KNOWLE has been chosen as one of the 90 locations for Penguin Books to install one of their Little Book Stops, in celebration of their 90th anniversary.
This follows more than 2,000 submissions, from Shetland to Cornwall, from members of the public for a community book sharing box in their local area.
The 90 Little Book Stops campaign forms part of the brand’s ongoing 90th birthday celebrations, and is run in partnership with Little Free Library, the US-based non-profit body that has overseen the installation of more than 200,000 neighbourhood book exchange boxes globally since 2009.
A local steward has been appointed to maintain each Little Book Stop, which will run on a ‘give a book, take a book’ concept and promote community-led book sharing.
The Little Book Stops initiative is designed to celebrate individuals across the UK who champion reading, support more people to easily access books, and help book lovers to find their next read.
The book stop itself features a bespoke Penguin design and has been installed with an initial curation of children’s and adult books, specially selected to celebrate 90 years of Penguin publishing.
These include: The Boy, The Mole, The Fox & The Horse by Charlie Mackesey, Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo, Look Up! by Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola and The Story of Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson.
The Little Bookshop will be installed on Knowle High Street in the coming weeks.
Rebecca Sinclair, chief brand officer at Penguin Books, said: “Books and reading are a great way to build connections and create communities, and the sheer amount of interest we received shows just how much people are looking for this. We’re excited to see the impact the Little Book Stops have on the local communities selected”.
Daniel Gumnit, chief executive officer at Little Free Library, added: “At Little Free Library, we believe stories belong to everyone. These new book-sharing boxes will spark curiosity, bring neighbours together, and make books more accessible in the communities where they’re needed most.”
