Our latest From The Counter journal focuses on one of London's most loved booksellers, Daunt Books. We've had the pleasure of working with them for many years, with our cards and stationery ranges stocked across all their shops in the capital.
The Marylebone High Street shop was originally built in 1912 as a purpose-built bookshop, and James Daunt took it over in 1990, opening it first as a travel bookshop before the business grew into the eight further branches it has today.
This is a bittersweet article for us, as we're saying goodbye to Julia Harrison, who is taking her well-earned retirement. Here, Julia looks back at her time with Daunt.
"On retiring from Daunt Books last week after seventeen years I was delighted to receive a card from Art Angels' gorgeous range. Unbeknownst to the sender, the card had special meaning: long a favourite of mine, I will especially miss the great joy of ordering from Art Angels' range of cards and stationery; so many lovely designs in fact that the main problem was always which ones to leave out.
I have been a bookseller for most of my adult life and still love matching people with books. I can think of nowhere I would rather have ended my career than at Daunt Books: 'designed for travellers who love reading', my travels over the years have been enhanced by our shop's method of dividing the books by country so that readers will find the history and literature of a place together. When I was interviewed by James Daunt I was just about to go on a walking holiday in the Taurus mountains in Turkey. He took me to the section and handed me 'Portrait of a Turkish Family' by Irfan Orga: the story of the author's family, living in the twilight of the Ottoman Empire. This recommendation enhanced my experiences in Turkey and is something I carry with me to this day.
This is one of the things I will miss most about Daunt Books: the great privilege of listening to booksellers sharing their passions with customers. Every day a customer will remark with pleasure on time spent in the shop. In an age of AI and online shopping this human connection has come to feel like a very precious thing.
In recent years I have loved being the buyer for our cards and stationery which matches my interest in illustration, both mid twentieth century and modern which inspired me to start my Silver Locket blog and associated website, devoted to illustration and book design of all kinds.
I am proud of developing the range at Daunt Books and have loved finding new and interesting artists and makers who match our brand. The Art Angels range is at the core of what I try and achieve at Daunt. I love the combination of mid century modern illustrators with what I think of as their modern equivalents: Eric Ravilious and Sheila Robinson sitting next to Angie Lewin and Clare Curtis, to name just a few. I was particularly excited recently when a new wrapping paper design was produced featuring linocut artist Christopher Brown's 'Albion', which is a wallpaper design by St Jude's which I long to have in my flat. This autumn a new range of 3D cards, wrap and advent calendar by Alice Pattullo, based on a country show, had me running round the shop with excitement showing them to all my colleagues. I love making these connections.
I have watched children grow up in the shop, and can think of nothing more life enhancing than sharing a love of books and story telling with young people. I would add to this, the sheer joy of receiving a hand written card. Daunt books connects us with each other and with ideas: it is the life blood of the business and of us as individuals. It really does mean so much."
We wish Julia every happiness in this new chapter. If you'd like more of her writing on books and illustration, do visit her blog, The Silver Locket. We very much look forward to continuing to work with Daunt Books in the years ahead.
