Housmans is a bookshop in London, England, and is one of the longest-running radical bookshops in the UK. The shop was founded by a collective of pacifists in 1945 and has been based in

Kings Cross, London Kings Cross is a district on either side of Euston Road, in north London, England, north of Charing Cross. It is bordered by Barnsbury to the north, Clerkenwell and Islington to the east, Holborn to the south and Euston to the west. It is ...

since 1959. Various grassroots organisations have operated from its address including the

Gay Liberation Front Gay Liberation Front (GLF) was the name of several gay liberation groups, the first of which was formed in New York City in 1969, immediately after the Stonewall riots. Similar organizations also formed in the UK and Canada. The GLF provided a ...

, the

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) is an organisation that advocates unilateral nuclear disarmament by the United Kingdom, international nuclear disarmament and tighter international arms regulation through agreements such as the Nucle ...

, and

London Greenpeace London Greenpeace was an anarchist environmentalist activist collective that existed between 1972 and 2001. They were based in London, and came to international prominence when two of their activists refused to capitulate to McDonald's in the l ...

. Housmans shares its building with its sister organisation ''

Peace News ''Peace News'' (''PN'') is a pacifist magazine first published on 6 June 1936 to serve the peace movement in the United Kingdom. From later in 1936 to April 1961 it was the official paper of the Peace Pledge Union (PPU), and from 1990 to 2004 w ...

''.

The bookshop

Housmans' not-for-profit shop specialises in books on feminism, anarchism, anti-racism, anti-fascism, LGBTQIA+ politics, socialism, and nonviolence. It also stocks radical and socially engaged fiction, children's books, graphic novels, magazines, zines, and poetry Alongside new and second-hand books, Housmans stocks cards, calendars, White Poppies, and merchandise from

Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM) was an alliance of lesbians and gay men who supported the National Union of Mineworkers during the year-long strike of 1984–1985. By the end of the strike, eleven LGSM groups had emerged in the UK ...

(including the ' Pits and Perverts' t-shirt). An online store was launched in March 2010. Housmans is managed by a trust and is a

National Living Wage The National Living Wage is an obligatory minimum wage payable to workers in the United Kingdom aged 23 and over which came into effect on 1 April 2016. it is £9.50 per hour and it is set to rise to £10.42 in April 2023. It was implemented at a ...

employer.

Reading groups

Current book groups include Housmans' Feminist Sci-Fi Book Club, Housmans' Queer Book Club, the Fuse Book Club, and Self-care as an act of warfare: a Black women's reading group.

Peace Diary

Housmans launched its first Peace Diary in 1953. The diaries are published annually and include an international peace directory listing more than 1,400 organisations around the world.

Live events

Regular live events are hosted at Housmans including panels, book readings, and musical performances. These are streamed on Housmans'

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

channel and include appearances from

Naomi Klein Naomi A. Klein (born May 8, 1970) is a Canadian author, social activist, and filmmaker known for her political analyses, support of ecofeminism, organized labour, left-wing politics and criticism of corporate globalization, fascism, ecofascism ...

Emma Dabiri Emma Dabiri is an Irish author, academic, and broadcaster. Her debut book, ''Don't Touch My Hair'', was published in 2019. Biography Dabiri was born in Dublin to an Irish mother and a Nigerian Yoruba father. After spending her early years i ...

, and John Sinclair. Guests from the performing arts include

Maxine Peake Maxine Peake (born 14 July 1974) is an English actress and narrator. She is known for her roles as Twinkle in the BBC One sitcom ''dinnerladies'' (1998–2000), Veronica Ball in the hit Channel 4 comedy drama '' Shameless'' (2004–2007), Marth ...

and

Christopher Eccleston Christopher Eccleston (; born 16 February 1964) is an English actor. A two-time BAFTA Award nominee, he is best known for his television and film work, which includes his role as the ninth incarnation of the Doctor in the BBC sci-fi series '' ...

