Persephone Books Returns to London After Five-Year Absence

Persephone Books — the independent shop dedicated to works by neglected or lesser-known female writers from the 20th century, including Dorothy Whipple, E.M. Delafield, and Katherine Mansfield — is returning to London for the first time since closing its Bloomsbury premises in May 2021. The new shop opens on Wednesday 4 November 2026 at 10am in Fitzrovia, occupying the former Pollock's Toy Museum building behind Goodge Street. Ahead of opening, the shop received over 8,000 books packed in 500 boxes. Persephone's signature grey book jackets with muted midcentury endpaper patterns will fill the shelves. During the five-year absence from London, the operation continued online and maintained a location in Bath. Customers should expect "the atmosphere of a pop-up," according to the owners, as the exterior still carries the faded red-and-yellow appearance of the former toy museum while permission to change it is pending. The return has generated significant excitement among long-time readers who have been waiting five years for a London destination.