News about our move Two Doors Down and other news from 2018, including our 40th anniversary

Thank you for all your support for our move

Three customers

Our Crowdfunder campaign has now finished, yielding around £5,000 towards our target for getting 743 Barking Road ready to be our new Adults’ Bookshop. Together with many generous personal donations, our auctions of signed copies of books donated by authors and publishers, and the two limited-edition prints donated by East End artist Doreen Fletcher, we have raised around £14,000 in all.

Centre island

Thank you to all our supporters, through Crowdfunder or in person, for helping to raise so much to help our move. If you’d like to make a donation in person, you can still do so. Please visit us at the Bookshop – details here – or send us a cheque. We will give you the Rewards shown on the Crowdfunder page however you contribute, and we’ll be contacting all those who are eligible for Rewards over the coming days.

Front desk

Our new shop at 743 Barking Road is now very much open for business, and we look forward to welcoming you there. Everyone who has seen the new Bookshop has been very impressed by its new, clean look, with good lighting and efficient heating. Thanks to the skill of our contractors especially our carpenter Charlie and our electrician/plumber Ollie, we now have a very elegant bookselling space. In particular, Charlie has adapted our original bespoke bookshelves – installed in 747 around 30 years ago – for use in the new shop.

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year.


Doreen Fletcher prints sold for £600
to help Two Doors Down fundraising

Pubali Cafe Corner Shop

18 December — East End artist Doreen Fletcher kindly donated limited-edition prints of two of her paintings to Newham Bookshop. They were auctioned at the event at The Wanstead Tap this evening and raised a total of £600 which will go towards our Two Doors Down fundraising effort. The auction followed a fascinating discussion between Doreen Fletcher and The Gentle Author, who highlighted Doreen’s forthcoming exhibition opening on 25 January 2019 at The Nunnery Gallery in Bow.

One print, Pubali Cafe, Commercial Road, was purchased by the evening’s auctioneer and owner of The Wanstead Tap, Dan Clapton, who immediately gave it to Newham Bookshop where it will be given pride of place. We are grateful to Dan for this generous gift and for all his work supporting the events organised jointly by Newham Bookshop and The Wanstead Tap which have been so successful over the past year.


Two Doors Down move almost complete

Almost there Local history section

15 December — Two weeks into December, and most of our new Bookshop at 743 Barking Road is ready to welcome you. Nearly all of the bookshelves are in place and full of books. There’s still a lot of work to do, and we will continue to work hard to get everything done in the next week or two. We’ve extended the deadline for our Crowdfunder page until Friday 21 December, and you can make donations in person at any time. We still need your help to reach our fundraising target of £25,000. Here are the latest pictures of the new shop taking shape.

Shelves at back of shop
Service desk almost in position

Working hard on our move Two Doors Down

New shop refurbished in November – books moving across in December

We need more donations to fund the move: visit our Fundraising page for details.

During November, our contractors have worked hard to transform 743 Barking Road from the state it was in (shown in these photos) to the new shop that is now being fitted out.

Before the work started
Plastering in progress
Before the archway was restored

One important task was the reinstatement of the archway between 743 and the Children’s Bookshop in 745. This was bricked up several years ago (left) but it is now replastered and repainted (right).

Plastered walls and the new ceiling
After the archway was plastered

We have had a false (suspended) ceiling fitted to incorporate low-energy lighting units and an air conditioning heating/cooling system. We hope you agree that this gives 743 a modern, neat look.

The first shelves are installed
John and Peter contemplate the new shelves

We’ve had new flooring put down and then started to put the bookshelves in place.

Etta filling the shelves
John putting books in place

Booksellers Etta Levi-Smythe and John Newman are putting the books in place on the shelves moved from 747.

Bookshelves full of books

Come and visit the Bookshop to see how the new shop is developing. We’ll put some more pictures here as the work continues.

We need more donations to help us reach our fundraising target of £25,000. Please visit our Crowdfunder page to make your pledge, or make a donation in person at the Bookshop or at one of our events. You can also send us cheques by post, payable to Newham Bookshop. You will get a reward for your generosity however you donate.


Fundraising our move Two Doors Down

Sunday 25 November — We have now raised around half of what we need to move our Adults’ Bookshop from 747 to 743 Barking Road E13, and so still need more donations in person at the Bookshop or pledges on our Crowdfunder page. At the moment we have raised around £3,000 from our auction of signed books, around £5,000 from personal donations and over £4,000 through Crowdfunder. Thank you to all of you who have contributed so far, or have helped with donations of signed books or in other ways, including helping in the Bookshop. Please tell your friends who might want to donate but haven’t done yet.

Outstanding Contribution to Bookselling award
Vivian Archer with June Sarpong
Vivian Archer with
awards host June Sarpong

Vivian Archer recognised for Outstanding Contribution to Bookselling

Wednesday 14 NovemberVivian Archer, manager and driving force behind Newham Bookshop for the last 31 years, has been given a special award at the Books Are My Bag Readers’ Awards, sponsored by National Book Tokens. The award, presented for the first time, was for Vivian’s Outstanding Contribution to Bookselling.

Vaseem Khan
Vaseem Khan

The award was presented to Vivian by Vaseem Khan, east London-based author of the Baby Ganesh Detective Agency books. June Sarpong, author of Diversify, well-known television personality and friend and supporter of Newham Bookshop, hosted the evening. The event was held at Foyles’ flagship store in Charing Cross Road on Tuesday 13 November and was attended by many authors, publishers and independent booksellers. By careful secret planning, Vivian’s husband Bob, daughter Rachel, and others involved with the Bookshop were able to see the award presented in person. “How did you find out about this?” asked a genuinely surprised and delighted Vivian Archer. All those connected with the Bookshop – together with many in the book trade – are very pleased to congratulate Vivian on this richly-deserved award.