Founders and pacifist origins

Laurence Housman and Clemence Housman, c

Housmans' origins began in the 1930s with key players in the British

peace movement A peace movement is a social movement which seeks to achieve ideals, such as the ending of a particular war (or wars) or minimizing inter-human violence in a particular place or situation. They are often linked to the goal of achieving world peac ...

connected to the pacifist organisation

Peace Pledge Union The Peace Pledge Union (PPU) is a non-governmental organisation that promotes pacifism, based in the United Kingdom. Its members are signatories to the following pledge: "War is a crime against humanity. I renounce war, and am therefore determine ...

and one of its projects: the pacifist magazine ''

.'' Temporary bookshops affiliated with the Peace Pledge Union existed as early as 1936 with one at 36

Ludgate Hill Ludgate Hill is a street and surrounding area, on a small hill in the City of London. The street passes through the former site of Ludgate, a city gate that was demolished – along with a gaol attached to it – in 1760. The area include ...

, London. By 1946 a bookshop was operating within the Peace Pledge Union headquarters at Dick Shepherd House, 6 Endsleigh Street in

Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural, intellectual, and educational institutions. Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum, the largest mus ...

, London, but its business lacked a shop window. A plan for a permanent bookshop was envisioned by a key sponsor of the Peace Pledge Union, the pacifist author and playwright

Laurence Housman Laurence Housman (; 18 July 1865 – 20 February 1959) was an English playwright, writer and illustrator whose career stretched from the 1890s to the 1950s. He studied art in London. He was a younger brother of the poet A. E. Housman and his s ...

. After World War II, Housman proposed a shop that would promote "ideas of peace, ..human rights and a more equitable economy by which future wars, and all their inherent suffering, might be avoided." The name of Housmans was given to the bookshop in Laurence Housman's honour and its cofounders include staff and sponsors of the Peace Pledge Union and ''Peace News''. Directors appointed to the original company limited guarantee include the pacifist writer

Vera Brittain Vera Mary Brittain (29 December 1893 – 29 March 1970) was an English Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) nurse, writer, feminist, socialist and pacifist. Her best-selling 1933 memoir ''Testament of Youth'' recounted her experiences during the First ...

, London bookseller Llewelyn Kiek, and literary critic

Hugh I'Anson Fausset Hugh I'Anson Fausset (16 June 1895 – 1965), was an English writer, a literary critic and biographer, and a poet and religious writer. His mother was Ethel I'Anson, of Darlington, Durham, descended from Joshua I'Anson who established the Darlingt ...

. Further cofounders include Peace Pledge Union staffers John Barclay and Trefor Rendall Davies, and the business manager of ''Peace News'', Harry Mister. Mister would go on to work as Housman's business manager until 1976.

History of the premises and business

Early days at Shaftesbury Avenue

The original Housmans bookshop was located at 124 Shaftesbury Avenue, London and opened for business on 26 October 1945. The building had been repaired after bomb damage. Attendees of the shop's opening ceremony included

, the anarchist author

Herbert Read Sir Herbert Edward Read, (; 4 December 1893 – 12 June 1968) was an English art historian, poet, literary critic and philosopher, best known for numerous books on art, which included influential volumes on the role of art in education. Read ...

, editor of ''

The New Statesman The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members ...

Kingsley Martin Basil Kingsley Martin (28 July 1897 – 16 February 1969) usually known as Kingsley Martin, was a British journalist who edited the left-leaning political magazine the ''New Statesman'' from 1930 to 1960. Early life He was the son of (Dav ...

, the campaigner

Irene Barclay Irene Barclay (1894–1989), née Martin, was the first woman to qualify in England as a chartered surveyor, and was a noted campaigner for social housing. Life Irene Barclay was the daughter of a socialist and pacifist Congregationalist minister ...

, Howard Whitten, Patrick Figgis, Doris Figgis, Trefor Rendall Davies, Llewelyn Kiek, Hugh I’Anson Fausset, Harry Mister, Eileen Ager, Geoffrey Gilbert, Henry Rutland, Duncan Christie and John Barclay.

Endsleigh cards

In 1948, business manager Harry Mister launched Endsleigh Cards, named after the original street location of the

offices. Endsleigh Cards was a trading brand of ''

'' and its greeting cards were stocked in Housmans.

= Loss of premises

= In 1948, an increase in lease renewal costs prompted the

to close the physical shop and pass ownership of its trading name to the ''

'' company. Housmans continued to trade as a mail-order bookselling business and lacked physical premises until 1958.

