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British Books ![British Books]()
The British Are Coming! Our British books include fiction and non-fiction. We are particularly delighted to offer British books published by Persephone Books in London. Persephone Books is a press that specializes in revitalized and reprinted British classics. British Vogue called Persephone Books "The answer to a present-giver's prayers." Persephone Books say it specializes in British books "to appeal to busy women who rarely have time to spend in ever-larger bookshops."
Besides our Persephone Books, we have some other lovely books. For gifts, at $10, the petite Keep Calm and Carry On book is a gem. We love the crown pattern endpapers and every room should have a touch of red! Of course not all our books are British books - or red. For example, see our Tiffany's Table Manners in "Tiffany blue."
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| British Books |  | Virginia Woolf (1882-1941)
"The bust at the left is of course Virginia Woolf. Virginia did not like being looked at but the sculptor, Tomlin, was very persuasive and somehow managed to get her to pose for the bust while she was sitting for a portrait by her sister Vanessa. The work proceeded with difficulty and in the end was left unfinished."
- Quentin Bell | Finished or not, the sculpture of Virginia is now in the National Portrait Gallery in London. This sculpture of Virginia Woolf is considered to be Tomlin's finest work. Several casts were made for family members and important British Museums and libraries as well as for Virginia and Vanessa's homes, Monk's House and Charleston, which are now maintained by the National Trust and can be visited.
Persephone British Books & More for Home Decor
As the great American decorator Billy Baldwin said, "There isn't a room in the house, including the bathroom, where books aren't first-class decoration." We know you can't judge a book by its cover but some books do look better than others in the library.
The out of print British Books reprinted by modern day British bookseller, Persephone Books, are always beautiful. They have a dove grey cover with distinctive endpapers and matching bookmarks whose designs are taken from vintage British textiles and drawings. They are British books in every way from cover to cover.
For example, Kitchen Essays is one that has a cover painting by Harold Harvey from 1918, a portrait of Agnes Jekyll from her estate, and an inside cover fabric design from the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection.
Authors of Our Books
Our British books, are by some of our favorite authors like Virginia Woolf who are now with us in spirit only. Some of our other books are by authors who are still very much around today. Barbara Flanaghan, Maira Kalman and Pamela Fiori are very much in the news. They are known for their work in architecture and design, illustration and editing respectively.
British Books in Vanity Fair Magazine
Persephone Books have been discovered in the US. In Vanity Fair Magazine, February 2010, Christa D'Souza described Persephone Books as follows: "Persephone evokes cozy and nostalgic memories of London train rides, Yardley English Lavender, freshly brewed tea being poured into a proper china cup, a spring popping out of a slightly doggy-smelling chair...Persephone Books has developed a cult following."
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