The Virago Book of Friendship
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A fond, fascinated look at women's friendship through the fiction, diaries, and letters of friends
'A highly entertaining, often instructive anthology bursting with every kind of amicable - or inimical - anecdote . . . Cooke has dug deep and uncovered nuggets of pure gold in every form of writing . . . a delicious book about the great power and strength of real friendship' TABLET
Friendship, a timeless subject, has never been more debated, something that has to do both with the internet - the perils of WhatsApp groups, the agony of ghosting - as well as with a growing awareness that loneliness is increasing in our society. Friendship has become a matter of urgent inquiry to therapists, scientists and sociologists. We understand its importance more and more, not only as a comfort and a privilege, but as vital to our health. But it's hard to get inside friendship: its particular intensity and its miraculous ease; its tendency to wax and wane; its ability to inspire both delight and despair.
This is the territory of novels and poems, diaries and letters, comics and graphic novels - and it is where the innovative and wide ranging Virago Book of Friendship steps in, bringing together work by more than 100 writers. From Jane Austen to Edith Wharton and Virginia Woolf, from Dolly Alderton to Sarah Waters and Meg Wolitzer and, it celebrates and investigates friendship between women from first encounters to final goodbyes, from falling out to making up again.
International availability - Europe and the United States.
We have resumed some European and US shipping in line with new EU GPSR regulations and recent changes to US tariffs. Please see below for details on Customs and Tariffs. British Library Publications, including our subscriptions, are now available for order for customers across Europe and the United States.
We will continue rolling out our most popular products to these regions in stages. If you are browsing from Europe or the US, you can now see the products that are available for you to order.
We’re working hard to expand the offering, so the selection you see online will continue to grow as products are cleared for shipping.
Print on Demand Art Prints, Clothing, and accessories are shipped separately from the manufacturer, and are not included in any Shipping rates below.
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Our deliveries are now carbon neutral.
| Order Value | Shipping Rates | Timescale | |
| UK Standard* | Under £5 | £3.50 | 3 - 5 working days |
| UK Standard* | £5 or Over | £5 | 3 - 5 working days |
Please allow 7 working days from the time you place your order to contact us about undelivered orders.
*does not include custom prints or custom clothing.
Local pick up
Local pick up is free and allows you to buy online and collect your items from our shop in St. Pancras (London) or from Reception in Boston Spa.
*not available for custom prints or custom clothing/accessories.
London
Orders placed before 3pm will be ready to collect from noon the following day (including weekends). Please ensure you check our opening times before coming to collect.
Boston Spa
Orders placed before 3pm will be ready to collect between 2 - 4 working days, though this is usually quicker.
EU and Europe orders
Due to the new EU Regulation 2023/988 (GPSR), not all of our products will be available for you to order yet, we are working on rolling out a wider product range.
| Order value | Under £25 | £25 - £49.99 | £50 - £99.99 | £100 and Over | Timescale |
| Airmail | £ 15 | £ 25 | £ 36 | £ 45 | Usually 2 - 4 weeks |
Rest of the World orders
| Order value | Under £25 | £25 - £49.99 | £50 - £99.99 | £100 and Over | Timescale |
| Airmail | £ 20 | £ 30 | £ 40 | £ 50 | Usually 2 - 4 weeks |
International orders are shipped on a Delivered at Place (DAP) basis.
Import duties and taxes such as Customs and Tariffs are payable by the customer upon delivery. These fees are the responsibility of the recipient and are not included in the purchase price or shipping cost. The British Library is not liable for these charges.
Orders returned due to non-payment of duties will be refunded for the product cost only, less any shipping fees incurred.
For more detailed information click here