HMV Oxford Street has been through it all. First opening in 1921, it closed down in 2019 it was turned into an American candy shop (for shame!).  But then, in 2023, the iconic store rose from the ashes and re-opened as The HMV Shop in November 2023. Now, the music emporium has announced it is expanding into books, with an entire floor of the shop to be dedicated to literature and literary events. 

HMV will stock more than 4,000 titles and have a 2,500 square foot space for holding book-related events, including readings, fan meet-ups and signings. 

HMV’s owner Doug Putman said he had ‘always wanted to expand the offering’ into books, and that HMV has sold books online for quite a while. 

‘The HMV 363 Bookshop space at our flagship will be unlike any other bookshop on the high street remaining true to our unique HMV Shop concept which centres around fans and community,’ he said.

‘While music is central to the HMV offer, we believe passionately in giving fans of popular culture a place to come, meet and explore the things they care about so deeply with likeminded people. We’ve done that with fans of music, film, popular culture and now through a carefully curated selection of books. We want to give our communities of readers a new place to connect with each other and celebrate the stories and characters they love.’

ICYMI: Guanghwa, the UK’s only Chinese bookshop, could be forced to close.

Plus: Harvey Nichols is launching a Tim Burton-inspired afternoon tea in London. 

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