Everyone has a favorite place to read, study, work, and dream — but there's something special about an English room. In this handsome volume filled with elegant photographs of architectural interiors and formal portraits of their occupants, some of England's most renowned sons and daughters share their sacred spaces and their personal musings about Englishness and English rooms. Benedict Cumberbatch reveals his favorite place to read a script; Jeannette Winterson shares why she treasures the Shakespeare & Co. bookstore in Paris; P.D. James divulges the inspiration for her novel, The Black Tower; and fashion designer Paul Smith contemplates the joys of his book-lined study. Gilbert & George invite you in to their Queen Anne-style home, while Alan Bennett contemplates his rumpled existence in Primrose Hill. Derry Moore's refined eye captures the essence of the English room, be it in country cottages, storied estates, medieval chapels, or artists' studios at home or abroad. All those with a passion for English culture, society, design, and fashion will relish this unique invitation to peek through the keyhole into the private lives of some of England's most public figures.