The King displays his artistic talent in this smart new exhibition
Gulp! Sometimes, as an art critic, you need to be severe. But what if the thing you're scrutinising isn't by a professional artist but by the King?
Highgrove from the Thyme Walk (2000) is a pencil drawing by His Majesty King Charles III, and one of more than 50 exhibits in The Power of Drawing, a smart new show marking the 25th anniversary of the Royal Drawing School in east London, which he helped to found. Displayed a few sheets down from drawings by Antony Gormley and Tracey Emin, it appears on the other side of a large window from a pair of charcoal landscapes by David Hockney. Exalted company, indeed.
Does it hold its own? At risk of sounding like a toady, it kind of does. An annotated study of the tonal values of a gentle vista (looking back, across the garden, towards his Gloucestershire home), it's animated, in the foreground, by swift, frisky strokes denoting low shrubbery or flowers. Mostly, though, His Majesty seems preoccupied in this drawing (on which he worked when he was still the Prince of Wales) with the dark, stark structure of an imposing tree that semi-obscures the Georgian building behind. Deploying arrows, he records various details: a 'v. dark trunk', 'dark foliage' in places, 'light green' leaves.
With blotches along two edges of pale blue and yellow watercolour, it's evidently a working drawing for a painting – and a demonstration of his belief that close observational drawing is 'one of the most direct ways of engaging with the world'. Even the bespectacled student beside me, copying Gormley's image of a silhouetted figure seemingly with Popeye's forearms, raises an eyebrow upon discovering the identity of the draughtsman responsible for this Highgrove sketch: 'It's actually pretty skilled,' he smiles.
Charles's drawing will attract attention, but it shouldn't drown out the wider merits of this engaging show, which assembles drawings by 25 alumni and 25 'creatives', including Tim Burton, the American filmmaker, the Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, and the British illustrator Quentin Blake (who contributes a characteristically loose and playful doodle of a man conversing with a stork). The architect Norman Foster is represented, like the King, by an annotated sketch – in his case, from 1959, depicting the interior of a chapel by Le Corbusier in eastern France. Apple's former chief design officer Jony Ive displays two impressive efforts executed when he was only 14 years old, including a sleekly precise 'observational drawing' of a Pyrex measuring jug.
Above all, the exhibition – which reflects drawing's astonishing variety (Cornelia Parker even presents a 'drawing' magicked out of wire made from melted-down lead bullets) – reveals how much has changed since the school opened in a former warehouse at the turn of the millennium. In those days, the heyday of the Young British Artists, conceptualism was still rampant. Life studios were closing, and traditional methods were under threat.
Yet, the list of alumni participating in this show boasts several names with considerable cachet now (Somaya Critchlow, Christina Kimeze, Jake Grewal), as figuration – often of a fantastical bent, fathoming internal (i.e., psychological and emotional) subjects, as much as documenting external views – has returned to vogue.
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Daily Mail
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Why some BBC staff will be secretly 'pleased' over Bobby Vylan's' 'death to the IDF' chant - and how anti-Semitic rant was allowed to be streamed live on iPlayer
The BBC 's Glastonbury scandal has sparked 'total chaos' at Broadcasting House but there are staff who will be privately happy to see the festival on the front pages, insiders told MailOnline today. A senior source has suggested that some will be 'pleased' that Bobby Vylan was broadcast ranting about 'death to the IDF' before a sea of Palestinian flags. Another insider told MailOnline that there could even be BBC executives involved in broadcasting the Glastonbury festival, which many believe has been on the wane for years, who will be thinking: 'It is nice to be talked about'. They added that they believe that these bosses think that many BBC viewers will be sympathetic about the difficulties of broadcasting live music from five different stages and not knowing 'what everyone is going to say until they've said it'. The BBC today is investigating how Bobby Vylan 'death to the IDF' chant made it to broadcast without the live stream being pulled. The corporation said: 'The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves.' Alison Howe, a BBC Studios boss who started out as a secretary but is now in charge producing the corporations coverage of Glastonbury, is in the firing line along with the BBC's head of pop music TV, Jonathan Rothery. Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis, daughter of founder Michael, was pictured with her arm around Ms Howe this week for a BBC article promising more coverage than ever in 2025 including 90 hours of live-streamed music. But a BBC insider has suggested that while the decision was made in advance not to livestream Kneecap, Ms Howe and Mr Rothery may not have allowed for the 'total chaos' Bobby Vylan caused. 