Since 1974 News From Nowhere has been a radical presence in a city of change: and remains one of Liverpool’s few remaining independent icons, situated at 96 Bold Street in the Ropewalks.
News From Nowhere is Liverpool’s home for radical, social and community books, meet-ups, information and support – its groaning shelves feature books and periodicals on ethics, LGBT, social history, environmental and animal rights, food, health, local history and much, much more. There’s an excellent kids section too.
It’s not just new books either. You can buy literary, film, and political magazines and journals; you can even buy secondhand books. The KLF’s Bill Drummond liked it so much he made it the only place in the world you could buy his book, 100. Keep your eyes peeled for regular events such as book launches too.
“We just can’t compete on the internet’s price, or on range,” says Mandy Vere, a member of the women’s collective which runs News From Nowhere, “but we can order any book in print, and we can compete on knowledge. We know our stock and we’ll go the extra mile to source a book for our customers.”
It’s this deep knowledge that has kept News From Nowhere at the heart of literary – and radical – Liverpool for over two generations.
“We’re more than a bookshop, we’ve been an outreach hub for years,” she says, “our community links aren’t something we’ve tacked on to help us stay in business, they’re at the heart of everything we do.”
News From Nowhere’s range of fair trade crafts, its (excellent) world music section, and its kaleidoscopic notice board shows a store as diverse as the community it serves.
“Between us, we’ve got 150 years of book selling experience,” Vere says defiantly, “I doubt you’d get that anywhere else in this, or many other cities.”
We're currently celebrating and commemorating Black Lives, Black History, Black Women & Anti-Racist Activism #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/XKlCvi9u59
— News From Nowhere (@newsfromnowhere) July 6, 2018
“We do have a lot of nice things written about our shop, and we always seem to make those ‘best bookshops’ lists,” Vere says, “but that doesn’t always translate to actual customers in the shop. I wish it did!”
Downstairs, The Liverpool Social Centre – “Next To Nowhere” – is a volunteer-run, radical, do-it-yourself space for meetings and events. Food From Nowhere is a not-for-profit vegan cafe that opens on Saturday afternoons; the menu lists suggested donations.
But News From Nowhere is your first call, should you seek information on local events with a socially conscious edge.
