| . |
p11
Stoke Newington Church Street has one of the most concentrated
collections of second-hand bookshops in North London.
There are no less than three; Church Street Bookshop, Vortex and Ocean Books, all within
spitting distance of each other. With bookshops, unlike restaurants, you don't have the
agonising choice of which one to go to. They are close enough for the serious browser to
visit all three. They carry broadly similar stocks appropriate to the sizeable literary
intelligentsia that inhabits the area. Philosophy, history and social sciences, women's
studies, classical and modem literature, crime thrillers, art and design and also
children's books will be found in abundance. But each establishment has its own particular
character
The particular strength of Church Street Bookshop (020 7241 5411) is its
'recent arrivals' shelf. This could almost be renamed 'recently published'. I never cease
to be impressed with the speed with which newly published titles show up here. I also like
the Marxism and politics section. There seems to be a steady stream of erstwhile old
lefties in Stoke Newington cleansing their bookshelves of embarrassing reminders of their
past as they move on to jobs with New Labour. I always look in the covers to see who is
shedding their Marx, Trotsky or Ernest Mandel. For unreconstructed revolutionaries the
shelves are well worth keeping an eye on. The other sections which I like particularly are
pre-modern and classical literature and history. The other attraction is the soothing
Baroque and early music which accompanies your browsing.
Vortex (alas now closed as a book shop 2002) is definitely the 'Foyles'
of the three. It carries a larger stock and older titles can be allowed to hang around
longer. This is the place to start your hunt for things long out of print. Last time I was
in there was an almost complete run of Granta in the modem literature section. There is a
greater sub division of categories too, with sections on such themes as magic and
witchcraft in addition to the usual categories. There is room for a sizeable assortment of
large format art books. Pride of place must go to the excellent collection of modem first
editions, all well preserved in cellophane dustjackets.
Ocean Books (020 7968 8723) is the smallest and the newest, having been
going for about three years. But the collection of titles is well organised. There is a
large selection of 1960s fiction and the philosophy collection is also small but
particularly good. I liked the separate 'true crime' section which saves you rummaging
around for books on Jack the Ripper among the Ruth Rendells. Ocean also stocks a modest
collection of second-hand CDs.
All three have notice boards where adverts for local services and events can be placed.
The proximity of the three bookshops to one another and to the pubs and cafes along Church
Street makes it possible to have a worthwhile morning of browsing followed by a pint or a
coffee while you start reading and congratulate yourself on the money you've saved.
John Lea is Professor of Criminology at Middlesex University.
Pictures of Stokey
The front page illustration is a detail from the picture below,
drawn and painted by David Downes.
David is a 27-year old, Suffolk-born artist who graduated from the Royal
College of Art in 1996 and who lives in Stoke Newington.
 Over the last few months he has been
illustrating Stokey's scenes and buildings, and you may well have seen him sitting with
his sketchpad along the street. He is attracted by the artistic possibilities of the area
and its creative life. In his art he attempts to capture a representational yet
idiosyncratic and personal view of his subjects, and the effect is one of bustling detail
and vivid colour. He has to date created over twenty-five drawings and paintings of Stokey
as well as several more on London generally. His technique is to draw with pen and ink and
finish with acrylic paint, and he sees himself more as an artist than an illustrator.
An original painting will cost from £150 upward and his prints sell in limited editions
for £50 plus. His work has been displayed in various galleries, as well as in a recent
exhibition at The Fox Reformed wine bar, and he is clearly a gifted young artist who is
going to make a big impression on the wider art world. If you'd like to see his paintings
in their original full colour, phone David on 0181 880 2831, and he'll be happy to make an
appointment. Talented people like David need all the encouragement they can get.
|
. |
