Once Upon a Tome is the colourful story of life in a treasure trove of literary delights and a love letter to the world of antiquarian bookselling.
Welcome to Sotheran’s, one of the oldest bookshops in the world, with its weird and wonderful clientele, suspicious cupboards, unlabelled keys and poisoned books. Some years ago, Oliver Darkshire stepped into the hushed interior of Henry Sotheran Ltd on Sackville Street (est. 1761) to interview for their bookselling apprenticeship. Sotheran’s sings a siren song to eccentrics and the alluring smell of old books proved irresistible.
‘Seeking a Christmas present for that bibliophilic relative who has seemingly read everything? It’s right here.’ Financial Times