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Staff at Profile Books and booksellers from independent bookshops Mr B's and Book Hive are among the industry figures taking part in tomorrow's global climate strike.
Around the UK, people are set to stage a walkout on Friday 20th September as part of a global week of action endorsed by campaigner Greta Thunberg, among others. It will take place three days before the UN’s Climate Action Summit.
Millions of people around the world are expected to protest on Friday in an effort to ask politicians to take action on the climate crisis. Strikes are planned in every continent with Thunberg to attend the New York protest. In London, a rally will take place from 11am to 3pm on Millbank, near Westminster. Protests are also planned in Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester.
At Profile, employees will attend the London protest and have urged other presses to join them. Publisher Helen Conford said: “The escalating climate emergency should be of urgent concern to all of us working in the publishing industry. We need thriving societies to underpin a robust cultural landscape. We need to place the impact of climate change and how we can mitigate it at the heart of our business and social practices.”
At the Bloody Scotland crime-writing festival in Stirling, a group of authors will gather from 1pm to 1.30pm on to call for action on climate change. It will begin will a rallying call from Denise Mina.
She said: “Climate change is already affecting us all. It is essential in oil producing countries like ours that everyone strives to maintain loud, strident voices to keep climate change at the forefront of every decision and agenda, for the future of everyone.”
Bob McDevitt, director of Bloody Scotland, added: “Bloody Scotland is proud to support the call for climate justice, in highlighting the impacts on those living in the poorest countries if we take no action.”
Elsewhere, Norwich independent bookshop Book Hive will remain open but owner Henry Layte says he will sacrifice a day’s work instead by giving out copies of Thunberg’s book No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference (Penguin).
Mr B’s Emporium in Bath will shut its doors from 11am to 12pm on Friday so staff can go out and join the local protests. In a tweet, the shop said: “Bookshops are hearts beating with knowledge and vision. Let's make it clear that we have a responsibility in telling the truth and supporting our young people in a time of crisis.”
The global strike comes as the trade makes efforts to become more sustainable in an effort to curb climate change. Last week, publishers and booksellers told The Bookseller about the environmental changes they are making, including investing in green solutions to minimise waste and use of plastics in distribution, using recycled paper, cutting transport costs and deliveries in electric vans.