News From Nowhere at 96 Bold Street is Liverpool’s not-for-profit radical and community bookshop. Established on May Day in 1974, it is one of the oldest surviving radical bookshops in the United Kingdom, owned and managed collectively by a women-led workers' co-operative with equal pay for all members.
What News From Nowhere does
The shop serves as an independent bookseller, cultural archive and community resource centre. Painted in bold red with hand-painted gold lettering, the shop prioritises literature that challenges oppression, explores alternative economic structures, documents working-class history, and champions marginalised voices. Unlike commercial retail chains governed by bestseller algorithms, the stock is hand-selected by the co-operative to spark discussion and encourage social change.
The book sections: Politics, feminism and social justice
The ground floor is categorised into deeply curated subject areas:
- Politics and Labour History: Working-class struggles, socialist theory, anarchism, trade unionism, Marxism, and Liverpool's extensive history of civic activism and dock strikes.
- Anti-Racism and Decolonisation: Global Black history, anti-colonial struggles, Palestinian literature, and diaspora perspectives.
- Feminism and Gender Studies: Feminist theory, reproductive rights, women's memoirs, and radical histories.
- LGBTQIA+ Writing: Queer fiction, transgender history, poetry, and intersectional identity studies.
- Environment and Food Justice: Climate crisis analysis, rewilding, regenerative agriculture, and wholefood and vegan cookery.
Fiction, poetry and children’s books
The front tables and side bays carry contemporary and classic fiction, focusing on independent small presses, working-class authors, translated world literature, and graphic novels. A dedicated poetry bay showcases local Merseyside poets alongside international voices.
Near the rear of the ground floor is an acclaimed children’s and young adult section. The co-operative deliberately avoids formulaic, gender-stereotyped books in favour of beautifully illustrated stories that reflect diverse family structures, different ethnicities, disability awareness, and emotional empathy.
The story behind 96 Bold Street
The bookshop was founded on 1 May 1974 by Bob Henderson on Manchester Street near the Mersey Tunnel entrance, taking its name from William Morris's 1890 utopian socialist novel News from Nowhere. In 1977, the shop moved to Whitechapel. Following an arson attack by political extremists and rising city rents, the collective relocated to 96 Bold Street in 1989.
In 1996, when the building faced sale by its private landlord, the collective launched an appeal for community interest-free loans. Customers and supporters raised the required capital to buy the freehold outright, ensuring the building would remain in trust for Liverpool’s progressive community in perpetuity. In May 2024, the shop celebrated its 50th anniversary of continuous trading.
Ordering and community services
The shop functions as a civic community hub:
- Rapid Book Ordering: Staff can order virtually any book currently in British print, usually arriving within 24 to 48 hours for store collection or postal dispatch, offering an ethical high-street alternative to major online retail monopolies.
- Community Noticeboard: The front entrance and window bays feature flyers, protest notices, meeting announcements, support group contacts, and trade union updates.
- Badges and Paraphernalia: A front counter display carries political pin badges, iron-on patches, postcards, independent zines, and progressive pride flags.
Prices and visiting
Books are sold at standard publisher recommended retail prices (RRP), with paperback fiction typically ranging from £9.99 to £12.99 and non-fiction paperbacks between £10.99 and £16.99. The shop maintains a bargain and second-hand table near the door with discounted reading copies. Payments are accepted via cash, contactless card or national Book Tokens.
Around upper Bold Street
News From Nowhere sits in the upper half of Bold Street, directly opposite Bold Street Coffee and next to Utility. At the head of the street stands St Luke's Bombed Out Church, connecting Bold Street into the Georgian Quarter.
To explore more of the neighbourhood, read our Ropewalks area guide and our guide to where to eat in Liverpool by area.
