Inside the London Library, a £565-a-year celeb hotspot beloved by A-listers like Tom Hanks, Helena Bonham-Carter and Bill Nighy

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Private member's clubs are all the rage these days, with youngsters flocking to exclusive London clubs to party, relax, and work out behind closed doors and away from the masses.

In the past, Soho House was a hotspot for A-List celebrities, and while the lucky ones might still catch a glimpse of an influencer while competing for a poolside sunbed in one of London's edgier boroughs, the days of spotting a Hollywood star have passed us by.

For that, you must go to one of London's longest-standing private member's clubs, which costs a premium price of £565 per year and boasts Charles Dickens, Virginia Woolf, and Stanley Kubrick as previous members.

It's the little-known London Library. Founded in 1841, the leading literary institution ditches overpriced cocktails and Farmhouse retreats in favour of over one million books, nestled in St James Square in Westminster.

Clearly the capital's hotbed for creatives, the Library contributes approximately £21.3 million to the UK economy through roughly 700 books and 460 scripts that its members produce; it's a feat so impressive that it's attracted royalty and the likes of Reese Witherspoon and Tom Hanks have stopped to take a starstruck selfie outside the building.

Contrary to popular opinion, the private members club attracting the most celebrities, including Tom Hanks (pictured), may well be The London Library 

It might challenge a typical perception of a private members club because, while co-working spaces have become a part of the modern clubs, this is the London Library's main attraction.

With over a million works, from books, television screenplays and theatre scripts, the institution aims to inspire members through the written word.

In the past, Charles Dickens and George Eliot were members. Today, Sir Kazuo Ishiguro and Jessie Burton are known to use its facilities.

The exclusive club has longstanding support from British royalty, with the late Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Consort Camilla, 76, both undertaking patronages for the Library.

It also boasts an esteemed actress as its president - Helena Bonham-Carter. Having been a member since 1986, the role that catapulted The Crown star to fame was A Room With A View, written by former library Vice President E M Forster.

Meanwhile, Bill Nighy was the surprise guest at The London Library's annual Christmas bash last year, hosted by Helena Bonham-Carter, and with music from Natty Bo.

Last year, none other than the Forest Gump star, Tom Hanks, stopped by for an 'impromptu' visit and smiled for a picture outside the building to mark the occasion. 'Tom was delighted to discover our fascinating history and long illustrious list of past members', the club wrote on Instagram.

He left a treat for other members by signing his book, The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece, in the Library's collection and quipped inside the front cover: 'Put me next to Kubrick? No! Dickens! No! Kubrick!' 

It boasts an A-List celebrity as its president, Harry Potter actress Helena Bonham-Carter (pictured) 

And esteemed actress Reese Witherspoon (pictured) made sure to stop by during her trip to London 

The London Library's Christmas party was not without familiar faces, and Bill Nighy stopped by (pictured with Helena Bonham-Carter) 

Spread across seven buildings in Westminster, the Library boasts over one million books in its premises 

Elsewhere, Reese Witherspoon went full tourist mode when she visited the club, appearing starstruck as she posed outside the building clutching her The London Library merch on her shoulder.

But the famous names don't make up the entire 7,500 members, and unlike most private members clubs, its doors are open to all, regardless of age or background, so long as they can front the sizable fee.

'On a daily basis, members of the public, authors, academics, students, researchers and people from a host of professional backgrounds share our facilities and their love of learning, creating a unique cultural institution in the heart of London,' its website reads.

And according to the Impact Report conducted for the Library, it pays off. 'The Library is hugely effective at stimulating and facilitating world-class creativity, and is determined to make its collection, spaces and creative community as accessible as possible to other potential and existing creatives,' it reads.

The report further highlighted instances where the library has been imperative for a writer's success. It drew on the example of creative mogul Deborah Davis, the mastermind behind the box office hit starring Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz, The Favourite. 

Located in St James Square, the prestigious club (pictured) costs £565 per year to join 

Forest Gump star Tom Hanks stopped by last year, touring the library and grappling with some of its content 

Tom Hanks also signed a copy of his book, The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece, during his visit 

In addition to its facilities, the Library also offers members a host of daily activities, including quiz nights

'Deborah could not have written The Favourite without her Library membership. Whilst she did not write the script at the Library, it was an essential resource for the historical background of the story and the script.

'Indeed, she carried out virtually all of the research for the film at the Library,' the report said.

Spread across seven buildings, the London Library offers its members a host of locations to hone their writing skills, including The Reading Room, said to be a favourite of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Art Room, The Bookstacks, and The Times Room, which first launched to celebrate 200 years of the newspaper.

On top of its extensive facilities, The London Library adds a host of events to the mix, from quiz nights to writing sessions and theatrical performances.

It's an impressive private members club offering more than most, but as you might find at Annabelle's or Soho House, it comes with an eye-watering price tag.

Though for the next Dickens, Woolf, or Kubrick, the £565 annual membership might be worth the expense.