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Welcome
Award-winning independent and much-loved bookshop, Dulwich Books has been serving the local community for over 40 years.
In these challenging times for retail, we value our loyal customers and hope that the personal aspect of shopping locally will prevail. We can order books into the shop for next-day collection provided it is in stock at our suppliers and ordered by 5pm.
You can place your order over the phone during working hours, by emailing us or by filling out the order form below.
We stock a wide range of titles, as well as a fantastic choice of children’s books. We also stock greetings cards, gift stationery, wrap and jigsaws. In addition we offer a loyalty card scheme – just ask at the till when making your purchases.
Our friendly, knowledgeable and experienced staff are on hand to recommend books and help with any questions.
We hope to see you soon!
with
Welcome
Award-winning independent and much-loved bookshop, Dulwich Books has been serving the local community for over 40 years.
In these challenging times for retail, we value our loyal customers and hope that the personal aspect of shopping locally will prevail. We can order books into the shop for next-day collection provided it is in stock at our suppliers and ordered by 5pm.
We stock a wide range of titles, as well as a fantastic choice of children’s books. We also stock greetings cards, gift stationery, wrap and jigsaws. In addition we offer a loyalty card scheme – just ask at the till when making your purchases.
Our friendly, knowledgeable and experienced staff are on hand to recommend books and help with any questions.
We hope to see you soon!
Order a Book
We can take orders over the phone on 020 8670 1920 during working hours or by email at [email protected]. We can order books for next-day delivery provided it is in stock at our suppliers and ordered by 5pm.
Alternatively, click the button below and fill out the form on our website with the details of the book you would like to order.
We are on Bookshop.org
We hope our local customers will continue to order books directly from us. For customers in other parts of the UK, we are delighted to be part of Bookshop.org , an on-line sales platform which allows readers to buy books online while supporting local independent booksellers. It has been hailed as a “revolutionary moment in the history of bookselling”: finally a socially conscious alternative to Amazon.
Books of the Month
Non-fiction
The Book of Birds by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris
Hamish Hamilton, £35
Seven years in the making, The Book of Birds is a love letter to the splendours and mysteries of birdlife, and a clarion call to halt the loss of birds from land, sea and sky.
From Dipper to Dunnock and Kestrel to Kingfisher, from mountain to ocean and city to river, Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane conjure the unique spirit and lifeway of each species. This is a book to be treasured by bird-lovers of all ages, and a future classic work of reference.
Middle Grade
The Adventures of Portly the Otter by M.G. Leonard and Polly Dunbar
Farshore, £14.99
There is a time in a young otter’s life when they must be introduced to their river. For Portly, today was that day … Told across four seasons in one year, little Portly has the greatest of adventures. Among other fur-raising encounters, he learns to swim, battles a large trout, rescues a human girl, outwits the weasels and stoats of the Wild Wood and sleeps in the care of the god Pan.
Full of all the charm, nostalgia and sounds of splashing in the river that fans of The Wind in the Willows love, M.G.Leonard’s faithful spin-off will enchant an entirely new generation, with utterly gorgeous illustrations by Polly Dunbar throughout.
Young Adult
Piper at the Gates of Dusk by Patrick Ness
Walker, £16.99
Brothers Ben and Max have never really got on, each being more like one of their parents – Todd and Viola. But when something is spotted in the night sky – something that’s bringing back dreams of Noise, dreams of terror – the brothers will have to come together. Danger is coming and the family will be tested like never before.
A sci-fi, dystopian, heart-pounding adventure like no other, by one of the world’s most beloved young-adult writers and author of A Monster Calls. This is a brand-new story set in the world of the multi-award-winning, globally bestselling Chaos Walking series – a compelling read for new and existing fans.
Fiction
The Given World by Melissa Harrison
Cornerstone, £18.99
April brings spring surging with it, giving rise, among many in the village, to a comforting illusion that all is somehow still right with the world, and that nothing will ever change. In the ancient Welm Valley, something is shifting: the river is behaving oddly, while the arrival of spring, with its familiar rhythms, is shadowed by an undercurrent of unease.
Luminous and intimate, The Given World is a story of belonging, loss and the richly interwoven connections between people, history and place.
Picture Book
Room for Us All by Lu Fraser & Sarah Warburton
Simon & Schuster, £7.99
Today is Pamela the squirrel’s BEST day! She is finally off to The Big Tree to play. Pam can bounce! She can pounce! Yes – she’s ready to JOIN IN. But what will Pamela do when the other squirrels say there’s NO ROOM for her?
Gorgeous, characterful artwork packed with adorable detail and from the team behind Dulwich Books’ favourite, Mavis the Bravest, this is a heartwarming, relatable story that reassures us that there’s always a way to make room for us all!
