A London book market founded by independent booksellers is to launch in Hackney, selling new and second-hand titles.
Goldsmith Row Book Market will be held every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the junction of Hackney Road and Columbia Road, at the beginning of the "mile of markets", which includes the famous flower market. The first event will take place on 13th May.
Around 15 booksellers have signed up to take part in the market so far, including Pages of Hackney, Donlon Books, Artwords Bookshop, photographer's agency nbpictures and Muatta Books. The event's founders are inviting around 25 more stallholders to join them. Photography and art publisher Dewi Lewis has also taken a stall; pitches are £40.
Book Market founder Neil Burgess, director of nbpictures, said an estimated 100,000 people come to the "mile of markets" every Sunday. "The independent bookseller is making a fighting comeback, and this market is proof of it. With millions of titles available, more and more people are turning to independent booksellers for new books, new ideas and new talent," he said.
The Booksellers Association has added its backing to the event, with c.e.o. Tim Godfray saying: "We hope that existing BA members in the area‚ as well as aspiring booksellers‚ will consider participation." He added that the event chimed in well with the inaugural National Markets Day, set up following a recommendation from retail consultant Mary Portas, and due to run on 23rd June. "This entrepreneurial initiative is very much in the spirit of the Portas recommendation," Godfray said. "If it works well, we hope the idea will expand to other towns."
Pages of Hackney owner Eleanor Lowenthal said the book market was a way for indies to compete with chains, internet retailers and e-books. "I absolutely love the idea of having a market that is just for books, It seems like a wonderful, romantic idea, but it also makes sense from a business point of view," she said.