Relocation to Kings Cross

In 1958, a freehold building at 5 Caledonian Road, Kings Cross was acquired after a £5,000 gift from Reverend Tom Willis (the equivalent today of £120,000) and further donations from other ''

'' supporters. ''

'' moved into the 100-year-old building's upper floors whilst Housmans resumed business on the lower floor. The renovated premises were opened by bookshop manager Dora Dawtry on 21 November 1959. In attendance were

, editor of ''

Hugh Brock Hugh Brock (1914–1985) was a lifelong British pacifist, editor of ''Peace News'' between 1955 and 1964, a promoter of nonviolent direct action and a founder of the Direct Action Committee, a forerunner of the Committee of 100. ''Peace News'' Hu ...

, British pacifist

Myrtle Solomon Myrtle Solomon (9 June 1921 – 22 April 1987) was a British pacifist. She was general secretary of the Peace Pledge Union (PPU), a British pacifist organisation, between 1965 and 1972, and chair of the War Resisters International (WRI) between ...

, George Plume,

chairman Stuart Morris, Roy Fry of Pacifist Youth Action Group, ''

'' trustee Ian Dixon, pacifist and suffragist

Sybil Morrison Sybil Morrison (2 January 1893 – 26 April 1984) was a British pacifist and a suffragist who was active with several other radical causes. As a young and enthusiastic suffragist, Morrison was persuaded by Emmeline Pankhurst that she was too ...

, Harry Mister, Sue Mister, Val Mister, and Ivy Mister. Also in attendance was Reverend Tom Willis.
In 1961, ''

'' and the

separated and Housmans remained associated with ''

''. The ''

'' office continues to be located at Housmans and operates as a sister organisation.

Nuclear disarmament and the peace symbol

From the late 1950s and early 1960s, Housmans stocked material from organisations advocating

nuclear disarmament Nuclear may refer to: Physics Relating to the Atomic nucleus, nucleus of the atom: *Nuclear engineering *Nuclear physics *Nuclear power *Nuclear reactor *Nuclear weapon *Nuclear medicine *Radiation therapy *Nuclear warfare Mathematics *Nuclear ...

including the

and the Committee of 100. In 1958, artist and designer

Gerald Holtom Gerald Herbert Holtom (20 January 1914 – 18 September 1985Westcott, Kathryn (20 March 2008"World's best-known protest symbol turns 50"'' BBC.co.uk (News)'' (Retrieved: 21 February 2010)) was a British artist and designer. In 1958, he designed ...

, presented early designs of the nuclear disarmament symbol within the ''

'' office at Housmans' address. According to peace campaigner

Michael Randle Michael Randle (born 1933) is an English peace campaigner and researcher known for his involvement in nonviolent direct action in Britain and also for his role in helping the Soviet spy George Blake escape from a British prison. Early life Born ...

, Housmans business manager Harry Mister saw the peace symbol on ''

'' leaflets and said: "What on earth were you, Pat (Arrowsmith) and Hugh (Brock) thinking about when you adopted that symbol? It doesn’t mean a thing and it will never catch on!" ''

'' says that, "to his credit, for the rest of his life Harry was never to be seen without a badge bearing the symbol on his lapel." The Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War (formerly known as the Committee for Direct Action Against Nuclear War) were based in a small office in the building.

Bombings

1974 London pillar box bombings

At 5:50pm on 25 November 1974, an IRA bomb exploded in a

pillar box A pillar box is a type of free-standing post box. They are found in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories, and, less commonly, in many members of the Commonwealth of Nations such as Cyprus, India, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Malta, New Ze ...

outside Housmans as part of the London pillar box bombings. No injuries were sustained and the shop windows remained intact, but the explosion destroyed the

Campaign Against Arms Trade Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) is a UK-based campaigning organisation working towards the abolition of the international arms trade. It was founded in 1974 by a coalition of peace groups. It has been involved in several high-profile campaig ...

first newsletter, which had been posted ten minutes prior to the incident. ''Peace News'' reported that the attack was one of several warning bombs that followed an announcement from then

Home Secretary The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all national ...

Roy Jenkins Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead, (11 November 1920 – 5 January 2003) was a British politician who served as President of the European Commission from 1977 to 1981. At various times a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Lab ...

of emergency powers under Section 8 of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1974.

