Backstory

Tom Rowley left a career reporting for The Economist and The Washington Post to sell books from a market stall in Balham, then borrowed £100,000 to fit out a disused tile shop on the high road. Backstory opened in October 2022 with a full bar built into the shelving, on the premise that people linger longer with a glass in hand. Two book clubs run monthly over video call, with the author dialling in. The shop was named London's Independent Bookshop of the Year, and a team of six now runs events most weeks alongside the day-to-day bookselling.