December 2018 Bookshop of the Month: Goldsboro Books (London)

By Liz Robinson | 10th December 2018

One of my favourite features on our LoveReading blog are the bookshop posts, I really do feel that we need to shout about, highlight, and show our appreciation for our booksellers. In this day and age where huge online retailers exist, it takes a very special small shop to not only survive, but also thrive. Goldsboro Books is indeed a very special shop, based in London they actually focus on signed first edition hardbacks. Some of my favourite pictures on twitter are of authors peeking out from behind a table full of books in the shop, with a pen in hand ready to start signing. Do pop in and say hello if you are up in London, they also have a book club, and their books can be purchased online.

Charlotte our Reviews Manager says: "I'm never going to have any money now I know about this shop!!!! I've already pre-ordered a copy of The Binding from them!"

When was your bookshop born and how did that come about?

Goldsboro Books was formed in 1999 by two friends and book collectors, David Headley and Daniel Gedeon. The idea was formed from their love of signed first editions, and the desire to share precious books with other collectors. The business has been growing ever since.

Tell us about the journey and the changes you have seen over the years.

Goldsboro started in the living room of the owners’ houses, and developed quickly as a reputation for spotting quality books early on was formed. The first premises were taken on Cecil Court not long after forming and the business has stayed on the street, albeit moving into bigger shops down the road, ever since. The book business has changed a lot in this time, but an appetite for signed first editions amongst book collectors has not.

Describe your shop in three words.

Welcoming. Curated. Inspired.

Has the rise of digital retailers affected your bookshop, what were your first thoughts about ebooks and do you feel the same now?

There was a period when ebooks became very popular and there was a slight concern, however we have seen that print sales have been rising again for some time. As we offer something a little different to a classic bookshop, we are able to survive and thrive! There is of course a market for ebooks, but we feel that you will never be able to replace the sensation of holding and reading a physical book.

What is important in a great bookshop, tell us what sets you apart and makes you special.

We have touched briefly upon what sets us apart, and that is we only sell signed first edition hardbacks. We are very lucky that authors come in to the shop and sign their books for us on a daily basis, and also that we are in a position to produce exclusive editions of books with publishers to bring the most special editions possible to our customers. Another thing that makes us special is that we have a signed first edition book club with lots of members, and we pick a book each month that we send to all our club members. We’ve picked some great books in the past that have gone to huge success!

Tell us about the books you love to recommend.

This is a hard one. We’ll recommend anything that has a brilliant story and is able to transport a reader to a new place. A great place to see the books we love to recommend is our Book of the Month club. This is where you can see some really fantastic books that we shout about. Also if you look at our exclusive editions, they have all been hand-picked because we believe they are brilliant novels that deserve a special edition.

What is your favourite part of your bookshop?

All of it! We couldn’t pick… But we do have some rather lovely rare and collectible books in our cabinets.

Tell us a secret about books.

They have the power to change your life… Wait, you probably already knew that.

Apart from yourselves, which other bookshop(s) do you love to spend time in?

Lutyens & Rubenstein in Notting Hill is lovely to have a browse in, and very friendly.

What else do our members need to know about you?

All of our books can be purchased online at www.goldsborobooks.com and we ship worldwide. We have everything from the newest fiction to classic authors such as Agatha Christie, Ian Fleming and many more. If you’re a book collector or just someone that appreciates the beauty of books, we will have something for you.