1978 letter bomb

On 4 July 1978, the ''

'' offices received a letter bomb. Housmans worker, Stewart Porte, was hospitalised for burns sustained to his face, hands, and chest. The letter bomb was alleged to have been from the

neo-Nazi Neo-Nazism comprises the post–World War II militant, social, and political movements that seek to revive and reinstate Nazism, Nazi ideology. Neo-Nazis employ their ideology to promote hatred and Supremacism#Racial, racial supremacy (ofte ...

organisation

Column 88 Column 88 was a neo-Nazi paramilitary organisation based in the United Kingdom. It was formed in the early 1970s, and disbanded in the early 1980s. The members of Column 88 undertook military training under the supervision of a former Royal Marine ...

. Similar attacks were made on the Socialist Workers Party and

Anti-Nazi League The Anti-Nazi League (ANL) was an organisation set up in 1977 on the initiative of the Socialist Workers Party with sponsorship from some trade unions and the endorsement of a list of prominent people to oppose the rise of far-right groups i ...

offices in the months prior to the attack on Housmans. Housmans' address had received a threatening letter three months before the explosion. The letter read: "Watch out you're next" and its use of fascist symbols and the figure " 88" led to further suspicions that

were responsible for the letter bomb. Housmans had alerted the police of this threat, but the police did not investigate until after the letter bomb had exploded at the bookshop.

1970s and 1980s gay liberation

Housmans has a long affiliation with the

gay liberation movement The gay liberation movement was a social and political movement of the late 1960s through the mid-1980s that urged lesbians and gay men to engage in radical direct action, and to counter societal shame with gay pride.Hoffman, 2007, pp.xi-xiii. ...

whilst its cofounder,

, was openly homosexual. In the 1970s and 1980s Housmans was one of a few bookshops in the UK that permitted

gay and lesbian literature Gay literature is a collective term for literature produced by or for the gay community which involves characters, plot lines, and/or themes portraying male homosexual behavior. Overview and history Because the social acceptance of homosexual ...

on its shelves.

Gay Liberation Front and Switchboard

The Gay Liberation Front's offices were located at 5 Caledonian Road in the 1970s. Graffiti from this era was discovered in Housmans' basement in 2020. Messages include: "Run your own Life", "Homosexuals Unite", and "Gay is good so don’t be scared to tell anybody". From 1974, The

London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard Switchboard is the second-oldest LGBT, LGBT+ telephone helpline in the United Kingdom, launched the day after Edinburgh Befrienders (later known as Lothian Gay and Lesbian Switchboard (organisation), Lothian Gay and Lesbian Switchboard). Switc ...

was based on the premises for nearly 20 years. Switchboard volunteers on the premises included Mark Ashton and Mike Jackson, co-founders of the

, and Switchboard's director Diana James, the first transgender person to join Switchboard. In her interview with the 5 Cally Road research project Diana James recalled a feminist protest outside Housmans against the bookshop's decision to stoc''k

On Our Backs ''On Our Backs'' was the first women-run erotica magazine and the first magazine to feature lesbian erotica for a lesbian audience in the United States. It ran from 1984 to 2006. Origin The magazine was first published in 1984 by Debi Sundahl ...

'', the first women-run erotica magazine and the first magazine to feature

lesbian erotica Lesbian erotica deals with depictions in the visual arts of lesbianism, which is the expression of female-on-female sexuality. Lesbianism has been a theme in erotic art since at least the time of Culture of ancient Rome, ancient Rome, and many ...

for a lesbian audience in the United States.

Customs raid on 'indecent' literature

The majority of Housman's

gay literature Gay literature is a collective term for literature produced by or for the gay community which involves characters, plot lines, and/or themes portraying male homosexual behavior. Overview and history Because the social acceptance of homosexual ...

had to be shipped in from the United States. In May 1984, a missing order from

Giovanni's Room ''Giovanni's Room'' is a 1956 novel by James Baldwin. Stryker, Susan. ''Queer Pulp: Perverted Passions from the Golden Age of the Paperback'' (San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2001), p. 104. The book focuses on the events in the life of an Americ ...

, a gay bookshop based in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

was confiscated by

HM Customs and Excise HM Customs and Excise (properly known as Her Majesty's Customs and Excise at the time of its dissolution) was a department of the British Government formed in 1909 by the merger of HM Customs and HM Excise; its primary responsibility was the ...

who deemed the LGBT books indecent under the 1876 Customs Consolidation Act. The Act permitted courts to judge homosexual material as obscene or indecent, despite the decriminalisation of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act. The large-scale raid effected other radical and LGBT booksellers, including Gay's the Word and seized works included titles by

Christopher Isherwood Christopher William Bradshaw Isherwood (26 August 1904 – 4 January 1986) was an Anglo-American novelist, playwright, screenwriter, autobiographer, and diarist. His best-known works include '' Goodbye to Berlin'' (1939), a semi-autobiographical ...

