Topping & Company Booksellers of Edinburgh

Topping & Company Booksellers of Edinburgh is the Edinburgh branch of Topping & Company, a family-run independent bookselling business founded in Ely in 2002 by Robert and Louise Topping. The company opened its first shop in the cathedral city of Ely, later expanding to Bath (2007), St Andrews, Edinburgh, and York. The Edinburgh shop is one of several locations operated under the Topping & Company name, each staffed by individual booksellers rather than a distant head office. The business is now in its second generation, with the founders' children Hugh and Cornelia Topping having grown up in the trade and taken on significant roles. Topping & Company is known for its curated selection of new fiction and non-fiction, signed first editions, and a busy calendar of author events. The Edinburgh branch participates in this programme, hosting signings and talks, and offering services such as book vouchers, click-and-collect, and UK-wide delivery. The company remains independent and privately owned by the Topping family.

Topping & Company was founded in 2002 by Robert and Louise Topping, who opened their first bookshop in the cathedral city of Ely. The Ely shop has since grown to become a three-floor bookshop, expanding upwards twice over the years. Their children, Hugh and Cornelia, assisted from a young age, making tea and coffee for customers at ages 11 and 8, and both have continued to be integral to the company, taking on more significant roles. The Ely team includes lifelong booksellers such as Stuart Havis and Robert Jones, some of whom worked with Robert during his earlier career at Waterstone's. Over the years, the company hosted countless events in Ely Cathedral, bringing major authors to speak to local readers. In 2007, the company opened its original Bath bookshop with Saber Khan and Kathleen Smith, later joined by other booksellers. The Bath shop started on the fringes of the city centre and frequently filled to capacity at various venues, hosting names such as David Attenborough, Stephen Fry, Buzz Aldrin, Margaret Atwood, and Michael Caine. The company subsequently expanded to St Andrews, Edinburgh, and York, maintaining its identity as a family-run, independent bookseller now in its second generation. The Edinburgh branch is part of this network, offering a curated selection of books, signed first editions, and a programme of author events. The business remains privately owned by the Topping family and operates under the Topping & Company Booksellers name.

• 2007

  Original Bath bookshop opens.

• 2002

  Robert and Louise Topping open their first bookshop in Ely.

• Expansion to St Andrews, Edinburgh, and York.

Independent, family-run bookseller with individual booksellers at the helm, offering a personal and curated book-buying experience.

• Taipei Story by Rebecca F. Kuang

• On the Equality of All Things by Carlo Rovelli

• We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman

• Exit Party by Emily St John Mandel

• John of John by Douglas Stuart

• Domesday by Max Adams

• Ottolenghi SIMPLE TOO by Yotam Ottolenghi

• Agrippa by Robert Harris

• The Goddess Queen by Alice Roberts

• Cold Sunset by William Boyd

• The Cauldron by Simon Sebag Montefiore

• Farewell to Eden by Sebastian Faulks

• Country People by Daniel Mason

• Life of M by Rachel Cusk

• The Newer World by Sebastian Barry

• Redwood by Ben Macintyre

• Threads by Sir Paul Smith

• The Neverfear by Katherine Rundell

• Our Noble Selves by Kate Atkinson

• Queens and Kings by Lucy Worsley

• The Housekeeper by Rose Tremain

• More by Gillian Anderson

• Nights Out in the Kitchen by Jay Rayner

1. 1Topping & Company Booksellerstoppingbooks.co.uk
2. 2About ustoppingbooks.co.uk
3. 3Taipei Story by Rebecca F. Kuangtoppingbooks.co.uk
4. 4Topping & Company Booksellers of Edinburghwikidata.org