About us section

About us

World’s End Bookshop has been purveying second-hand and rare books in Chelsea for almost 40 years. Located on the bend of the King’s Road, its distinctive red awning and book trolleys on the pavement have become a familiar part of the Chelsea scene. For those hunting down an elusive volume of poetry or perhaps a beautifully-bound antiquarian edition, it’s an absolute boon. And with prices ranging from a fiver to £5,000 there’s always something to suit all pockets and tastes.

The owner, Giles Lyon, has 25 years’ experience in the book trade, having followed his father into the business. He has now clocked up fifteen years at World’s End, taking over the business from Stephen Dickson in 2009. In that time the stock has changed from piles of books on the floor to a far more selective choice of quality books (mostly on shelves too!). Hard to say what our headliners are, but modern first editions (Fleming, Greene, Waugh, Wodehouse) feature prominently, as do classy design and fashion books, progressive photography, library-quality antiquarian sets, and an unpredictable cavalcade of ‘what comes into the shop’

Giles is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association (ABA) which means he has the expected level of expertise to be entrusted to offer a fair valuation of any book which comes across his bows. It also means that we’re lucky enough to frequent all the best bookfairs up and down the country-where we hope you’ll come and visit us!

Join us

Give the gift of stories.

A book makes a fabulous gift for that special occasion. We are on hand to offer advice and several choices of books for any occasion.  For a quick idea, you can browse the list below; or come and visit us at the shop and we can sit down and discuss more ideas and or come up with a suitable alternative. Once you've settled on your choice, we can beautifully gift wrap your book and send it anywhere in the world via our trusted courier service.  We also have a selection of literary-themed postcards on which you can write your message and enclose with the book.

Antiquarian

Antiquarian

Signed

Signed

Background image for classics collection Worlds End Bookshop

Classics

Background image for art collection Worlds End Bookshop

Art

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

What kind of books do you sell?

Do you buy books?

Do you make house calls to look at books?

Can you help me choose a gift?

Do you offer shipping, and how do you package books for delivery?

How do I get to the shop?

Why buy from World’s End?

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By Tube: the shop is virtually equidistant from South Kensington, Fulham Broadway and Sloane Square tube. Bus stops near us serve the 14, 22, 430, & 319. You can also park on the single yellow line right outside the shop between the hours of 10 and 4. And the friendly traffic warden will give us a knock on the window if you've stayed that wee bit long!. This is helpful if bringing books in to sell or for us to evaluate. 

Where to find us

357 Kings Road
London, SW3 5ES

How to contact us

Telephone: +44 (0)207 352 9376 
Email:info@worldsendbookshop.com

Opening hours

Tuesday to Saturday:
10.30am - 18.30pm
Sunday:
11.00 to 17.00 
Closed Monday
Or open by by appointment