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thre ...

, and

Jean Genet Jean Genet (; – ) was a French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. In his early life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but he later became a writer and playwright. His major works include the novels ''The Thief's ...

. Housmans did not take legal action, but joined a campaign of resistance launched by the Federation of Radical Booksellers to resist the raids and prosecution of booksellers.

Resisted demolishment and Peacemeal Wholefoods

In the 1980s, a partial demolishment of Caledonian Road was proposed, but the trustees of Housmans refused to sell the building to developers. In 1985, trustees of ''

'' established a retail store named Peacemeal Wholefoods opposite Housmans. Its founders and staff included Housmans' employees, Nigel Kemp and Alexander Donaldson, who would go on to found Judd Books together in 1992.

1990s and 2010s

The_Vaults_in_the_basement_of_Housmans_bookshop

In the 1990s, the 'McLibel' defence campaign was based in Housmans when members of

were sued by McDonalds for libel in 1990. In 2016, Housmans expanded its premises with a basement area dubbed 'The Vaults'. Thee space was partly funded by an online crowdfunding campaign and a launch party was held 3 December of the same year. The Vaults include an expanded selection of fiction, graphic novels, poetry, art and art theory, children's books and more. Newly expanded sections in the original upstairs area of Housmans include titles on anti-racism, health and disability politics, and Irish history. This expansion coincided with the shop's 70th anniversary. In 2019, the English all-female

DIY "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

riot grrrl Riot grrrl is an underground feminist punk movement that began during the early 1990s within the United States in Olympia, Washington and the greater Pacific Northwest and has expanded to at least 26 other countries. Riot grrrl is a subcultur ...

band

Dream Nails Dream Nails is an English DIY punk/ riot grrrl band from London founded in 2015. The group identify themselves as “''punk witches''” and are known for their riotous live shows that mix storming punk guitar with sweet three-part harmonies. ...

released a live album ''Take Up Space'' - a recording of an acoustic performance at Housmans.

Present day

5 Cally Road research project

5 Cally Road: 60 Years of Books and Activism is an oral history project exploring and celebrating the history of the building. From 2020 to 2021 a team of volunteers (aged 18–25) researched and archived the history of Housmans' premises. Volunteers recorded oral history interviews and recorded archive material whilst producing fictional queer monologues, original songs, poems, and verbatim radio plays. A 5 Cally Road volunteer told ''

,'' "We wanted to relate the building’s history to the present day and demonstrate that the ideas and struggles we’ve documented are still thriving and making waves." Interviewees included, Goeff Hardy who spoke to researchers in 2021. His father was involved in the Committee of 100 and Hardy was involved in

anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not neces ...

groups and the

. In his interview he said:

"Housmans wasn't only a bookshop in a building. Housmans was part of a whole liberation, anarcho-pacifist socialist movement. It was the centre of activism for many people. It's amazing it's survived.

The project was managed by Rosa Schling and was organised by the oral history

NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

On The Record. The project was supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

''Reverberations'' sound-installation

From July to September 2021, the British artist Wajid Yaseen used Housmans to stage an immersive sound installation. It combined oral history interviews recorded during the 5 Cally Road project with sound design and music by the anarcho-punk band

Crass Crass were an English art collective and punk rock band formed in Epping, Essex in 1977, who promoted anarchism as a political ideology, a way of life, and a resistance movement. Crass popularised the anarcho-punk movement of the punk s ...

. ''Reverberations'' was composed by Christina Radukic, Connie Hatt, Keir Chauhan, Laura Toms, Naoise Murphy, Tania Aubeelack, and Will Hecker.

Groups in residence

Various grassroots organisations have shared the premises or a postal address with Housmans and ''

''. They include (but are not restricted to): * The London region for the

*The

, for nearly 20 years *

Campaign Against Climate Change The Campaign against Climate Change (variously abbreviated to CCC or CaCC) is a UK-based pressure group that aims to raise public awareness of anthropogenic climate change through mobilising mass demonstrations. Founded in 2001 in response to ...

