William Foyle

William Alfred Westropp Foyle (1885–1963) was a British bookseller and businessman who co-founded Foyles bookshop in London with his brother Gilbert Foyle in 1903. By the late 1920s, the business had grown significantly, with its Charing Cross Road store housing four million volumes across over thirty miles of bookshelves. Foyle's vision was to create "The People's Bookshop," inspired by James Lackington's 18th-century "Temple of Muses."

Foyle and his brother sought to establish the greatest bookshop in the world, and their efforts earned Foyles international recognition. In 1930, Foyle's daughter, Christina, organized the world's first public literary luncheon. By 1936, Foyles had also played a role in launching both the Left Book Club and later, the Right Book Club, which was established with her father's assistance.

During the Second World War, Foyle purchased Beeleigh Abbey, a 12th-century monastery in Essex, where he housed his extensive book collection. This library became one of the largest private collections in 20th-century England. After Foyle's death in 1963, Christina maintained the estate until 1999. In July 2000, the library was sold at Christie's auction house for £12 million, with a medieval French manuscript fetching £883,750—a record for British and European auctions.

Foyle died at Beeleigh Abbey on 4 June 1963 and is buried in Highgate Cemetery near his son, William Richard Foyle, who had passed away six years earlier.