'If you can't have senior eyes over it all, don't stream it all live', the insider warned. Streams from stages may all have to be shown on delay next year to avoid similar problems. A delay could allow BBC staff to cut or bleep controversial political statements, which Glastonbury is renowned for. It came as the BBC has admitted it should have cut the broadcast of 'utterly unacceptable' and 'antisemitic' sentiments in Bob Vylan's Glastonbury set - while facing calls to explain why the corporation did not to more at the time. The new statement came as the punk duo Bob Vylan's frontman doubled down on his 'death to the IDF' chant at Glastonbury - while watchdog Ofcom told the BBC it was 'very concerned' over Saturday's live broadcast. The artist who performs as Bobby Vylan - real name Pascal Robinson-Foster, 34 - is being investigated by Avon and Somerset Police over his performance. Israel 's government has been among those condemning the BBC and Glastonbury for Bob Vylan's Saturday afternoon gig at the music festival in which there were calls for the death of Israeli soldiers in what was broadcast live by the corporation. Police have launched a probe into the comments made by Bob Vylan, who led chants of 'Free Palestine ' and 'Death to the IDF' - and the BBC today admitted it 'should have pulled' the live stream of the performance that contained 'utterly unacceptable' and 'antisemitic sentiments'. The corporation has faced strong criticism over its various responses following the peformance on Saturday afternoon, including suggestions it should face charges. The BBC had initially accompanied the broadcast with warnings about 'very strong and discriminatory language', before saying on Sunday: 'Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan's set were deeply offensive.' Now the corporation has gone further in a new statement today saying: 'Millions of people tuned in to enjoy Glastonbury this weekend across the BBC's output but one performance within our live streams included comments that were deeply offensive. 'The BBC respects freedom of expression but stands firmly against incitement to violence. 'The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves. We welcome Glastonbury's condemnation of the performance. 'The performance was part of a live stream of the West Holts stage on BBC iPlayer. The judgement on Saturday to issue a warning on screen while streaming online was in line with our editorial guidelines. 'In addition, we took the decision not to make the performance available on demand. The team were dealing with a live situation but with hindsight we should have pulled the stream during the performance. We regret this did not happen. 'In light of this weekend, we will look at our guidance around live events so we can be sure teams are clear on when it is acceptable to keep output on air.' And an Ofcom spokesperson has now said: 'We are very concerned about the live stream of this performance, and the BBC clearly has questions to answer. 'We have been speaking to the BBC over the weekend and we are obtaining further information as a matter of urgency, including what procedures were in place to ensure compliance with its own editorial guidelines.' Critics including the Conservatives ' Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp have called for action against the BBC - while comparisons have also been made with the 31-month prison sentence handed to Lucy Connolly for inciting racial hatred when posting about burning down a hotel housing asylum seekers. The singer from the band, who officially keeps his identity secret, also declared 'from the river to the sea Palestine will be free' – and has now posted a new statement on Instagram, titled with the defiant phrase: 'I said what I said.' He also told of being 'inundated with messages of both support and hatred'. Robinson-Foster wrote: 'As I lay in bed this morning, my phone buzzing non stop, inundated with messages of both support and hatred, I listen to my daughter typing out loud as she fills out a school survey asking for her feedback on the current state of her school dinners. 'She expressed that she would like healthier meals, more options and dishes inspired by other parts of the world. 'Listening to her voice her opinions on a matter that she cares about and affects her daily, reminds me that we may not be doomed after all. 'Teaching our children to speak up for the change they want and need is the only way that we make this world a better place. 'As we grow older and our fire possibly starts to dim under the suffocation of adult life and all its responsibilities, it is incredibly important that we encourage and inspire future generations to pick up the torch that was passed to us. 'Let us display to them loudly and visibly the right thing to do when we want and need change. 'Let them see us marching in the streets, campaigning on ground level, organising online and shouting about it on any and every stage that we are offered. 'Today it is a change in school dinners, tomorrow it is a change in foreign policy.' The group formed in their hometown of Ipswich in 2017 and have since gone on to release five albums including 2020 debut We Live Here. The frontman has previously spoken of their struggles to get that first album cleared, describing it as being too 'extreme' for some in the music industry - telling the website Louder: 'It was hard to get it released the conventional way - but it was in our power to release it.' Lyrics on their tracks include saying on Britain Makes Me Violent how there is 'nothing great' about Great Britain, while on Reign the frontman declares: 'Got a message for the thieves in the palace, we want the jewels back.' Touching on the subject of housing in London, their song GYAG states: 'Landlord just raised your rent - mate, get yourself a gun.' As well as tackling subjects such as racism, homophobia, capitalism and toxic masculinity, the duo have also made a big deal about the importance of fatherhood. The singer known as Bobby Vylan has said his daughter gave their debut album We Live Here its name and she also featured on the cover of their single Dream Big. Bob Vylan's entire performance on Saturday afternoon at Glastonbury was live-streamed on the BBC iPlayer but it has since been taken down. Nevertheless, the corporation was lambasted for failing to cut the broadcast immediately after the 'anti-Israel' chanting. The live stream continued for another 40 minutes until the end of Bob Vylan's performance. Avon and Somerset Police said video evidence from the performances would be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation. MailOnline has contacted the force for any further updates. Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis has described Bob Vylan's chants as having 'very much crossed a line'. She said in a statement: 'We are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence.' Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp accused Bob Vylan of 'inciting violence and hatred', saying they should be arrested and prosecuted. And he said of the frontman: 'By broadcasting his vile hatred, the BBC appear to have also broken the law.' Mr Philp posted on X, formerly Twitter: 'I call on the police to urgently investigate and prosecute the BBC as well for broadcasting this. 'Our national broadcaster should not be transmitting hateful material designed to incite violence and conflict.' Toby Young, president of the Free Speech Union, raised the case of childminder Lucy Connolly, who was jailed for tweets she made about deporting asylum seekers and burning down hotels housing them after the Southport killings of three girls at a dance studio. She is currently serving a 31-month sentence. He added: 'She caveated what she said by adding 'for all I care', whereas he [Vylan] clearly does care and wants every member of the IDF, which includes virtually the entire population of Israel, to be killed, so the case for prosecuting him is stronger. But to be clear, neither should be prosecuted.' Health Secretary Wes Streeting called the performance a 'pretty shameless publicity stunt', as he suggested the BBC and Glastonbury had 'questions to answer about how we saw such a spectacle on our screens'. And Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the scenes 'grotesque', writing on X: 'Glorifying violence against Jews isn't edgy. The West is playing with fire if we allow this sort of behaviour to go unchecked.' Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Helen Whately said she was 'horrified' and that that the BBC should have cut the feed, telling Times Radio: 'Given the nature of the attacks on Israel, the BBC should not have kept broadcasting that. They should have cut the coverage immediately.' Liberal Democrat culture, media and sport spokesman Max Wilkinson said: 'Bob Vylan's chants at Glastonbury yesterday were appalling. 'Cultural events are always a place for debate, but hate speech, antisemitism and incitements to violence have no place at Glastonbury or anywhere in our society.' Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel wrote in the Daily Mail that the incident was a 'systemic failure', adding: 'What happened at Glastonbury was dangerous. 'Chants calling for the death of Israeli soldiers crossed a line no civilised society should ever tolerate, and it was shameful that the BBC continued with its live broadcast of this incitement to violence. 'The fact the BBC - a national institution - broadcast this hate-fuelled content will risk legitimising and normalising those views in society.' Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to the BBC director general about Bob Vylan's performance, a Government spokesperson said. The BBC earlier said it showed a warning during the performance and that viewers would not be able to access it on demand. A spokesperson for the broadcaster said: 'Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan's set were deeply offensive. 'During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language. We have no plans to make the performance available on demand.' The Israeli embassy said it was 'deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival'. The Campaign Against Antisemitism said it would be formally complaining to the BBC over what the group described as an 'outrageous decision' to broadcast Bob Vylan. A spokesperson said: 'Our national broadcaster must apologise for its dissemination of this extremist vitriol, and those responsible must be removed from their positions.' A former head of news and current affairs at Channel 4 questioned the BBC's preparation ahead of Bob Vylan's set. Dorothy Byrne, former head of news and current affairs at Channel 4 Television, told the Today Programme on BBC Radio 4: 'One wonders what research the BBC did about Bob Vylan because if you look online, he had previously made radical statements about Israel, which is his right, of course. 'But it calls into question the decision to stream him live and then, in view of what was happening in Glastonbury. 'They should really have had a politics producer in the gallery ready to advise them when and if something went wrong. 'I would have expected them to have an alternative feed available anyway because things can go wrong and there were lots of other acts on at the time. 'I'm surprised they just left it on with a warning rather than cut away because it's wrong to call for anyone to be killed. 'You're not, when you're covering a music festival, able to balance up another perspective in a duly impartial debate and coverage of a music festival is not the same as a discussion on the Today Programme. 'But it does mean that yet again we're discussing BBC coverage of Gaza when we should be discussing events in Gaza and the BBC does seem to keep getting itself into grave problems with Gaza.' A former director of communications for ex-prime minister David Cameron said the BBC should cut the feed when there is 'a hint of hate speech' at Glastonbury Festival. Sir Craig Oliver, a former editor of the BBC Six O'Clock News and Ten O'Clock News, told the Today Programme: 'It's clear that for its viewers and the BBC's own reputation there does need to be some form of mechanism that whenever there is a hint of hate speech that you can cut the feed. 'I suspect at next year's Glastonbury there's going to have to be a senior editorial figure who does understand the sensitivities and is going to cut the feed.