Newham Bookshop logo The Wanstead Tap logo

Crowdfunding launched at
Grand Signed Book Auction:
around £3,000 raised so far!

Monday 22 October — Newham Bookshop thanks all those who were at The Wanstead Tap for our Grand Auction of signed books to raise money for our move from 747 to 743 Barking Road. The auction raised around £3,000 towards our target of £25,000. Our special guest authors Vaseem Khan and Bobby Seagull both spoke up for independent bookshops and Newham Bookshop in particular. Dan Clapton, owner of The Wanstead Tap, was a superb auctioneer even though he won a couple of bids himself. Everyone enjoyed The Wanstead Tap’s wine and food from chef and baker Sophie Downer-Hill.

Signed copies of books from:

Moeen Ali ★ Mary Beard
★ Alan Bennett
Tracy Borman ★ Peter Brookes
Kieron Fallon ★ Ken Follett
Neil Gaiman ★ Susan Hill ★ Eric Idle
Nigella Lawson ★ Stuart Maconie
Val McDermid ★ Yotam Ottolenghi
Sarah Perry ★ Ian Rankin
Angela Saini ★ Ruby Tandoh
… and many, many more.

A signed original cartoon
by Martin Rowson

Becoming by Michelle Obama

Signed copy of Michelle Obama’s memoir Becoming (donated by Penguin) raised £175

We have had a special donation from our friends at Penguin, a signed copy of Michelle Obama’s memoir Becoming, to be published on 13 November. (These signed copies are not available for customers to buy). The winning bid was £175 from a Canadian bidder who will receive the book soon after we get it.


Pan Macmillan certificate

Newham Bookshop is London winner
in Pan Macmillan’s Innovation Competition

Wednesday 12 September — Newham Bookshop has won the central London region prize in Pan Macmillan’s Independent Bookshop Innovation Award. The award is run by Pan Macmillan as part of its Macmillan 175 celebrations. Each winning bookshop will receive £1,750 to launch a new and innovative project in their bookshop. The projects focus on community outreach and supporting new readers. The winners were announced at the Booksellers Association conference in Birmingham on 10 September by Anthony Forbes-Watson, managing director of Pan Macmillan.

Pan Macmillan big cheque

Our project supports Arc in the Park, a charity based in Canning Town E16, with its Arc World Book Club. The club involves children and their families who are currently not active readers, and helps to develop their interest and enthusiasm for reading and books. Newham Bookshop will provide advice and support to the club in the selection of titles, and will supply and deliver the books.

The Award judges said: “We loved the immediate results that this project will bring to a broad range of children including those with disabilities. Year one will provide book access for 50 families and year two plans to broaden the scheme to a second hub.” Vivian Archer, manager of Newham Bookshop said: “We are pleased and proud to have been given this award. We are celebrating 40 years as a community bookshop and this will really help us to promote reading with our partners in this diverse community. Thank you Macmillan for recognising this.”


Do They Know It's Christmas? signed by Peter Blake

Bid for books and more by email
for Two Doors Down

Thanks to the generosity of authors and publishers, we have some rare signed books and other items for you to bid for to help our Two Doors Down fundraising campaign. Click here for details.



West Ham clock in children's bookshop

Calling all book-loving West Ham fans!

Have a look at this post by Iron Liddy on the blog West Ham Till I Die. Thank you for a great article. Lovely comments, too. Make your pledge now.




Tour Bus by Martin Rowson

Martin Rowson’s
Tour Bus sold for £250

Martin Rowson, The Guardian’s political cartoonist, has generously donated this cartoon for our Two Doors Down fundraising campaign. The winning bid was for £250.


Exterior of Newham Bookshop

The Gentle Author wishes
Newham Bookshop
Happy Birthday

The Gentle Author visited Newham Bookshop recently and wrote a post about us in the Spitalfields Life blog, which you can also read here.


Happy Birthday, Newham Bookshop!

E7 Now & Then celebrates
Newham Bookshop’s 40th birthday

We were delighted to see John Walker’s article for E7 Now & Then which tells the story of Newham Bookshop and how we have achieved our 40th anniversary. You can read the article by clicking here.


The Bookseller webpage

The Bookseller reports on Newham Bookshop in its 40th year of trading

Siôn Hamilton visited Newham Bookshop in December and spoke to Vivian and CJ. Read his article here.


Holding the Baby

Holding the Baby exhibition
tours Newham libraries

March, 2018 — Holding the Baby is a travelling exhibition sharing memories of childcare and parenting in London’s East End.

Sit down in a cozy mid-century living room, turn the dial on a 1950s radio and discover stories of worries and love, postnatal depression and family support, working mums and stay-at home-dads.

Come to the launch to preview the exhibition, hear speakers on childcare and parenting and eat delicious, free cakes and snacks. RSVP to rosa@on-the-record.org.uk or call 07583 656338.

After the launch the exhibition will tour Newham’s libraries until end of February 2019. Click here for a full list of tour dates and venues.


Nigel Travis, Chairman of Leyton Orient FC
Photograph of Nigel Travis by Simon O’Connor

Book signing with Nigel Travis

Saturday 1 December, 2018 — Nigel Travis, Chairman of Leyton Orient FC, signed copies of his book The Challenge Culture for fans at the club. Newham Bookshop was the bookseller for the occasion. Mr Travis rescued the club in 2017 and has helped improved its fortunes.