Hackney bookshop Telling Tales moves into canal boat

Independent bookshop Telling Tales has moved aboard a purpose-built canal boat to roam through London's canals and beyond.

Work started on the boat in summer 2018 and then the store and and specialist in illustrated children's books left its premises Hackney, London earlier in the year. The 60x12ft widebeam boat was launched earlier this month and will operate as a roving trader licensed by the Canal & River Trust (CRT). There will be a focus on Telling Tales home borough of Hackney and neighbouring boroughs of Tower Hamlets and Islington, mostly travelling along the Regents Canal, Paddington Arm, Limehouse Cut and Lea Navigation. There are also plans to travel north to Hertford and as far west as Bath or Bristol.

The store aims to use the boat to share passion for illustrated books with a wider audience and hold various activities including craft workshops and cinema screenings.

The boat has been designed specifically for the purpose of bookselling, Telling Tales said. "It offers an adaptable space to convert from shop, to workshop and event space. The hull has been crafted by expert boat builders and has been fit-out by The Fitout Pontoon, an industry leading team whose 15 years boat building experience is supported by backgrounds in product and furniture design as well as shopfitting."

The store added: "The design of the boat provides built-in shelving to showcase books at child height, additional headroom, a roof window and reading nooks for children. Materials such as Birch plywood have been chosen to provide a modern and light environment which is welcoming to both children and their parents. The boat is fitted with a kitchen and Espresso machine and serves great coffee."

Telling Tales' visual identity was developed by agency NotOnSunday with the logo of the boat by turning the S of "Tales" into a wave.

Telling Tales was founded and is independently run by Daisy Hollings. It is also part of Line, a digital studio which has worked with authors and publishers since 2002. Line's publishing related ventures include Another Read, a platform to promote children's authors and illustrators. 

Visit tellingtales.com or lineindustries.com for more information.