* Committee for Direct Action Against Nuclear War *British Withdrawal from Northern Ireland Campaign, mailing address in the 1970s *Radical Research Services *Finsbury Park Typesetters, sister company to ''

'' *Nudist Challenge, radical protest movement *The ABC defence campaign in the ABC trial, 1970s *''

Wildcat The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while the ...

,'' monthly anarchist newspaper from 1974 to 1975, not to be confused with the communist ''Wildcat'' newsletter of the 1980s and 1990s *Network for Peace * No Sweat, holds monthly organising meetings on the first Thursday of every month * ForcesWatch, a UK organisation dedicated to investigating militarisation, military ethics and human rights concerns. * Oromo Relief Association, has supported Oromo refugees and asylum seekers since 1982 *

Pax Christi Pax Christi International is an international Catholic peace movement. The Pax Christi International website declares its mission is "to transform a world shaken by violence, terrorism, deepening inequalities, and global insecurity." History ...

*Kings Cross Railway Lands Group, an umbrella group of community organisations addressing strategic planning issues, formed in 1987 *Prometheus Theatre Company, in the 1980s *The 'McLibel' defence campaign, in the 1990s *

War Resisters International War Resisters' International (WRI), headquartered in London, is an international anti-war organisation with members and affiliates in over 30 countries. History ''War Resisters' International'' was founded in Bilthoven, Netherlands in 1921 unde ...

, since 1994 *Greece Solidarity Campaign *Kurdistan Secular Centre UK, 2016 to 2018 *Left Book Club Ltd, 2014 to 2018 *

Another Europe is Possible Another Europe is Possible is a civil society organisation based in the United Kingdom which was founded in February 2016 to campaign for the 'Remain' option during the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum (often referred to ...

, from 2016 *Bi Pride UK, since 2018 * The Federation of Iraqi Refugees, since 2021 * Peace Brigades International

Arrests and surveillance

1974 arrest of Pat Arrowsmith

On 7 September 1974, peace campaigner and co-founder of

Pat Arrowsmith Pat Arrowsmith (born 2 March 1930) has been a prolific English author and peace campaigner. She was a co-founder of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in 1957. Early life Arrowsmith was born into a clerical family in Leamington Spa as the youn ...

, was arrested in the ''

'' office. Arrowsmith had escaped from Askham Grange open prison where she was serving an 18-month sentence for offences against the

Incitement to Disaffection Act 1934 The Incitement to Disaffection Act 1934 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that made it an offence to endeavour to seduce a member of HM Forces from his "duty ''or'' allegiance to His Majesty", thus expanding the ambit of the law. ...

after distributing leaflets at a British army base urging soldiers to refuse to serve in Northern Ireland. After absconding from prison, Arrowsmith spoke at an anti-fascist demonstration in Hyde Park and befriended lesbian and gay attendees. In an interview with the 5 Cally Road research project, Nettie Pollard (a member of the

), recalled Arrowsmith saying to LGBT protestors, "Well, why don't we go to Housmans?" Upon arrival, the group contacted

The Press Association PA Media (formerly the Press Association) is a multimedia news agency, and the national news agency of the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is part of PA Media Group Limited, a private company with 26 shareholders, most of who ...

to say, "there's a fugitive at Housmans, 5 Caledonian Road." Their photographs appeared on the front page of ''

The Sunday Telegraph ''The Sunday Telegraph'' is a British broadsheet newspaper, founded in February 1961 and published by the Telegraph Media Group, a division of Press Holdings. It is the sister paper of ''The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', kn ...

.'' When arresting officers appeared at the scene, Arrowsmith refused to walk downstairs and was carried down three flights of stairs. On 10 September 1974, two days after Arrowsmith arrest, police raided 5 Caledonian Road, the ''

'' offices, and the homes of several peace activists. The raids were in response to the British Withdrawal from Northern Ireland Campaign (BWNIC) and their 'Information for Discontented Soldiers' leafletting campaign which had led to Arrowsmith's arrest. 5 Caledonian Road was the mailing address for the campaign. Housmans Bookshop Plaque

