Letters 1949–1969
Epilogue 1969

Books Helen Hanff purchased at Marks Bookstore
Translator's Note

A bundle of letters exchanged between an anonymous writer and a bookseller.
Why is it loved by so many bibliophiles?

Above all, it is because it contains the passion of people who cherish and love books.
The stories of renowned writers and books of Anglo-American literature, including Stevenson, Austen, Savage Lander, John Donne, Samuel Pepys, Leigh Hunt, Addison and Still, Delafield, Isaac Walton, Sterne, Tocqueville, and Virginia Woolf, continue endlessly like a flower pot that seems to never end.
Plus, you can even get a glimpse of personal memories that were written down in secret… .


But that's not enough to explain why so many people still love this book since it was first published in 1970.
Rather, perhaps it is because it conveys the warmth of humanity that transcends culture and borders, the friendship and love of ordinary people that has lasted for 20 years across the sea.
A world where we can easily connect anytime, anywhere with our mobile phones is incredibly convenient, but in our pursuit of only benefits and convenience, we seem to have lost something.
The reason this book is still loved by so many people is because it reminds us of the romance we have lost.


Helen, who lives in New York, is across the sea.
Why I stubbornly ordered books from a secondhand bookstore on Charing Cross Street in London

When reading a used book, we all have probably felt a vague sense of camaraderie with someone living with us somewhere in this world.
Even though we've never even met face to face, the mere fact of sharing a book fills my heart with an unexpected, inexplicable curiosity and joy.
As I read the book, I look at the tiny notes the previous owner left on the corner of the book and secretly picture the thoughts and appearance of that person.
Compared to that, a new book with the smell of freshly printed ink irritating the nose does not stimulate the imagination at all.
There is no romance.
In that sense, the fact that new books do not qualify as 'books' is also the reason why Helen, who lives in New York, stubbornly ordered books from a used bookstore in Charing Cross Street, London, across the sea.

Helen lives each day in an empty house without heating in the winter, writing articles for magazines and newspapers or scripts for broadcasts.
She is just a poor female writer who lives with a vague dream of becoming a famous writer someday.
Reading books is his only pleasure, and his love and desire for books are stronger than anyone else's, so he is determined to get the books he wants.
They are also a somewhat picky customer who meticulously examines the edition, binding, and translation of a book.
But no matter how picky she is, someone at a second-hand bookstore in Charing Cross, London, answers each of her letters and diligently gets her the books she wants.
This exchange of letters began a 20-year friendship, and ironically, Helen is remembered by us for a long time thanks to these letters exchanged over those 20 years.