Global charity installs 'unique' bookstore in Rugby

Development charity and publisher Practical Action is opening a “unique” bookstore in Rugby focusing on global issues.

The UK publishing arm of the global organisation, Practical Action, is establishing a shop in the high street of the Warwickshire town, featuring titles for adults and children from a range of publishers focusing on international topics. A grand opening will take place on December 7th with Rugby MP Mark Pawsey, with all profits from the shop’s activities going directly to supporting Practical Action’s projects around the world, with projects across Latin America, Africa and South Asia.

The Practical Action Publishing bookshop will run on a 10-year lease as an extension of the charity, which aims "to inspire people, promote sustainable change, celebrate the world we live in and the communities in it, and to stimulate discussion,” Rosanna Denning, marketing and communications assistant for Practical Action said. “We traditionally publish books aimed at development practitioners and researchers, who influence practice and uphold the rights of disadvantaged communities all over the world. But now we are branching out so that these positive messages can reach the next generation too.”

The 500sq ft store in Rugby city centre’s Albert Street, will be manned by six of the charity’s staff with Practical Action Publishing m.d. Stacey Davies at the helm. There will be a rotation of the staff in the shop, with the charity newly ensconced in the premises above.

“I don’t know of another shop quite like this,” Denning told The Bookseller. “It is a unique position we’re in, because of the charity. We’ve had a great response so far with people popping in even though we haven’t opened yet. We want the younger generation to be involved in these issues around the environment, it feels particularly important in terms of what is happening in the world right now. It builds on the theme of the BA conference about global issues. These are things which young people should be learning about."

“We encourage people to ask questions about the world, to be inspired by on-going projects and new discoveries, and to learn how we can create positive futures for the world’s most vulnerable people,” she added.

The stock’s themes will range from environment and climate change, to issues around diversity and inclusion, as well as engineering, science, geography, food and renewable energy. Denning said the split between Practical Action-published titles and books from other publishing partners, would be roughly 60:40. The shop will stock up to 100 books for younger readers and around 500 more general interest and specialist books for adults.

As well as the launch on 7th December, which will mark the start of Practical Action’s Planting for Progress project, with help from Pawsey, the team plans a number of other events in the shop in the future.

The store will be open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, from 10am to 5pm.

For more information, visit practicalactionpublishing.org.