NEW BOOKSHOP OPENING IN LONDON THAT OFFERS NEW IDENTITIES, NOT BOOKS, WITH FREE COVER STORIES FOR ALL
U&alibi celebrates Season 2 of Bookish - created and starring Emmy-Awards winning writer Mark Gatiss - with a mysterious new bookshop in central London, giving each visitor their very own secret cover story
'Your Book’s Bookshop' opens in London on 25th August, fans can secure their FREE ticket
A new mysterious bookshop is opening in central London in August, inviting curious passersby to step into the world of Bookish - the critically acclaimed series from Mark Gatiss which premieres its second season on 26th August.
Created to celebrate the launch, U&alibi is bringing one of the show’s most iconic locations to life with ‘Your Book’s Bookshop’. Bookish and crime drama fans will be free to roam the shelves, uncover hidden surprises and teasers for the upcoming series, before taking a seat with one of the shop’s resident cover story writers.
The first series, which aired last year on U&alibi, saw an incredible launch, averaging 1.5 million viewers (TC)* and becoming one of the channel's highest-performing premieres ever**. Set in London in 1946, the series follows the appropriately named Gabriel Book (Mark Gatiss), who opens the doors of Book's Books while helping police solve the strangest crimes and knottiest murders. At the heart of the series is the bookshop itself, where Book draws on his vast literary and historical knowledge to uncover clues, make unlikely connections and unravel even the most baffling mysteries.
Bringing that world to life, visitors to ‘Your Book’s Bookshop’ will be invited to create a mystery of their own. Using vintage typewriters, professional writers will create a bespoke first page of each guest’s fictional cover story, introducing carefully created aliases, occupations and backstory inspired by Bookish’s world of hidden lives, secret identities and perfectly constructed alibis.
Designed to blur the line between fiction and reality, ‘Your Book’s Bookshop’ invites curious passersby to step through its doors - not to solve the mystery but to become part of it.
Commenting on the bookshop opening, Mark Gatiss, series creator and star said: “Bookish is all about hidden depths - the idea that everyone might be concealing a secret history, hiding in plain sight. With Your Book's Bookshop, we want to give fans the chance to do exactly that.
“Walking through those doors, sitting down at a typewriter and walking away with your own alias and cover story - it's the closest you'll get to actually living inside the show. I can't wait for people to discover what's been waiting for them on the shelves."
You Book’s Bookshop will open on August 25th August from 2PM. The bookshop is located in 22-24 Cecil Ct, London WC2N 4HE. Entry is free, and fans can book a ticket ahead of time, via: https://bit.ly/4g9km68. Some limited walk-in space will also be available.
Bookish Season 2 is available on U&Alibi from Wednesday 26th August.
Notes to Editors
The Book's Bookshop
- Location: 22-24 Cecil Ct, London WC2N 4HE
- Date: Tuesday 25th August - Wednesday, 26th August 2026
- Price: Free
- Tickets: https://bit.ly/4g9km68
About Bookish S2
In series two, the bibliophile sleuth investigates the world of spiritualism as he helps to solve a baffling case involving medium Harold Sneed (Jason Watkins) and a séance full of secrets. Off Savile Row, Inspector Bliss (Elliot Levey) asks Book to help in a puzzling crime at a gentleman’s outfitters – the elderly tailor Maxie Kleinmann (Allan Corduner) is keen to confess to murder but the evidence doesn’t quite stack up and points to something much more complex and sinister. And Book and Jack are sent to the seemingly charming German village of Würl by the mysterious ‘E’ (Simon Callow) to thwart a thieving Duchess (Miranda Richardson) at Christmas time. However, festivities take a deadly turn when Book and Jack uncover secrets of their own in a castle brimming with shady characters. Book’s association with the police continues to be not without its personal dangers and his lavender marriage with childhood best friend Trottie (Polly Walker), is threatened by the debonair Colonel Winters (Rupert Graves).
About U&alibi
Sky 109/826, Virgin 126/200, BT 312/382, TalkTalk 312, TV Player. On demand on Sky, Virgin, NOW
U&alibi is UKTV’s pay TV channel and is dedicated to crime drama, investigating the best selection from the genre and premiering hit series from around the world such as NCIS: Sydney, The Hunting Party, Dark Winds and Black Sands. U&alibi’s slate of U&Originals offers viewers guaranteed thrills, twists and turns, led by hit original series Bookish, written by and starring Emmy Award‑winning writer Mark Gatiss alongside Polly Walker. The series became the channel’s second‑highest performing premiere ever, with a second series set to return this summer.