Austerlitz
W.G. Sebald • translated by Anthea Bell
2001 • literary fiction
"The one we press on people more than any other. Come back and talk to us about it."
— Nora
£10.99
2 copies in stock
Staff Picks
These are the books we press into people's hands. The ones we stay late discussing. The ones that made us want to be booksellers in the first place.
Every book here has been read, argued about, and thoroughly recommended by our staff. Come in and we'll tell you why each one matters.
Personal Recommendations
We don't just sell books — we read them. Every recommendation comes with the weight of genuine enthusiasm and the kind of specific knowledge that only comes from turning pages late into the night.
"The best books are the ones that change how you see the world. These are those books." — Nora
Nora's Picks
Owner & Head Bookseller — Nora opened The Folded Page in 2019 with a mission to champion literary fiction and translated works. Her recommendations tend toward the challenging and rewarding.
Demon Copperhead
Barbara Kingsolver
2022 • literary fiction
"Dickens retold in Appalachia. Sceptics will be converted by page 50."
— Nora
£9.99
3 copies in stock
Piranesi
Susanna Clarke
2020 • literary fiction
"Do not read the back cover. Just start it."
— Nora
£8.99
4 copies in stock
Outline
Rachel Cusk
2014 • literary fiction
"The trilogy starts here. Spare and unsettling. One of the best things written in the last decade."
— Nora
£8.99
2 copies in stock
The Overstory
Richard Powers
2018 • literary fiction
"About trees. Genuinely. One of the few long books that earns its length."
— Nora
£10.99
2 copies in stock
Grief Is the Thing with Feathers
Max Porter
2015 • poetry
"Technically a novel. Effectively a long prose poem. Extraordinary."
— Nora
£9.99
2 copies in stock
Pachinko
Min Jin Lee
2017 • literary fiction
"Four generations of a Korean family. Completely absorbing."
— Nora
£10.99
3 copies in stock
Marta's Picks
Literary Fiction Specialist — Marta has an uncanny ability to match readers with exactly the book they didn't know they needed. She reads everything, remembers everything.
The Books of Jacob
Olga Tokarczuk • translated by Jennifer Croft
2021 • literary fiction
"Almost 1000 pages. Worth every one. Start on a long weekend."
— Marta
£16.99
1 copy in stock
Flights
Olga Tokarczuk • translated by Jennifer Croft
2017 • literary fiction
"Short interconnected fragments. Perfect for distracted readers."
— Marta
£9.99
3 copies in stock
When We Cease to Understand the World
Benjamin Labatut • translated by Adrian Nathan West
2020 • literary fiction
"Science and obsession. Hard to describe. Easy to recommend."
— Marta
£10.99
3 copies in stock
Minor Detail
Adania Shibli • translated by Elisabeth Jaquette
2020 • literary fiction
"120 pages. Stays with you for months."
— Marta
£8.99
3 copies in stock
The Cost of Living
Deborah Levy
2018 • memoir
"The second of Levy's living autobiography trilogy. Start with Things I Don't Want to Know."
— Marta
£9.99
2 copies in stock
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
Olga Tokarczuk • translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones
2009 • literary fiction
"The accessible Tokarczuk. Also a murder mystery. Start here if Tokarczuk is new to you."
— Marta
£9.99
3 copies in stock
Alasdair's Picks
Essays & Non-Fiction — Alasdair curates our non-fiction shelves with particular expertise in nature writing, memoir, and narrative journalism. Also our resident cat whisperer.
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain
George Saunders
2021 • essays
"Saunders on Russian short stories. Unaccountably joyful to read."
— Alasdair
£12.99
2 copies in stock
The Dispossessed
Ursula K. Le Guin
1974 • literary fiction
"The best political novel written as science fiction. Still relevant."
— Alasdair
£9.99
2 copies in stock
H is for Hawk
Helen Macdonald
2014 • nature writing
"Grief and goshawks. The nature writing shelf would not exist without this book."
— Alasdair
£9.99
2 copies in stock
Educated
Tara Westover
2018 • memoir
"The one staff member who hasn't read this is Bewick."
— Alasdair
£9.99
3 copies in stock
The Way to the Spring
Ben Ehrenreich
2016 • narrative non-fiction
"Reporting from the West Bank. Rigorous and human."
— Alasdair
£14.99
1 copy in stock
Want to Discuss These Books?
The best part of a good book is talking about it afterwards. Come in and let's argue about endings, debate character motivations, and discover your next obsession.
How to Use These Recommendations
If You're New to Literary Fiction
Start with Piranesi, Demon Copperhead, or Pachinko. These are our most accessible entry points that still deliver the full literary experience.
If You Want Something Challenging
Try Austerlitz, The Books of Jacob, or Outline. These books reward careful reading and will stay with you for months.
If You're Short on Time
Minor Detail, Grief Is the Thing with Feathers, and Flights are perfect for busy readers who still want something substantial.
If You Want to Expand Your Horizons
Our translated works — anything by Tokarczuk, When We Cease to Understand the World, or Minor Detail — offer perspectives you won't find in English-language fiction.
Still not sure what to read next?
Come in and talk to us. We'll find you something perfect based on what you've loved, what you've hated, and what you're curious about. That's what we're here for.