We’re thrilled to announce FOUR new shops have joined the Alliance of Radical Booksellers!
They are:
Books from Below in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
Reiver Reads in Carlisle
The ICA Bookshop in London
The Weeist Little Radical Bookshop in Hythe

Books from Below in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
….”is a bookshop, cafe, and events space in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, dedicated to radical politics, grassroots movements, and the voices too often pushed to the margins. We believe that books can change people, and people can change the world. But access to ideas, theory, and history shouldn’t be limited to academic libraries or unaffordable journals. It should be in the streets, for everyone. Our goal is to create a space that does more than just sell books. We want to build an inclusive hub for discussion, organising, education, learning, and mutual support. Somewhere to host talks, reading groups, screenings, zine fairs, workshops, and everything in between. A space that is accessible to all, and rooted in both local community and international solidarity.”
At the time of writing whilst finances are secured, the shop is not yet open:
https://www.facebook.com/people/Books-From-Below/61584832536603/

Reiver Reads in Carlisle
Shop managers Rob & Kim say the idea behind the shop “is in the words of the Plebs League to agitate, educate and organise. We want our shop to be a meeting place for people to come together, debate and discuss in a safe environment, and to provide a forum for opposing the far right. Our stock is mainly socialist and anarchist orientated, with a strong women’s section. We also stock a large amount of LGBT literature and political biographies, ranging from Joe Hill to Harold Wilson, as well as local history and politics. Our stock is mainly second hand, but we do also stock new and upcoming titles. At the moment we do not have a website, but this is currently on the to do list, We currently sell on ABE books.”
https://www.reiverreads.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/people/Reiver-Reads/100086558034210/
https://www.abebooks.com/Reiver-Reads-Carlisle/86369481/sf?cm_sp=snippet-_-srp0-_-sf4
Unit 69, Carlisle Market Hall, Scotch Street, Carlisle, Cumbria CA3 8QX

The ICA Bookshop in London
A long established shop found at the Institute of Contemporary Arts on The Mall in central London, the profile has changed over the years somewhat away from graphic books and cinephile DVDs to an exception range of critical theory and political thought titles, whilst still maintaining their specialisms in art, design, writing and cultural studies.
https://shop.ica.art
Institute of Contemporary Arts, The Mall, London SW1Y 5AH

The Weeist Little Radical Bookshop in Hythe
Last but not least is this unique little shop in Hythe, in which amongst an assortment of pop-up shop second hand goodies has a samll but curated selection of radical books. If you are in Hythe be certain to pop in!

The Weeist Little Radical Bookshop@The Pop Up Shop, 4A Bank Street, Hythe, Kent CT21 5AN

A wonderful ARB shop needs your support….

“From a pop-up selling underrepresented children’s books, to a vibrant community hub selling BOTH children and adult  books celebrating Global Majority, LGBTQIA+, Global South, Neurodivergent and Disability experiences, Round Table Books has come a long way in the 6 years since we first opened. We are a Community Interest Company, which means we don’t exist to make profit. We are run by three co-directors who share a big passion for inclusive literature for people of all ages and backgrounds. 

Why this project? As Brixton’s only intersectional bookshop – and a space open to all – our tiny space has become a meeting site of ideas, laughter, and sometimes love (yes, really!). There’s one thing we hear over and over again: our current shop is bursting at the seams with not only books, but also with the energy, ideas, love and the potential of our community. Brixton has one of London’s largest Global Majority and LGBTQIA+ populations, and a rich history of these communities fighting for their right to have space where they can feel free and celebrate who they are.  We want to stay in Brixton Village, at the heart of Lambeth.

The vision! In collaboration with you, we will create a space where the focus is on books AND the energy, ideas, laughter and learning that make our shop so special. A ‘third’ space where all can feel welcome, respected and safe to have a good time, no matter our background. Where we can go back to our roots and run dedicated children’s story time hours.  Where our community can hold space for workshops, talks, exhibitions and more. 

For this, we need a bigger community space. One where folk can come in to pick up a book, have a coffee, meet old and new friends, and attend a writing workshop or topical discussions. A place where we can bring all our amazing events under one roof, and expand our offering for the youngest members of our community (yes, we’re still talking about story time!) and the oldest. Where literary discussion meets the dance floor; where a good drink is served, alongside dedicated alcohol free nights.

More info and crowdfunder here:
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/a-space-for-us-all-help-round-table-books-expand

We have two radical bookshop maps that are hopefully of interest.
Firstly this map is an incredible resource of both past and present radical bookshops in Britain and Northern Ireland.

A huge amount of work went in to trying to catalogue as many now closed radical bookshops as possible. A particularly valuable source of information has been the Radical Bookseller journal, which was published between 1979 – 1992, and which is currently being digitised by Senate House Library in London, who hold a full run. Many of the issues can also be found at Bishopsgate Institute.

This website was created by On the Record for the Alliance of Radical Booksellers (ARB), with funding from the Barry Amiel and Normal Melburn Trust. 

Please visit:
map.radicalbooksellers.co.uk

We also have a second Google map of current ARB members here:

https://tinyurl.com/ARBRadicalBookshopMap

If you spot something we’ve got wrong or have some information to add please get in touch by emailing the Alliance of Radical Bookshops.