Daily Mail
41 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Charli XCX crowns Gracie Abrams as her 'Apple girl' as she performs headline slot at Glastonbury
Charli XCX crowned Gracie Abrams as her 'Apple girl' during her Glastonbury headline slot on Saturday. The Dance The Night hitmaker, 32, has made it a tradition to have a special surprise guest perform the viral TikTok dance to her track Apple. While performing on The Other Stage, Charli clutched a glass of white wine as she said: 'You know what time it is, now who the f**k is going to be 'Apple girl' at Glastonbury? 'Who did you find out there? Someone cute?' The camera then panned to singer Gracie, 25 - the daughter of director J. J. Abrams - who was quick to showcase the dance that made the 'under-appreciated' song on Charli's 2024 album Brat a viral sensation. Created by TikTok star Kelley Heyer, the simple dance features several moves including, famously, pretending to hold an apple. Gracie threw herself into the challenge, playfully performing the moves and miming along to the track. The That's So True hitmaker previously took to the Glastonbury stage herself on Friday night as a headliner at The West Holts Stage, with Charli in attendance in the crowd. Previous 'Apple girls' have included Chappell Roan, Charli's fiancé The 1975 drummer George Daniel, Rosé from Blackpink and Chicken Shop Date podcaster Amelia Dimoldenberg. Reactions to Charli's choice of Apple girl at this weekend's festival were mixed on social media, with one commentator even making a viral meme to imply that Gracie's director father had paid for her to get the position. Others remarked: 'GRACIE ABRAMS WAS THE APPLE GIRL AT GLASTONBURY OH MY F**KING GOD SHES INSANE.'; 'I wasn't Charli xcx's Apple girl at Glastonbury so I blocked Gracie Abrams #glastonbury.' But many had positive reactions such as: 'gracie as the apple girl shut up this is everything to me.'; 'U WERE LEGENDARY TY FOR BEING APPLE GIRL TOO BTW MADE MY NIGHT [sic].' Reactions to Charli's choice of an Apple girl were mixed - one commentator even made a viral meme implying that Gracie's director father had paid for her to get the position Many had positive reactions such as: 'gracie as the apple girl shut up this is everything to me' Following the performance, Charli hit back on social media at claims she is a 'fraud' after being criticised for her headline Glastonbury set. The singer performed to a packed crowd at Worthy Farm but came under fire after many said they were convinced she was miming or using autotune. Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Charli referenced the 'boomer vibe' comments as she hit back at claims. She wrote: 'Like the idea that singing with deliberate autotune makes you a fraud or that not having a traditional band suddenly means you must not be a 'real artist' is like, the most boring take ever. yawn sorry just fell asleep xx 'But to be honest… I enjoy the discourse. imo the best art is divisive and confrontational and often evolves into truly interesting culture rather than being like kind of ok, easily understood and sort of forgettable.' She added: 'Really enjoying these boomer vibe comments on my Glastonbury performance. It's super fascinating to me,' before thanking those who gave her five star reviews. It comes after viewers called the energetic performance 'truly terrible' and claimed she was the 'worst headline act' at the festival. Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Charli referenced the 'boomer vibe' comments as she hit back at claims It comes after viewers called the energetic performance 'truly terrible' and claimed she was the 'worst headline act' at the festival They wrote: 'Can't be just me? Charlie xcx is truly truly terrible? This is not actual music is it? Who is listening to this on a playlist seriously it's torture sounds. Gotta be one of the worst headline acts ever at Glastonbury'; 'This Charlie xcx thing is the worst headline act in Glastonbury history. There may be headliners that you don't like. 'But at least they try and fkn sing. Her fee should be withheld, as tbh, you could have put a stripper on stage with a Spotify speaker and got the same results'; 'This Glastonbury set by Charli XCX is one of the worst things I've ever seen in my life. Barely singing, autotune in the rare moments she does sing a bit and horrendous dancing. Be fuming if you spent ages getting into that crowd only to see that'. During her performance, Charli put on a very racy display showing off her toned figure in tiny black leather hot pants and a mesh skull crop top. Charli accessorised with a floaty Alexander McQueen scarf, and hid her eyes behind oversized dark sunglasses. As well as playing Apple, the crowd went wild as she performed hits including Party 4 U, Speed Drive, Sympathy Is a Knife, and 360.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
