Some of the locations could include books from the likes of Richard Osman, Jacqueline Wilson and Tyson Fury
Penguin Books have launched a new Little Book Stops scheme at 90 locations across the country(Image: Penguin)
A major publishing house has partnered up with 90 independent book stores across the country to take part in a brand new ‘give a book, take a book’ initiative which launches today.
To coincide with Penguin Book’s 90th birthday this year, the publisher has unveiled a new Little Book Stops campaign which will encourage people to partake in book swaps. It aims to spread the joy of reading in local communities, as well as giving people the chance to pick up a book they might not normally read.
As part of the campaign, Penguin Books are starting each ‘book stop’ off with a selection of titles from its collection, including Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club, The Story of Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson, and Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo.
Each of the Little Book Stops, which is run in partnership with US-based non-profit Little Free Library, will also have their own steward to maintain its collection and to help champion reading in their local community.
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Each of the 90 book nooks will feature an initial starting donation of books, which will then be swapped out for others(Image: Penguin House)
More than 2,000 venues were suggested by members of the community for the book sharing box, which has now been whittled down to the final list of 90. In the North West, it includes the Friends of Bedford Park in Southport, Magenta Living in Birkenhead, and The Emily Davison Centre in Accrington.
There are five Little Book Stops across Greater Manchester, including a location in Heald Green in Stockport, where the local steward said they hoped it would spark ‘a quiet revolution for our area’.
Creative community hub Oyez Arts, which is based in Altrincham Town Hall, will also host their own Little Book Stop. As well as further locations in Oldham and Atherton, the YMCA on Demesne Road in Whalley Range will also have its own book swap space.
Rebecca Sinclair, Chief Brand Officer at Penguin Books, said: “We were delighted to have received so many applications for 90 Little Book Stops– it was difficult to select the final locations.
“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.”
Author Jacqueline Wilson said she is ‘delighted’ that one of her books will help kickstart the scheme(Image: Shared Content Unit)
Some of the book nooks, which have all been designed by Jack Arts, have also received titles from the likes of Marian Keyes, Jojo Moyes, and Adam Kay, whilst others have received donations like Tyson Fury’s Gypsy King autobiography and the Atomic Habits book from James Clear.
Speaking about the scheme, author Jacqueline Wilson said: “I’m delighted that The Story of Tracy Beaker has been included in Penguin’s 90 Little Book Stops. A chance to choose and share books in your local community seems a great idea. Happy reading everyone!”
Daniel Gumnit, Chief Executive Officer at Little Free Library, added: “These new book-sharing boxes will spark curiosity, bring neighbors together, and make books more accessible in the communities where they’re needed most. We’re honored to welcome these new locations into our worldwide network.”
The Little Book Stops will be introduced throughout September and are set to operate on a permanent basis where people donate a book in order to take another book.
The Little Book Stops in Greater Manchester are:
• Heald Green, Stockport, SK8 3NR
• Oyez Arts, Altrincham WA14 1PF
• Oldham, OL8 4JB
• Manchester, M46 0GA
• YMCA, Manchester, M16 8PJ
The full list of the 90 Little Book Stops across the country can be found here.
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