Last weekend, Sofia Akel’s Free Books Campaign held its first-ever free literary festival, Free Books Fest, in south east London. The event aimed to increase the accessibility of literature from authors of colour to readers of lower affluence.
Held at the Copeland Gallery in Peckham, writers such as Candice Carty-Williams, Paula Akpan, and Danielle Vitalis were part of a creative line-up that was set to engage a wide audience of budding readers.
Akel told The Guardian that she recognised that the traditional format of most literary festivals could make for a quite exclusionary experience: “you can feel like ‘these spaces aren’t for me’. So what we really had in mind was thinking about those who might be brand new to reading”.
With this in mind, highlights of the event included a book signing of Kasim Ali’s Good Intentions, a workshop on how to make your own zine, a panel discussion about the power of children’s literature, and drawing activities for children with Dapo Adeola.
However, at the heart of Free Books Fest, which was described by the organisers as “a celebration of all things creative”, was a free bookshop and lounge where people could pick up books of their choice (perhaps for the very first time) and read. “Whether you’re an avid reader or interested in discovering some new books, you’ll find a home here,” said organisers.
Since founding her initial campaign in July 2020, Akel has seen thousands of books regularly donated to individuals, families, youth clubs, community centres, charities, and schools – only a portion of which was facilitated by the Free Books Fest.
In July 2021, footballer Marcus Rashford collaborated with the campaign by working to get 400 new books to young readers across the United Kingdom in association with his book club and Macmillan Children’s Books.
Words by Morgan Hartley
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