If you’ve ever visited Liverpool, you’ll be well acquainted with Bold Street: a cobbled road bustling with independent businesses offering colourful clothing, music and delicious meals from all across the globe. Upon this street you will also find a shrine to social justice, a hub that has proven to be a force of radical activism for the city of Liverpool since 1974, even surviving fascist arson attacks in the 1980s. What is this place you might ask? Brilliantly, this Bold Street Gem comes in the form of a small (but incredibly mighty) independent bookshop, News From Nowhere.
The story of News From Nowhere is just as interesting as the stories to be found inside its iconic red paneled walls. Run by a women’s collective, News From Nowhere is a not-for-profit community led bookshop that champions feminism, social justice and all wonderfully radical ideas that challenge the status quo. With the aim of showcasing literature that empowers and inspires others to make the world that little bit better, this bookshop truly is one of a kind. As a politics student and avid booklover, you can imagine my pure joy when stumbling across this treasure trove of books— it truly is a place where political activism and literature are perfectly intertwined.
Whilst its ideas may be bold and radical, News From Nowhere still offers that wonderfully cosy, welcoming feeling that independent bookshops so often provide. As soon as you step through the doors, you’re struck by that all-consuming old-book smell (a book lovers dream). With its carpeted floors and almost chaotic clusters of books, you’re very much reminded of comforting childhood trips to the local library, whilst the hand-written signs that scatter across the shelves give it a truly home-from-home feel. Despite its politically charged nature, it is clear that News From Nowhere is a truly inclusive space for all, and the community feel is only emphasised by its busy community board and toy box by the children’s literature section— a gentle reminder of the togetherness that comes hand-in-hand with books.
Unsurprisingly, the wooden shelves brim with a refreshingly broad display of texts on social justice (think democracy, racism, economics, nationalism). Even as a well-read politics student, I discovered so many incredible, unusual books that I’m certain I would not have discovered elsewhere. News From Nowhere also offers more mainstream literature too, and this brilliantly mingles with their politically charged texts— this may be the one place whereby you might find Bridget Jones’ Diary happily perched next to the Communist Manifesto. If visiting News From Nowhere with the aim of purchasing a New York Times bestseller, I guarantee you’ll find it near impossible to leave without at least one wonderfully niche book on philosophy or Irish history tucked away in your bag (my bookshelf can attest to this).
Above all else, what makes News From Nowhere particularly special is their clear commitment to the principles they support. Inclusivity is so prominent across their displays (so much so, that it highlights how non-diverse mainstream bookstores can be). Their literary categories go far beyond the usual ‘Crime Fiction’ and ‘Bestsellers’, to instead make room for ‘Disability’, ‘LGBT+’, ‘Abuse Survivors’ and plenty more. The unspoken sense of kinship between fellow book lovers as they browse these often marginalised categories can speak volumes. Yet where this inclusivity arguably matters most of all is in their beautifully diverse children’s literature section. Brightly illustrated covers sit on their shelves, showcasing families and faces of all races and religions. Clearly representation is key to News From Nowhere, and it truly sets an example for others to follow.
And follow is exactly what people seem to do— the bookshops Twitter account has accumulated an impressive 10k followers, the broad range of which highlights the stores fantastically diverse nature. From elected MPs to best selling authors, News From Nowhere is rightly a marvel to all. This substantial following is no surprise— News From Nowhere truly is a bookshop that deeply understands the fundamental power of literature to educate, inspire and ultimately change the world for the better. If that’s not a philosophy worth following, then what is?
Once lockdown is over, I urge anyone and everyone to visit this radical, rebellious, and frankly refreshing bookshop (warning: your quick visit may turn into a whole afternoon as you get lost in their thought-provoking work). In the meantime, you can order your books online from the appropriately named ‘Real Amazons’ of News From Nowhere: http://newsfromnowhere.org.uk.
Words by Kara Nielsen
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