Upcoming Events
Dulwich Festival Event: Tales from the Ukrainian East – Victoria Donovan
May 17, 2026 - 12pm
Since the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine in 2014, its eastern region – Donbas – has been synonymous with conflict. By travelling around the area and speaking to those whose lives are embedded there now Victoria Donovan amplifies local voices and reveals the intensely personal lived reality of Putin’s war.
Revelatory, evocative and deeply humane, Life In Spite of Everything is a celebration of a country’s past and present, and its people’s tenacity, creativity and independence.
This event will be held at the Dulwich Picture Gallery and is part of the Dulwich Festival.
Dulwich Festival Event: Why Populists Are Winning and How to Beat Them – Liam Byrne
May 17, 2026 - 2pm
Join Labour MP Liam Byrne as he unpicks why authoritarian populists now govern one-quarter of the world’s democracies, exposing the forces propelling the populist surge – and revealing how to stop it.
Drawing on original polling of thousands of voters, interviews with leading thinkers, and on-the-ground reporting across Britain, Europe and America, Byrne decodes the populist playbook and maps the rhetoric populists use to weaponise fear and nostalgia. His book is a field manual for democratic renewal – written for anyone who refuses to let fear win.
This event will be held at the Dulwich Picture Gallery and is part of the Dulwich Festival.
Storytime on Saturdays, 11am
Join us in the children’s corner every Saturday at 11am for storytime when we’ll read from our favourite picture books, old and new.
No need to book, just turn up and enjoy!
Meet the Team
Cathy Slater
Owner
Cathy has enjoyed a career in publishing spanning over 3 decades, in International Sales and Foreign Rights. She joined Dulwich Books in January 2017, keen to learn about the bookselling side of the industry and purchased the shop from Susie Nicklin in November 2019. She is very happy and excited to have an opportunity to run this much-loved bookshop, and continue to serve the local community.
When not reading, she loves gardening, walking, nature and wildlife. She sings in two local choirs and is part of a shanty group called Shotley Crue. She speaks Italian and French and a little Spanish.
Cathy recommends
The Bell in The Lake by Lars Mytting
MacLehose Press, £9.99
The first in a rich historical trilogy set in Norway, a lyrical mix of legend and craftsmanship, and a compelling love story. By the author of The Sixteen Trees of the Somme.
Kitty Spence
Manager
Kitty read Modern and Medieval History at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Since then, she has worked in retail, as well as volunteering at various theatre and new playwrighting festivals. She joined the Dulwich Books team at the start of 2018 as a Saturday bookseller, has been a full-time member of staff since 2019 and has recently been appointed as manager.
She enjoys reading all sorts of books, but has a particular fondness for novels set in London and literary biographies. She also loves going to the theatre, live comedy, football, culture podcasts as well as taking long walks and swimming at lidos and ponds around London.
Kitty recommends
The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard
Picador, £9.99
The first volume of the wonderful Cazalet Chronicles. Set during the summers of 1937 and 1938, it follows three generations of the Cazalet family as they spend their holidays together at Home Place in sunlit Sussex. Howard expertly explores the tensions and tangles of family life and she writes with a generosity towards each of her many characters. This captivating novel unfolds at a delightfully unhurried pace, making it a perfect book to get lost in. It’s always a pleasure to revisit the Cazalets and the later volumes follow the family through the Second World War and beyond.
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Location
6 Croxted Road
West Dulwich
London
SE21 8SW
[email protected]
020 8670 1920
Opening Hours
Mon – Thurs 10am – 5.30pm
Fri – Sat 9.30am – 5.30pm
Sun 11am – 4pm
Nearest overground stations:
West Dulwich & West Norwood
Number 3 bus:
Stops just outside the shop
Place an order
Please fill out the form below with the details of the book you would like to purchase and we will send a confirmation email that the order has been processed.
For Schools
We have a lot of experience working with local schools and can arrange free delivery of books to your school. We can often offer free author visits to schools and organise book sales at events.
Our expert staff can share their knowledge and offer guidance on all book related enquiries to teachers and librarians, and we are happy to offer competitive discounts, so please contact us with your requirements.
Bookshop Hire
We hire out the shop for private events, such as book launches, in the evening. We charge for this service, as we will provide staff, utilities, and assistance.
If you are interested do email [email protected] with details of your event, and we will be happy to help.
For Publicists & independent authors
If you are an independent author, please visit the shop to see what kind of books we have in stock and email [email protected] with info about your work. We have had plenty of success with local and independent authors and will consider each book on its merits.
Off Site Sales
We work with lots of venues to sell books for their events, festivals, book signings and launches. All books can be put through Book Scan, and we can take credit card sales via our GPS-enabled machine as well as cash and cheques.
Don’t hesitate to call us on 020 8670 1920 or to email [email protected] if you need an expert bookseller for your event.