Oliver Darkshire

The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller

Once upon a Tome

A Delightfully Witty Cosy Fantasy

Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil

'Seeking a Christmas present for that bibliophilic relative who has seemingly read everything? It's right here' Financial Times 'An utter treat' Daily Mail 'Peculiarly hilarious!' - William Gibson 'Every page is a pleasure' - Lindsey FItzharris 'Utterly charming' - Tom Holland 'Laugh-out-loud' - Garth Nix 'A must read' - Fergus Butler-Gallie 'Brims with self-effacing charm' - Caitlin Doughty 'Unfortunately I have mislaid the book in question' - Neil Gaiman Welcome to Sotheran's, one of the oldest bookshops in the world, with its weird and wonderful clientele, suspicious cupboards, unlabelled keys, poisoned books and some things that aren't even books, presided over by one deeply eccentric apprentice. Some years ago, Oliver Darkshire stepped into the hushed interior of Henry Sotheran Ltd on Sackville Street (est. 1761) to interview for their bookselling apprenticeship, a decision which has bedevilled him ever since. He'd intended to stay for a year before launching into some less dusty, better remunerated career. Unfortunately for him, the alluring smell of old books and the temptation of a management-approved afternoon nap proved irresistible. Soon he was balancing teetering stacks of first editions, fending off nonagenarian widows with a ten-foot pole and trying not to upset the store's resident ghost (the late Mr Sotheran had unfinished business when he was hit by that tram). For while Sotheran's might be a treasure trove of literary delights, it sings a siren song to eccentrics. There are not only colleagues whose tastes in rare items range from the inspired to the mildly dangerous, but also zealous collectors seeking knowledge, curios, or simply someone with whom to hold a four hour conversation about books bound in human skin. By turns unhinged and earnestly dog-eared, Once Upon a Tome is the rather colourful story of life in one of the world's oldest bookshops and a love letter to the benign, unruly world of antiquarian bookselling, where to be uncommon or strange is the best possible compliment.

The misadventures of a rare bookseller

Once Upon a Tome

'This book is a gem that was perfectly cut to fit the Pratchett-shaped hole in my heart' C.M. Waggoner 'A bubbling cauldron overflowing with imagination and charm' Chris Sugden Books can change lives. Magic books can cause absolute chaos. Isabella Nagg lives on a tiny, miserable farm in a tiny, miserable village with a husband who's about as useful as a wet sock. Her days are filled with scrunge (don't ask), mildly cursed livestock, and singing to her beloved pot of basil. It's not much-but it's hers. Then Mr. Nagg brings home a stolen spell book from the local wizard, and Isabella starts to wonder: what's the worst that could happen? Cue one grumpy cat-like companion, a magical Ponzi scheme, and a journey through a world where enchantment meets bureaucracy and goblins have opinions on capitalism. As Isabella stumbles into spells, secrets, and self-discovery, she might just find that magic isn't the only thing she's been missing. Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil is a delightfully bonkers, footnote-filled romp for fans of Pratchett, folklore, and anyone who suspects their houseplants might be judging them. NetGalley readers love Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Had me completely enthralled from start to finish' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A really hilarious cozy fantasy' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A delightful read . . . I found myself legitimately laughing aloud' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I described this book to a friend today as "clever funny" . . . I will likely read this again in the future as I enjoyed it that much...which is pretty much the highest praise I can offer'

A delightfully witty cosy fantasy for lovers of Pratchett

From the best-selling author of Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil, a new, hilarious novel in the Household Gramarye universe. In the storm-drenched city of Verdigris, home to indolent sorcerers and undead hotels, something is dreadfully wrong. Buildings are starting to crumble due to the kidnapping of their hobs, the many-legged house spirits that keep each home in order. In such times, one would ordinarily blame the Devil, but he has been enchanted by a new and enticing evil: The jackbooted villainy of Gwendolyn Gooch, who has taken the hobs for her latest diabolical scheme—apartments for rent. As the hobs retrofit the gaudy Gooch Towers, the fate of the city lies in the hands of the arboreal Professor Green; his rare, complete set of the Household Gramarye; and its famulus, the prim Mrs. Bobkins. A delightful new novel in a series “perfectly cut to fit the Pratchett-shaped hole in my heart” (C. M. Waggoner), The Devil and Mrs. Gooch is witty, imaginative, and brimming with charm. The Household Gramarye series may be read in any order you wish, as wizards care little for strict sequentiality.

