Claire Weiss is a student at Longwood University and a Featured Blogger. She is studying with ISA in London, England.

One of my favorite things to do when traveling is finding ways to engage with my interests and connect them with where I am. In the past, that has looked like theater trips to see great musicals or getting excited about ancient history when visiting the Roman Forum and Colosseum.

Obviously, I knew coming to London would offer me many opportunities for literature-related outings. Just this past semester, I took my British Literature survey course, and that category made up most of my study abroad must-do list before coming overseas. What I did not expect was sitting back and realizing that for more days than not, I have done something literary.

Plays

One of my favorite literary things I have done so far in London was catching The Great Gatsby at the London Coliseum. My sister saw it this spring and had nothing but great things to say. So, when I saw a rush ticket available, I jumped at the opportunity. I went in with high expectations, and the show still completely blew me away. The music was phenomenal, and the cast blew me away.

In addition to The Great Gatsby, I also got to see some of Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor during an excursion offered through ISA. I had been to the Globe before, but only to take a tour, so I had to take advantage of the chance to get the authentic Globe experience of standing for a show. I was not expecting to laugh as much as I did, but the actors truly did such a good job of portraying the comedy of Shakespeare’s writing.

Commemorative Plaques

In addition to getting to see literary shows, I have seen and plan to see plaques commemorating where famous authors lived and worked. The first one I saw was Christina Rossetti, a British poet who wrote the narrative poem “Goblin Market.” I was over the moon to see it, as she is possibly one of my favorite writers of all time.

I have yet to visit others but plan on seeing ones for P. L. Travers, Oscar Wilde, and Mary Shelley, to name a few. I have also unexpectedly walked past a statue for Sherlock Holmes because it happened to be near a Tube station I was going to.

Bookshops

Now that I have discussed sites and experiences, I can talk about my favorite thing about London so far: the bookshops. There have been so many bookshops that I have visited that have all been so unique. Some of my favorites include Word on the Water, Poetry Pharmacy, and Daunt Books.

Before my trip, Word on the Water was near the top of my list of things to do in London. I kept seeing things about it on social media, and knew I had to visit. It is a bookshop that is located on Regent’s Canal, and it’s on a boat. It was even cuter in person. They highlight new releases on the outside of the boat, and the atmosphere inside is very cozy. They will also stamp your books for you if you ask.

The same day I visited Word on the Water, I visited Poetry Pharmacy. Anyone who knows me knows I am obsessed with poetry, so when I saw that there was a dedicated bookstore in London, I knew I had to visit. It is located on Oxford Street on the top floor of Lush. I think it is one of the coolest concepts for a bookstore that I have seen.

The books are divided into different sections based on theme, but the sections are presented as “remedies” for various emotions, such as joy or pain. They also sell bottles of pill capsules with poems inside. If you get a drink from the café, it comes with a beaker to drink it out of and a snippet from a poem. This bookstore was unexpected, and that is what makes it one of my favorites so far.

The last of my favorites so far must be Daunt Books Marylebone, perhaps one of the most well-known bookstores in London. It is not unusual to see people out and about with a Daunt Books tote bag. This store is big. You walk in and are greeted by two divided sections of non-fiction and fiction, but the most well-known area of this bookstore is found if you walk straight back from the right-hand entrance. There are three floors of books, all organized by location. These books range from guidebooks to history books to novels, all grouped by locale. This bookstore made my top three so far because of just how iconic it is.

So if you are into literature, London is the perfect city for you. From experiences to literary sites to unique and iconic bookstores, it is a place where you will find yourself immersed in books. I know I have, and I have barely scratched the surface. There are so many more bookshops and landmarks waiting for me to discover.