Hatchards
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Hatchards store on Piccadilly
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| Industry | Bookshop |
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| Founded | 1797 |
| Founder | John Hatchard |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
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Number of locations
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2 |
| Parent | Waterstones |
| Website | www |
Hatchards is the oldest bookshop in the United Kingdom.[1][2]
History
It was founded by John Hatchard in 1797 in Piccadilly in London, from where it still trades today. Mr Hatchard's portrait can be seen on the staircase of the shop today.
Its origins were founded through a bought collection of merchandise from Simon Vandenbergh, a bookseller of the 18th century.
Operations
It has a reputation for attracting high-profile authors and holds three Royal Warrants. Today Hatchards is owned by Waterstones, having been acquired in the late 1990s. Waterstones also has its large flagship store on the same road (formerly Simpsons of Piccadilly).
Over the years many famous authors have signed at Hatchards including J.K Rowling, Alexander McCall Smith, Peter Ackroyd, Margaret Thatcher, Lauren Bacall, Stephen Fry, Jeremy Paxman, Joanne Harris, the late Alec Guinness, David Attenborough, Michael Palin, Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire, Peter Mandelson, Hilary Mantel, Sebastian Faulks, and Howard Jacobson.
The only antiquarian books currently sold are by and about Winston Churchill, with a small selection of European Royalty books. Other specialist subjects include Gardening, Food & Drink, Biography, Art and Royalty. In 2006 Mowbrays Religious Bookshop moved into Hatchards.
All books can be ordered by telephone or fax and can be mailed worldwide.
Twice yearly Hatchards produce a catalogue of new titles. A subscription service to have this mailed out on publication is offered by the store.
A popular annual event held in the run up to Christmas (usually the last Thursday of November) is the Hatchards Christmas Customer Evening. Over twenty well-known authors can be signing books throughout the 5 floors of the shop.
Hatchards opened a new store in St Pancras railway station in 2014. The 2,000 sq ft store, opened at the beginning of August, is located next door to a new branch of Fortnum and Mason, continuing a relationship that goes back over two centuries.
References
- ↑ Peter Marcan, Directory of Specialist Bookdealers in the United Kingdom Handling Mainly New Books: With Appendices Listing Specialist Directories of Museums, Libraries, and Associations, page 6 (P. Marcan, 1982). ISBN 978-0950421131
- ↑ Sandra L. Beckett, Crossover Fiction: Global and Historical Perspectives, page 212 (Routledge, 2009). ISBN 978-0-415-98033-3
External links
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- Pages using infobox company with unsupported parameters
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- Companies established in 1797
- Bookshops in London
- Buildings and structures in the City of Westminster
- British Royal Warrant holders
- Visitor attractions in the City of Westminster
- Piccadilly
- United Kingdom retail company stubs