A Novel

The Devil and Mrs. Gooch

Wie man einen Esel zum Reden bringt und (vielleicht) eine Zombie-Armee besiegt – die Cosy-Fantasy-Entdeckung aus UK! Seit etlichen Jahren ist Isabella Nagg unglücklich mit Farmer Nagg verheiratet, ihr einziger Vertrauter ist ihr kostbarer Basilikum. Haupteinkommen der Naggs ist die jährliche Alraunen-Ernte, die sie immer an den ortsansässigen Zauberer liefern. Diesmal jedoch platzt der Deal, denn der Magier ist wie vom Erdboden verschluckt. Als Entschädigung lässt Farmer Nagg einen Band des Zauberbuchs mitgehen, sehr zum Erschrecken seiner Frau. Doch als Isabella sich beruhigt hat und Zeit, über ihr Leben nachzudenken, stellt sich ihr unausweichlich die Frage: Kann ein bisschen Magie wirklich schaden?

Roman

Spiel mir das Lied vom Goblin

“A gem that was perfectly cut to fit the Pratchett-shaped hole in my heart.” —C.M. Waggoner, author of The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry A hilarious and surprisingly moving cozy fantasy novel from the best-selling author of Once Upon a Tome. In a tiny farm on the edge of the miserable village of East Grasby, Isabella Nagg is trying to get on with her tiny, miserable existence. Dividing her time between tolerating her feckless husband, caring for the farm’s strange animals, cooking up “scrunge,” and crooning over her treasured pot of basil, Isabella can’t help but think that there might be something more to life. When Mr. Nagg returns home with a spell book purloined from the local wizard, she thinks: what harm could a little magic do? This debut novel by beloved rare bookseller and memoirist Oliver Darkshire reimagines a heroine of Boccaccio’s Decameron in a delightfully deranged world of talking plants, walking corpses, sentient animals, and shape-shifting sorcerers. As Isabella and her grouchy, cat-like companion set off to save the village from an entrepreneurial villain running a goblin-fruit Ponzi scheme, Darkshire’s tale revels in the ancient books and arcane folklore of a new and original kind of enchantment. A delightful and entertaining story of self-discovery—as well as fungus, capitalism, and sorcery—Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil is a story for those who can’t help but find magic even in the oddest and most baffling circumstances.

National bestseller A Literary Hub and BookPage Most Anticipated Book of 2023 Welcome to Sotheran’s, one of the oldest bookshops in the world, with its weird and wonderful clientele, suspicious cupboards, unlabeled keys, poisoned books, and some things that aren’t even books, presided over by one deeply eccentric apprentice. Some years ago, Oliver Darkshire stepped into the hushed interior of Henry Sotheran Ltd (est. 1761) to apply for a job. Allured by the smell of old books and the temptation of a management-approved afternoon nap, Darkshire was soon unteetering stacks of first editions and placating the store’s resident ghost (the late Mr. Sotheran, hit by a tram). A novice in this ancient, potentially haunted establishment, Darkshire describes Sotheran’s brushes with history (Dickens, the Titanic), its joyous disorganization, and the unspoken rules of its gleefully old-fashioned staff, whose mere glance may cause the computer to burst into flames. As Darkshire gains confidence and experience, he shares trivia about ancient editions and explores the strange space that books occupy in our lives—where old books often have strong sentimental value, but rarely a commercial one. By turns unhinged and earnest, Once Upon a Tome is the colorful story of life in one of the world’s oldest bookshops and a love letter to the benign, unruly world of antiquarian bookselling, where to be uncommon or strange is the best possible compliment.

Oliver Darkshire

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