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Bookmarks (bookshop)

Coordinates: 51°30′53″N 0°07′48″W / 51.5147°N 0.1301°W / 51.5147; -0.1301
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51°30′53″N 0°07′48″W / 51.5147°N 0.1301°W / 51.5147; -0.1301

Bookmarks Bookshop Ltd
IndustryRetail bookshop
Founded1970s
Headquarters1 Bloomsbury Street, London
ProductsBooks, magazines, journals, DVDs, CDs, TUC publications, merchandise
Websitebookmarksbookshop.co.uk

Bookmarks is Britain's largest socialist bookshop. It was founded in the 1970s and is based in Bloomsbury, London. The company has published books under Bookmarks Publishing for 40 years and is the official bookseller for the Trades Union Congress.

The bookshop

Social geographer and author Danny Dorling at Bookmarks bookshop in 2014.

Bookmarks specialises in non-fictional and fictional books that concern politics, economics, anti-fascism, anarchism, labour history, trade unionism, arts and culture, anti-racism, the environment, biographies, and feminism. It also stocks radical books for children, eBooks, CDs, and DVDs. Their range of merchandise includes posters, mugs, bags, and cards.[1] Novelty items stocked by Bookmarks include anti-Tory mugs and 'sherbet Lenin' soap.[2]

Live events are streamed from Bookmarks' YouTube channel.[3]

Bookmarks' premises are based at 1 Bloomsbury Street, London.[4]

British politician Tony Benn described Bookmarks as "the university for activists."[5]

Publishing

Bookmarks publishes books and pamphlets that address key issues concerning activists and trade unionists.[6]

2018 attack

On August 4 2018, Bookmarks was attacked by far-right protestors who wrecked displays and intimidated staff. The campaign group Stand Up To Racism claimed that one individual wore a Donald Trump mask whilst other assailants held placards reading “British Bolshevik Cult.” Bookmarks' manager was called "Corbynite scum."[7] The attack took place after a far-right protest connected to the conspiracy theory website Infowars. Onsite staff called the police and no arrests were made. [8][9][7][10]

The American philosopher and linguist Noam Chomsky called the incident a "shameful attack." Further messages of support came from the Labour Party politician David Lammy, author Michael Rosen, and singer-songwriter Billy Bragg.[11]A solidarity event held August 11 of the same year was attended by more than 500 supporters.[12] Michael Rosen wrote a special poem for the event that included the line: "‘Anytime we think they’re just having a laugh, let’s remember the joker with the toothbrush moustache."[13]

Later that month, the right-wing political party UKIP announced the suspension of three party members pending an investigation into the incident. The suspension applied to Elizabeth Jones, Luke Nash-Jones and Martin Costello.[14] Jones was later cleared of wrongdoing and reinstated to the party.[15] The campaigning publishing organisation Index on Censorship sent six books to the suspended UKIP members to "introduce them to different ideas.” The titles issued included Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, and Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy.[16]

A Bookmarks employee claimed that the last attack on the shop had taken place in the 1970s.[17]

Bookmarks' manager, David Gilchrist, wrote in The Guardian that such events sprang from "a fertile ground prepared by Theresa May’s “hostile environment” for migrants." Gilchrist's comment piece concluded by saying: "The most important outcome will be if more people learn the true meaning of solidarity."

References

  1. ^ "Bookmarks Home Page". Bookmarks Bookshop. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  2. ^ "Books Are My Bag – part 2 | UCL Centre for Publishing". blogs.ucl.ac.uk. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  3. ^ "Bookmarks Bookshop - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  4. ^ "BOOKMARKS PUBLICATIONS LTD overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  5. ^ "Ukip suspends three members over socialist bookshop attack". the Guardian. 7 August 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Bookmarks - About". Bookmarks Bookshop. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  7. ^ a b "MAKE BRITAIN GREAT AGAIN INVADES COMMUNIST BOOKSTORE", retrieved 9 December 2021
  8. ^ "Far-right protesters 'ransack socialist bookshop in London'". the Guardian. 5 August 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  9. ^ "Noam Chomsky backs Bookmarks bookshop after right wing attack". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  10. ^ "Far-right protesters including man in Trump mask attack socialist bookshop while chanting about Muslims and paedophilia". The Independent. 7 August 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  11. ^ "Masked protesters storm London socialist bookshop". Sky News. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  12. ^ "Over 500 turn out in solidarity with Bookmarks after attack | The Bookseller". www.thebookseller.com. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  13. ^ Tamplin, Harley (11 August 2018). "Hundreds show solidarity with socialist bookshop targeted in right-wing protest". Metro. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  14. ^ "Ukip suspends three members over socialist bookshop attack". the Guardian. 7 August 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  15. ^ "Ukip members sent 'mind-broadening' reading after bookshop attack". the Guardian. 9 August 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  16. ^ "Ukip members sent 'mind-broadening' reading after bookshop attack". the Guardian. 9 August 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  17. ^ "Ukip suspends three members over socialist bookshop attack". the Guardian. 7 August 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
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