House of Hodge London

Books, books and more books

Madeline from London

<strong>About me</strong> When I moved to London after graduating in 2020, I didn’t plan to stay for long. My dream was to travel the world and moving to the Big Smoke just felt like a way to bide my time until the pandemic ended and international borders reopened. I found a simple job in a frozen yoghurt shop and spent my days off exploring the local sights. The lon...
"It was set up in 2009 by Highbury resident and cat enthusiast Doreen Rolph, as a place to raise funds for local animal welfare organisations."

Small, cosy and unpretentious, House of Hodge is one of London’s most beloved charity bookshops. It was set up in 2009 by Highbury resident and cat enthusiast Doreen Rolph, as a place to raise funds for local animal welfare organisations.

During its first decade, House of Hodge would best have been described as an “organised mess”. In fact, taped to the door is a print-out of Thomas Fleming’s Interior of an Old Bookshop on Pennsylvania Avenue with the caption ‘How this shop used to look only a few years ago!’.

Today – whether for health and safety reasons or for the sake of the shop volunteers – it is a lot tidier, with everything stacked neatly and sorted into categories. Even so, it remains a treasure trove, and customers will be rewarded for their perseverance with near-perfect books at bargain prices. Come prepared with a sturdy bag or buy one of the shop’s cat-themed totes.

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Art & culture
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Shopping

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London Spotter Madeline

<strong>About me</strong> When I moved to London after graduating in 2020, I didn’t plan to stay for long. My dream was to travel the world and moving to the Big Smoke just felt like a way to bide my time until the pandemic ended and international borders reopened. I found a simple job in a frozen yoghurt shop and spent my days off exploring the local sights. The longer I stayed in London, however, the more attached I became to the people, places and the chaotic but exhilarating way of life. At times, making ends meet was challenging, but I knew this was where I ...

About this spot

174 Blackstock Rd

Used book:

£

3

2081274765

Sep 21, 2025

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