Shop-manager Darran McLaughlin and illustrator Phil Wrigglesworth are crowdfunding to purchase the excellent ARB-member bookshop Bookhaus in Bristol from the current owners who are retiring. It’s really important this fine rabble-rousing shop continues to exist! Please support if you can

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/bookhaus—bristols-radical-home

https://eastbristolbooks.co.uk

Bread & Roses Award for Radical Publishing 2022 Winner Announcement

TIME:29.11.2022 : 18:00 – 19:00

FEATURED SPEAKERS

Koshka Duff, Florian Grosset, Hsiao-Hung Pai, Rhian E Jones & A Contributor To Empire’s Endgame

The Bread and Roses Award is a book prize with a difference: presented by the Alliance of Radical Booksellers, and without the backing of corporate sponsors, the award seeks to recognise and celebrate excellence in the field of radical political non-fiction.

2022 marks 100 years since the Bread and Roses strike of 1912 and 10 years since the Award was established by Housmans in 2012. It has since been run in collaboration with Five Leaves Bookshop and then us at Lighthouse.

From almost 70 submissions, our panel of judges are thrilled to present a shortlist of 5 titles, and at this event to announce the winner we will hear from the authors and editors of all 5 shortlisted books! Come find out more about 5 tremendous books from those who brought them into the world:

• Abolishing the Police, Ed Koshka Duff from Dog Section Press
• Ciao Ousmane: The Hidden Exploitation of Italy’s Migrant Workers, Hsiao-Hung Pai from from Hurst
• The Chagos Betrayal : How Britain Robbed an Island and Made Its People Disappear, Florian Grosset from Myriad Editions
• Empire’s Endgame, Gargi Bhattacharyya et al from Pluto Press
• Paint your town red, Matthew Brown and Rhian E Jones from Repeater Books

This event will last 1 hour online, we’ll get a wee introduction to each book, an opportunity to ask speakers questions and then we’ll announce the 2022 Winner of the Bread & Roses Award live!

To attend this event please follow the link to Lighthouse Bookshop in Edinburgh who are coordinating the prize this year:

https://lighthousebookshop.com/events/bread-and-roses-award-for-radical-publishing-announcing-2022-winner

Join us as we host a book fair, discussions and workshops exploring the legacies and futures of radical bookselling.

Radical bookshops, once found in every major town and city, are spaces of possibility and resistance, offering quiet browsing, public discussions and encounters between writers, readers and activists.

Quiet Revolutions will see the Barbican Library host a bookfair with stalls from Britain’s best-known radical bookshops including Housmans, New Beacon Books, Gay’s The Word, Five Leaves and Newham Bookshop along with radical publishers and organisations Verso and Bishopsgate Institute.

Two panel discussions will include addresses and interventions on activism and books from historians and writers such as Sheila Rowbotham and Farrukh Dhondy along with key figures from the radical book world of the 1970s and 80s such as Ken Worpole of Centerprise and Jane Cholmeley of Silver Moon.

Programme details below.

Tagged with:TALKS & EVENTSTHE EDGE OF THE CENTRE

Quiet Revolutions is curated by Rosa Schling from On The Record and the Alliance of Radical Booksellers. 

Part of The Edge of the Centre, our series inviting artists and cultural workers working around the periphery of the Barbican to programme events in our spaces.

Partnered with The Alliance of Radical Booksellers & Verso.

Photographs of Centerprise and Sisterwrite (c) Rio Cinema Archive.

Photograph of Lynn Alderson at Sisterwrite, courtesy of Lynn Alderson.

Check dates & book 

Quiet Revolutions Programme:

Bookfair: 10am-4pm, Barbican Library

12–2pm – Lino Printing Workshop
Explore how to make a linocut print from start to finish using the history of radical book covers. Led by Gemma Curtis @wildwaterartstore

2-3pm – Talk: Radical Bookshops Present, Barbican Library
Jim MacSweeney (Gay’s the Word)
Vivian Archer (Newham Bookshop)
Nik Górecki (Housmans)
Meera Ghanshamdas (Roundtable Books)
Ray Larman (The Bookish Type)
Ross Bradshaw (Mushroom Books/Five Leaves)

5-6.30pm, Talk: Radical Bookshops Past, Auditorium I
Ken Worpole (Chair)
Sheila Rowbotham (Historian)
Farrukh Dhondy (Writer & Race Today Collective),
Jane Cholmeley (Silver Moon)
Lynn Alderson (Sisterwrite)
Michael La Rose (New Beacon)

More inspiring news as two more bookshops join the ARB!

Back To Books in Birmingham aims to provide a platform for diverse voices, with a focus on queer, feminist, anti-racist and Birmingham-centric titles. The shop can be found at Red Brick Market in Digbeth, and there’ll be a new website launching very soon at https://www.backtobooks.co.uk/.
Back to Books could really do with hand up – please do have a look at their crowdfunder: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/back-to-books

PaperxClips in Belfast, Northern Ireland is a queer bookshop, gender inclusive barbershop, cafe, and community space. The vision is to provide the queer community in Northern Ireland with access to radically inclusive literature, gender affirming services, as well as a meeting and hangout space which does not require spending money to exist in. https://www.paperxclips.com