliot.
• City of London Literary Walking Trail – Follow a walking trail in the City of London that explores the rich literary connections from Dr Johnson’s House along Fleet Street to St Paul’s Cathedral.
• The Ultimate London Literary Walking Tour For Book-Lovers – A walking tour that hits the very best literary spots that London has to offer!
• Writers Walk – Wander through the Bloomsbury area of London, made famous by Virginia Woolf and Charles Dickens, on this writers walk and see tourist attractions such as the British Museum, the Lamb pub, Great Ormond Street Hospital and other places associated with famous British writers.
• The London Literary Pub Tour – With the London Literary Pub Crawl, you can follow in the footsteps of some of history’s most iconic authors, and swill a pint or two in their favourite watering holes.

Literary Events in London

And last but not least, literary events in London. From author talks and book launches to festivals and exhibitions. Here are a few things happening in London:

• Eventbrite is a great place to find literary events that are coming up. See scheduled Literature events here.
• The Southbank Centre always have a lot of literature and poetry events in the pipeline. You can see what’s coming up here.
• The London Literature Festival is an annual event, taking place over ten days each autumn, that unites readers of every age, celebrating the written and spoken word.
• London review Bookshop hosts fantastic events with authors from all genres. You can see all scheduled events here.
• Foyles host everything from storytime, author talks, book launches and more. See their upcoming events here.
• The London Book Fair is where the global publishing community unites to develop relationships, gain insights, and define the future of creative content. From publishers, dealmakers, copyright pros, commissioners and global licensers – the entire publishing industry is represented at LBF.
• London Festival of Writing is a packed weekend of writing workshops from bestselling authors, literary agent one-to-ones and more.
• Waterstones host so many events with storytime sessions, book signings, author Q&As and more. You can see all their upcoming events here.
• The London Library is another place that hosts fantastic events throughout the year. You can see everything they have planned here.

So there you have so many things that you can do, experience or take part in for a top bookish day in London. See bookish sites, spend time in bookshops, enjoy a literary afternoon tea and maybe even get a book signed or see an author speak. I’ll add more places to go for book lovers as I come across them.

If you’re looking for more things to do in London these articles might help:

• Where to have Afternoon Tea in London
• Where to play Crazy Golf in London
• The Best Disney Things to do in London
• Animal Things to do in London
• Things to do on a Sunny Day in London
• The Best Harry Potter Things in London
• Adventurous Things To Do in London