Word On The Water - The London Bookbarge

Care for a browse of London's floating bookshop? :)

New beautiful things.. :)

Sometimes a wild god comes to the table. He is awkward and does not know the ways Of porcelain, of fork and mustard and silver. His voice makes vinegar from wine.
...Continue Reading

Britain's brightest and best :)

Go Luke ❤

Upcoming at the famous Housemans Radical Bookshop, our brothers in arms and neighbours :)

FREE and open to all!
Explore the life of times of King’s Cross and ignite your curiosity as we celebrate the weird and wonderful amongst the rise of glass and steel.
PAST... Delve into the hidden histories of King’s Cross and unearth its myths and mysteries, from warrior women and lost rivers to dust heaps and walrus bones.
PRESENT Tune into the surroundings with deep listening, interactive story sharing and on the spot music making.
FUTURE Make a wish on sacred Fleet River water and share your vision for a wilder, more sustainable future.
All aboard for an immersive voyage through time!
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❤ today, Sunday in London

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Aretha, bodhisattva xxx

Henry Knudsen playing in the slanting evening sunlight :)

not to be missed... :)

:)

you are cordially invited :)

the exciting recent discovery of William Blake's grave...

Call for any non-male poets who would like to perform at our next JazzPoetry show.. message us here..

:)

What an incredible experience! Found you by accident but loved the whole idea and experience. It was a random walk on our one night stay in London but I will find you again the next time we are in London.

What a find. Great music. Eclectic collection of books. On a barge in Regents Canal. In summer there is live music.

Visited this wonderful haven on the canal at King's Cross today - lots of cushioned seating areas on the boat to peruse the vast range of books, from Marxism to poetry, kids' books and travel. John was so welcoming and friendly. With the lovely dog and warm sunshine, this homely spot felt far away from London.

This is a London precious gem. Stumbled across it last night with my friend. We are both children's writers and Illustrators so this little treasure was something out of fairy tales. And to add to the delight was the charming Francesca, who was managing the bookstore. So incredibly welcoming, warm and friendly. You must go inside and take a peek and of course make a purchase. We need to keep this place afloat (pun intended).

There actually are more books than meets the eye. You'll find a varied selection of second-hand books and vinyls, and a floating island of peace in the tumult. It is quaint, quirk, and quiet. And when I went there I was greeted with a wide smile and was invited to shelter from the cold next to the stove inside. Time halted somehow, even though the jazzy beats playing on the owner's radio gave me some notion that somewhere it still existed. Highly recommended!

One off the bucket list. Great eclectic mix of books. Smells so good inside too.

A definite one to visit if you like things a little bit quirky and not too regimental .

Bloke was fun too, reciting poetry. An added attraction

One of the best bookshops in London. It's run by a pair of top notch lit grads who you can learn a lot from, with buskers in the summer and a well curated selection of fascinating and cult books old and new. They even have a dog- what more could you want? Worth going out of your way for a visit.

On a very limited-time visit to London (my first!) Word On The Water was one of my absolute must-see places. I was not disappointed in the least. :-)

Lovely place to browse books old and new. Friendly owner too.

Finally made it from the frozen north (well, Preston) 2 years after finding you on Facebook. Lovely cosy barge filled to the brim with books, easy chairs to curl up & read in & a wood burner. Great to meet John & his lovely dog Star who is 13 & played fetch with her ball the entire time we were there. Found a great selection of books for our granddaughter. We'll be back on our next trip to London.

Fab book shop, you must go inside to appreciate the wide eclectic range of books on sale. Very tempted to buy, but would have had to carry around with me all day and knew it would be closed by the time we returned. Will definitely revisit when I don't need to worry about baggage!

Bought a small volume of Heaney and treated to a recitation and few moments peace on the water. Another magical experience in London. 5 mins from KX and my train home.

An excellent place to browse on a Saturday afternoon in spring sunshine, with live music playing and people going by on the busy towing path.

Amazing,quirky shop. Visited during the London Bookshop Crawl & it was the absolute highlight of the day! Great selection of books,and the owner and his dog were brilliant!

Amazing experience!

Amazing book shop on the water, if you are lucky you might catch some spoken word or a live band playing.



Best spot in kings cross

A great experience in your bookshop which is amazing. We had to wait a long time before you opened the curtains.... about 1 minute � cause it was 11:59 pm ! We came and visited you last monday and we will come again when we're back in town. Thanks for your kindness, you and your lovely Star. As soon as I have finished the 4 books I bought, I'll come back.

Elodie (from France)

A fantastic book barge run by the wonderful James. See it out, you’ll love it. And if you happen to be a photographer, it’s very photogenic - and James is very photo friendly.

