Crowdfunder to save New Beacon Books soars past £35k target

A crowdfunder to save London’s New Beacon Books has soared past its £35,000 target just one day after it was launched.

It was announced this week that the UK's first Black specialist bookshop would be shutting its doors and moving entirely online, as financial constraints from Covid-19 threatened its future.  

Academic and actor Francesca Gilbert launched an online fundraising campaign on 30th December with donations flooding in to total more than £6,000 within a few hours, including pledges from the likes of novelist David Nicholls and award-winning playwright Patricia Cumper.

The project had aimed to raise £35,000 by 24th February 2022 but, by the morning of 31st December, it had already surpassed that total, hitting the £40,000 mark with contributions including an anonymous £5,000 donation. A new "stretch" target of £50,000 has now been introduced.

The independent bookshop was founded in 1966 in north London's Finsbury Park by activist John La Rose and Sarah White and is now run by Michael La Rose. It is facing closure due to the pandemic and various lockdowns leading to “a marked decrease in footfall and consequent income and overheads have increased,” according to the fundraiser. It also attributes its current financial problems to the growth in online retail.  

The fundraising scheme outlines the shop’s importance: “Throughout its 55 years, it has been pivotal to the growth of the Black Education Movement, the Black Supplementary School Movement and current calls for the decolonisation of the curriculum. Unlike Amazon, Alibris and other online suppliers, New Beacon has been at the heart of communities, building social movements and giving expression to young voices.” 

There are also suggestions that if the crowdfunder is successful the store could relaunch its events programme and expand its publishing arm. Its owners said: “New Beacon Books must continue to do much more than just sell books... [It] has a proud history of running public education programmes, including book launches, readings, public lectures, spoken word events, etc. 

“The publishing arm of New Beacon Books has been scaled down considerably, but there are increasing calls for New Beacon Publications to commission and publish work by young creatives and provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and for introducing new and old work to new audiences. For New Beacon Books to do this, it must be able to make full use of its existing space, and if necessary, relocate to premises that will allow for the expansion of its publishing and public affairs programmes as well as for bookselling.” 

For more information or to donate, visit the campaign.