I opened UK's first totally legal SEX bookshop on posh high street full of families… surprising ‘genre' pulls punters in
A WOMAN who opened the UK's first legal sex book shop has revealed a surprising genre is pulling in customers. Sarah Maxwell opened her aptly named store Saucy Books in upmarket Notting Hill, west London. less than two weeks ago. 17 17 17 17 With a pink mermaid logo and colourful exterior, you would think London's first romance bookshop would only attract women after a secret spicy read or profound love story. But the owner of the aptly named store in the heart of Notting Hill revealed that men also love to read romantasy books - which are also referred to as "fairy porn" due to the steamy content. The popularity of romantasy - a combination of fantasy and heated romance - has skyrocketed in recent years. Despite the colourful covers and blurbs, they are far from tame. The bonkbuster books are set in mythical kingdoms with warrior queens, dragons and "faerie" men with bat wings. But they also come with extremely detailed sex scenes that have led to the genre being dubbed "fairy porn". Last year, the book launch of Onyx Storm saw obsessed fans queue for hours in the middle of the night to get their mitts on the latest raunchy instalment about two dragon riders who trigger lighting strikes due to their energetic frolicking. And they are front and centre in Saucy Books' vibrant display. The bookshop opened on June 18 and proved to be an instant hit. THE SMUT HUT American owner Sarah Maxwell told The Sun they almost sold out of books on the very first day - and she's had to frantically re-order copies every day since. The books are arranged by trope, with blunt but informative labels such as "Age Gap", "Long Distance" and "Billionaire". But up a set of steps is the "Smut Hut" that booklovers flock there for. Inside lies the novels with the chapters. The vivid descriptions would cause many a reader to blush and look around to make sure no one is reading over their shoulder. On one of the shelves, there is a collection of bookmarks for sale that would be great tat for a hen-do, titled "c**kmarks". Sarah, who has a background in tech and has worked for big names like Spotify and Uber, said the opening has been a challenge, but a fun one. The striking blue shop is on the corner of a road filled with colourful bars, coffee shops and restaurants - and it's only a few streets away from the famous Portobello Road market. Saucy Books' site used to be a bathroom showroom, but you would never guess. Sarah tells us there is actually still a shower head hidden under the "Smut Hut". "We wanted to be sustainable so we built around what was already there. "We only moved in on June 1 and we opened on Wednesday, so we haven't had long to sort it out." She tells us that one superfan flew all the way from Malta to come visit the shop. "We've had an incredible response." There is a small stall outside that sells matcha, and on the day The Sun visited, they said they planned on serving Aperol spritz that evening. 17 17 17 NOTTING HILL IS THE ROMANCE CAPITAL Sarah, who has lived in London for 10 years, said she is an avid romance reader and is also a writer herself. But she struggled to find the authors she loved in normal bookshops - and that is when she got the idea. She told The Sun: "There are romance bookstores in the US but not in London, so that's where my American-ness comes in. "I get books with American covers and they have sold out so quickly." When asked why she picked Notting Hill for the location, she mentioned the famous movie that has become synonymous with the trendy area overrun with tourists. "Notting Hill is the most quintessentially romantic place in London. You have the Notting Hill movie, you have Bridget Jones. "It's such a good spot to have a corner shop by here. I'm going to do a book mural opposite." Sarah gets irritated when people compare her shop to the notorious Fifty Shades of Grey: "It's not just smut." But she continued: "Everyone loves the Smut Hut and takes a photo in there. 