A lovely shop and a touch of rare humanity in what is fast becoming an elite corporate metropolis. The barge has a wonderful arty, bohemian feel together and has the atmosphere of the boquinistes of the Left Bank in Paris. The proprietors are friendly and welcoming and there is no pressure to buy. It is heartwarming to smell the woodsmoke and see the canal dwellers and browse a fine collection of books amongst the forbidding steel and glass that now surrounds the canal. A little reminder of a time gone by when people knew that there was a difference between "price" and "value". God bless Paddy and John and hope you trade for many years to come, if not in Paddington may your alternative plans come to fruition.

❤ today, Sunday in London

What an incredible experience! Found you by accident but loved the whole idea and experience. It was a random walk on our one night stay in London but I will find you again the next time we are in London.

What a find. Great music. Eclectic collection of books. On a barge in Regents Canal. In summer there is live music.

Visited this wonderful haven on the canal at King's Cross today - lots of cushioned seating areas on the boat to peruse the vast range of books, from Marxism to poetry, kids' books and travel. John was so welcoming and friendly. With the lovely dog and warm sunshine, this homely spot felt far away from London.

This is a London precious gem. Stumbled across it last night with my friend. We are both children's writers and Illustrators so this little treasure was something out of fairy tales. And to add to the delight was the charming Francesca, who was managing the bookstore. So incredibly welcoming, warm and friendly. You must go inside and take a peek and of course make a purchase. We need to keep this place afloat (pun intended).

There actually are more books than meets the eye. You'll find a varied selection of second-hand books and vinyls, and a floating island of peace in the tumult. It is quaint, quirk, and quiet. And when I went there I was greeted with a wide smile and was invited to shelter from the cold next to the stove inside. Time halted somehow, even though the jazzy beats playing on the owner's radio gave me some notion that somewhere it still existed. Highly recommended!

One off the bucket list. Great eclectic mix of books. Smells so good inside too.

A definite one to visit if you like things a little bit quirky and not too regimental .

Bloke was fun too, reciting poetry. An added attraction

One of the best bookshops in London. It's run by a pair of top notch lit grads who you can learn a lot from, with buskers in the summer and a well curated selection of fascinating and cult books old and new. They even have a dog- what more could you want? Worth going out of your way for a visit.

On a very limited-time visit to London (my first!) Word On The Water was one of my absolute must-see places. I was not disappointed in the least. :-)

Lovely place to browse books old and new. Friendly owner too.

Finally made it from the frozen north (well, Preston) 2 years after finding you on Facebook. Lovely cosy barge filled to the brim with books, easy chairs to curl up & read in & a wood burner. Great to meet John & his lovely dog Star who is 13 & played fetch with her ball the entire time we were there. Found a great selection of books for our granddaughter. We'll be back on our next trip to London.

Fab book shop, you must go inside to appreciate the wide eclectic range of books on sale. Very tempted to buy, but would have had to carry around with me all day and knew it would be closed by the time we returned. Will definitely revisit when I don't need to worry about baggage!

Bought a small volume of Heaney and treated to a recitation and few moments peace on the water. Another magical experience in London. 5 mins from KX and my train home.

An excellent place to browse on a Saturday afternoon in spring sunshine, with live music playing and people going by on the busy towing path.

Amazing,quirky shop. Visited during the London Bookshop Crawl & it was the absolute highlight of the day! Great selection of books,and the owner and his dog were brilliant!

Amazing experience!

Amazing book shop on the water, if you are lucky you might catch some spoken word or a live band playing.



Best spot in kings cross

A great experience in your bookshop which is amazing. We had to wait a long time before you opened the curtains.... about 1 minute � cause it was 11:59 pm ! We came and visited you last monday and we will come again when we're back in town. Thanks for your kindness, you and your lovely Star. As soon as I have finished the 4 books I bought, I'll come back.

Elodie (from France)

A fantastic book barge run by the wonderful James. See it out, you’ll love it. And if you happen to be a photographer, it’s very photogenic - and James is very photo friendly.

A lovely shop and a touch of rare humanity in what is fast becoming an elite corporate metropolis. The barge has a wonderful arty, bohemian feel together and has the atmosphere of the boquinistes of the Left Bank in Paris. The proprietors are friendly and welcoming and there is no pressure to buy. It is heartwarming to smell the woodsmoke and see the canal dwellers and browse a fine collection of books amongst the forbidding steel and glass that now surrounds the canal. A little reminder of a time gone by when people knew that there was a difference between "price" and "value". God bless Paddy and John and hope you trade for many years to come, if not in Paddington may your alternative plans come to fruition.