Undercover surveillance

Housmans is one of many radical bookshops that have been a target of police surveillance and the attendance of officers who purchase material to monitor left-wing groups and individuals. In the 2017, the Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance unveiled a plaque above Housmans as part of the grassroots Plaques Project. The project marked the known locations where campaigners and activists were spied on by officers from the

Special Demonstration Squad The Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) was an undercover unit of Greater London's Metropolitan Police Service (MPS or the Met), set up in 1968 with the approval of the Wilson government, to infiltrate British protest groups. It was part of the Sp ...

and other undercover units. The plaque above Housmans reads, "Peace, Environmental and Animal Rights Campaigns meeting here were spied on by undercover police officers from the Special Demonstration Squad (established 1968), and other units"

Police spy Bob Lambert

Police officer Bob Lambert was head of the

and posed as a left-wing animal rights activist named Bob Robison from 1983 to 1988. Lambert fathered a child with an activist, who was unaware of his true identity, during his deployment and regularly visited Housmans whilst undercover. In 2013, it was reported that Lambert had co-authored the ' McLibel leaflet' while undercover with

which resulted in a ten-year defamation lawsuit from the

McDonald's Corporation McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hamburger st ...

. Both

and the 'McLibel' defence campaign were based at 5 Caledonian Road.

Ian Kerr's blacklist

In 2009, private investigator Ian Kerr pleaded guilty to running an unlawful blacklisting service on building workers. Kerr visited Housmans and other radical bookshops to report on individuals and amassed thousands of files on trade unionists and political activists for his work at the

Consulting Association The Consulting Association (TCA) was a controversial UK business (described by its key figure as "a non-profit making, unincorporated trade association"), based in Droitwich, which, from 1993 to 2009, maintained a database of British construction ...

. Kerr's blacklist was financed by more than 40 major firms in the construction industry. An investigation by ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' suggests that Kerr's investigations began in the 1970s for the Economic League, a right-wing organisation established in 1919. The Economic League had 45,000 files on people considered "extreme left-wing" and received payment from more than 2,000 companies to screen potential employees for trade unionists and "troublemakers."

Alliance of Radical Booksellers

In 2011, Housmans cofounded the Alliance of Radical Booksellers. The Alliance created two awards:

Bread and Roses Award

The Bread and Roses Award for Radical Publishing was first awarded in 2012 and recognises the best radical books published each year.

Little Rebels Award

The Little Rebels Children's Book Award is a prize for radical fiction aimed at children aged 0–12 and was first awarded in 2013.

Donated collections

Sale of Dawn Foster's private library at Housmans

Book collections have been donated to Housmans from the estates of authors and activists including Doreen Massey, Mike Marqusse, and the educator Byron Criddle. Donations from living authors include

Tariq Ali Tariq Ali (; born 21 October 1943) is a Pakistani-British political activist, writer, journalist, historian, filmmaker, and public intellectual. He is a member of the editorial committee of the ''New Left Review'' and ''Sin Permiso'', and con ...

Professor Stuart Hall

In May 2016, Housmans sold the private library of cultural theorist Professor Stuart Hall. 3,000 books were donated to Housmans by Hall's widow Catherine Hall.

Dawn Foster

In October 2021, the private library of British journalist,

Dawn Foster Dawn Hayley Foster (12 September 1986 – 9 July 2021) was an Irish-British journalist, broadcaster, and author writing predominantly on social affairs, politics, economics and women's rights. Foster held staff writer positions at ''Inside Housi ...

was donated by her next of kin. Each book was stamped with the imprint 'DAWN FOSTER FOREVER – From the library of

1986-2021" and all titles were priced at £1, £3 and £5. The sale began 16 October 2021 and included fiction and political titles.

Recent awards

* Winner of Best Independent Bookshop in London at the British Book Awards 2016 * Shortlisted for Independent Bookshop of the Year, British Book Industry Awards, 2016 * Shortlisted for Independent Bookshop of the Year,

British Book Awards The British Book Awards or Nibbies are literary awards for the best UK writers and their works, administered by ''The Bookseller''. The awards have had several previous names, owners and sponsors since being launched in 1990, including the National ...

, 2020 * Housmans' director Cristina Ríos Harper awarded Bookshop Heroes Class of 2021

References

External links

Housmans
- official website
5 Cally Road
- official archive project {{Bookshops in London Bookstores established in the 20th century 1945 establishments in the United Kingdom Bookshops in London