17 17 17 GEN Z MADE READING COOL AGAIN "A lot of romance readers and authors get discounted and put down, so this is a space where it's celebrated." Sarah said that reading has really seen a resurgence with Gen Z. "My intern said to me 'reading is cool again' and I was like, 'when was reading not cool?' "Some men come in and find the Smut Hut really funny. But a lot of men actually read it too. "They're big fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses [ACOTAR] and Throne of Glass especially. They love it. "Some of these books like those by Sarah J Maas are on par with Tolkien. But it's trivialised. "That's part of why I wanted to do this as a space to celebrate it. It's the first in London. I'm sure others will pop up but it's nice to be the first!" XXX NOTTING HILL TOURIST ROW BOXOUT? XXX When The Sun paid a visit to the shop on the first week of opening, it boasted a distinctive summery vibe. Sarah said that is by design - it's made to look like a beach hut, and the books inside match. But the shop is not just for the summer, and the aesthetic will be completely revamped each season. "Right now we're going a beach hut vibe for the summer, because that's where people like to go to read. "In Fall we'll do something different, more moody... we'll see. It'll change each season, with books to match it." When it's mentioned that this sounds like a lot of hard work and money, she laughed and said she loves a challenge. Before the shop was even open, passersby were peering in at the display. A pair of young women stopped in their tracks to look in, with a bored-looking man in tow. But he soon perked up and appeared engrossed in the display. 17 17 17 MY FAMILY CALL ME AUNT SAUCY Sarah says the first three days have been a huge hit. "The beginning has been very good. People love that you can browse and sit down - and we have the Smut Hut! "We have all the tropes, Western, Italian, Jane Austen, romantasy. We very almost sold out of books on the very first day. I've had to reorder new ones every day, it's been a challenge. "We've had book influencers come and meet each other for the first time here, one woman flew from Malta for it. "We're open into the evenings because it's such a nice vibe on this street at 8." Although most shoppers so far have already been big romance readers, Sarah said many tourists have also popped in to buy a book. "We sold out of Jane Austen. We have Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass... a lot of Sarah J Maas which is very popular, "We also have Fourth Wing - all the romantasy!" But Sarah doesn't plan on stopping here. I know loads of people that would go. It's having a big thing right now Stall worker Tanyu, 26 "I want to open Saucy Books in other countries that don't have romance bookstores, like Greece and Portugal too. "Saucy is my family nickname. I'm Aunt Saucy. I kept referring to my project as that and it just stuck. "I like it because we're turning it away from the term "spicy" and making it into a double entendre." Around the corner, in the iconic market made famous by the romantic Notting Hill movie, 25-year-old tourist Katie said she loved the idea of a romance bookshop. She said: "I'm flying out today. But if I was here for longer I would go. I think it's a really good idea. I love it." 17 17 YOU'D HAVE TO SELL A LOT OF BOOKS Stall worker Tanyu, 26, isn't a big reader but said she knows many people who would love to visit Saucy Books. "I know loads of people that would go. It's having a big thing right now. "If it's gone viral on TikTok then that's perfect. And you have Portobello Road and the market here so it's even better. "It's so expensive to lease here though, you'd have to sell a lot of books! But people do buy stuff just for the hell of it here." Gabriel Paine, who works at the famous Daunt Books shop nearby, said many bookshops in the area become tourist attractions. He used to work in the Marylebone shop, which is famous for the beautiful interior. "People came in just to take a photo and to buy a bag," he said. "It's so unfortunate that people aren't reading as much. "I'm not a romance reader so I don't think I would go. We do get a lot of people coming in asking where the romantasy books are but I wouldn't say they're the bulk of our customers. "But Daunt Books is more high-brow, we get a lot of old people coming in to buy classics. It's not really our clientele. "But I suppose it would be good for tourists, especially around here. It might catch on." And 27-year-old Londoner Charlotte, who popped in to Saucy Books after seeing it on her feed, it fills a big gap in the market. She said: "I read a lot of stuff, but I'm mainly a fantasy reader, so I came here for the romantasy - like ACOTAR. I love the idea of this place." 17 17
