Round Table Books in Brixton has launched a crowdfunder to move into a bigger space in Brixton Village from its current location on Granville Arcade on Coldharbour Lane.
The planned move comes after six years of serving the local community from what staff affectionately describe as a shop “bursting at the seams”
The business is aiming to raise a total of £50,000 to secure the larger premises, which would allow it to host literary events for all ages, along with plans to open a café and bar, with a total of £17,750 raised so far.
Round Table Books CIC celebrates underrepresented authors, writers and illustrators, curating books by black, global majority, LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, disabled and Global South voices.
Since opening in May 2019, the business has grown from a children’s bookshop into a vibrant all-ages community hub, after beginning as a pop-up set up by the publishers Knights Of.
Following a successful crowdfund that attracted support from readers across the world, the shop opened its doors in 2019.
But its future was far from secure when the shop was forced to close, like so many others, during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Co-director Meera Ghanshamdas, who joined the organisation in 2021, said the period marked a turning point.
“We wouldn’t go down without a fight,” she said. “What we’ve become now is so much more than what we started as.”
Under the leadership of its three co-directors – founder Aimée Felone, Meera Ghanshamdas and, since 2023, Jasmina Bidé, the Community Interest Company has expanded and strengthened over the years.
However, the founders have said that the current premises can no longer accommodate the demand for events, workshops and children’s story times, all of which the team wants to expand.
The team behind Round Table Books say staying in Brixton Village, at the heart of Lambeth, is non-negotiable.
The crowdfunder, titled A Space for Us All, has so far raised £17,750 from 349 supporters, 35 per cent of its £50,000 target, with 15 days left before it closes on January 2.
If successful, the funds will go towards fitting out the new space with custom, sustainable bookshelves and a flexible layout for talks and events, purchasing café and bar equipment and covering the first three months of increased rent, staffing and business rates.
Supporters can donate and choose from a wide range of rewards, from personalised book consultations and curated children’s book bundles to original artwork, photography prints, and even the chance to host a private evening in the bookshop.
