Rosa Schling

A Bookshop for All

Newham Bookshop is much more than a bookshop. It's a philosophy’ - Michael Rosen, in the foreword

Newham Bookshop has been sharing the joy of reading in one of London’s most culturally diverse and economically disadvantaged areas since 1978. 

A Bookshop for All collects oral history interviews with staff, long-time users and local authors. They talk about their love of reading, the importance of the bookshop to them and the local community, where it came from and how it has changed.

‘How egalitarian a society do we want to leave behind for future generations? Our vision should be for everyone to have easy access to books. Newham Bookshop is a part of that vision, a vision we should all seek to support.’– Vaseem Khan, award-winning Newham-based author

Edited by Rosa Schling

Foreword by Michael Rosen

Oral history recorded by Rosa Schling and Tania Aubeelack

Photography by Fatimah Zahmoul

Kindly funded by the Gilda Street Trust.

A Bookshop for All can be purchased for £6 from Newham Bookshop, 743-745 Barking Road, London E13 9ER. Call 0208 552 9993 or email [email protected] to order a copy. If you are a community group, library or school please contact us for a free copy.