The Bookshop Podcast: Stories, Bookshops, and Community

One of the great pleasures of hosting The Bookshop Podcast is how naturally conversations unfold. While each episode begins with books, they often expand into discussions about place, history, and the communities that form around independent bookshops. Recently, I spoke with Nicky Dunne from Heywood Hill, the historic independent bookshop in Mayfair, London. Our conversation wandered—as good book conversations often do—through London, favorite reads, and the shop’s remarkable past. Heywood Hill is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, and we discussed how the shop endured the bombings of World War II and continued serving readers through extraordinary times. That episode will be live in the coming weeks. If you enjoy romance novels and conversations about books and community, I also recommend listening to my recent interview with Rachel Kanter, founder of Lovestruck Books in Harvard Square, Cambridge. Conversations with independent booksellers consistently return to the idea of community—one of the most meaningful and enduring aspects of literary culture.

A Reading Recommendation

One book I highly recommend is Deeper Than the Ocean by Mirta Ojito. In our podcast conversation, we explore memory, identity, and the stories that shape who we become—long after the final page.