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This project successfully funded on 14th March 2022, you can still support them with a donation.
Bookmarks Bookshop Urgent Appeal
London, Greater London, United Kingdom
Aim: Bookmarks the Socialist Bookshop is raising an urgent appeal for £25,000 to mitigate the effects of the pandemic and plan for the future
Renowned author, poet and activist Michael Rosen has backed the appeal:
“For deca
des, Bookmarks Bookshop has carried the torch for independent, left wing, trade union and socialist thought. Now it's facing financial difficulties. I am happy to put my name to this appeal for funds to keep it going. With the Tories reeling from their own scandals, corruption and mismanagement, and an upcoming huge attack on standards of living, there is no more important time to keep Bookmarks going.”
Bookmarks provides a unique service for trade unionists and progressive social movements. Before the pandemic we had stalls at many trade union conferences, giving activists access to essential and up to date knowledge on the topics that were crucial in the fight for fair pay and justice at work.
Our publishing arm produces books covering topics from transgender liberation, to rebel music, to Scottish independence that inform and inspire today’s activists.
Bookmarks bookshop was attacked by the far-right in 2018, leading to an outpouring of support and solidarity from around the world. It has consistently featured as one of the most highly recommended independent bookshops in Britain.
The last two years of the pandemic have been hard for Bookmarks. The extended closure of the shop and the huge fall in people visiting central London have meant that our revenue has fallen substantially.
In the first lockdown in March 2020 lots of our customers ordered from us online. This, along with the subsidies that the government gave to small businesses, enabled us to survive.
However, to continue we need to look to reorganise how we operate. We have come up against the limitations of our website and ordering systems and these need to be renewed. As one of the few socialist bookshops in London, we are determined to maintain a bookshop that people can visit despite the high central London rent.
That comes down to money. We are asking for £25,000. This figure will help secure the future of the socialist bookshop.