By Ruby Wright, Literature Column Editor
Tucked into Wapping Wharf, bookhaus has been curating and selling radical and internationally focused books since August 2021. In the wake of the recent retirement announcement from owners Kevin and Jayne Ramage, Darran McLaughlin, who has been managing this cosmopolitan bookshop since before it even opened, has launched a crowdfunded campaign, hoping to raise the funds needed to continue his work.
Since falling into his career through his part-time university job at a bookshop, McLaughlin has worked as a curator and bookseller in almost every literary genre, including (but certainly not limited to) contemporary fiction, children's, cult music/film books, non-fiction. His experience with each is clear the moment you step into the shop, with headings such as :weird, :culture, :literature and :making reading above each shelf.
But bookhaus is fundamentally the work of a community, not an individual, and the passions of the team of booksellers at bookhaus are unmistakable, with one spotlighting ‘:independent publishers’ and another inspiring the ‘:making’ section through their passion for crafts and cookbooks. McLaughlin himself personally handles the ‘:weird’ section, which contains a general mix of sci-fi, fantasy, graphic novels and horror. In McLaughlin’s words: ‘For a bookshop to have a distinct personality, you’ve got to allow the personalities of the booksellers to shine.’
'The bookstore is still that kind of experience.’
In other words, what an independent bookshop offers is a human touch, something becoming increasingly important since the shadow of the digital world looms large in the world of bookselling nowadays. McLaughlin contemplated the decline of independent bookshops and regular reading habits by arguing that what Spotify is to music, Amazon is to books: ‘because you don’t have that interpersonal experience, with someone who’s got expertise in curating this stuff, you’re less likely to investigate things.’ In his opinion, ‘the bookstore is still that kind of experience.’
Beyond just being an independent bookshop, bookhaus’ ethos is also firmly rooted in the community of political activism – the Ramages and McLaughlin first met through joint involvement in the labour party and a Marxist reading group. The high volume of events that bookhaus hosts and their often political nature attest to this dedication, and the community of people they create have an appetite for literary political engagement.
The four book clubs that bookhaus hosts only further reflect a strong commitment to the bookshop’s radical nature – specifically the ‘revolutionary’ and ‘feminist’ reading circles, created and sustained by the personal interests of the booksellers and further creating a circle of engaged readers.
Kitty Lawton
When asked what would interest students about bookhaus, McLaughlin laughed and said 'First of all, there's our 10% student discount.' He then went on to talk about his own experience at university studying English; 'I know a lot of people who read a lot of literature at university that then stopped challenging themselves with reading after graduating.’
I can say in all honesty that I’ve been feeling something similar while studying English – it’s very easy to focus on the reading that’s required for a course and in turn neglect reading for yourself, especially reading books with more complex, difficult to engage with ideas after already having polished off your theory for the week.
One thing that bookhaus offers then, is a way back into more political and engaging literature for students that are potentially burnt out on it.
If the crowdfund is successful, McLaughlin and his partner, Phil Wrigglesworth, will be co-owners of bookhaus. Wrigglesworth is a senior lecturer in illustration at UWE and founder of the Left Cultures magazine, and McLaughlin is excited about his expertise potentially introducing a new section, with a focus on visual arts and design.
At the time of interviewing, the crowdfund stood at £16,568, or 37 per cent of the way there. At the time of writing, it stands at £21,499, a 10 per cent increase over the course of just under one week. In fact, McLaughlin put out an exciting announcement just this morning – any donations made after this point will be matched by a donor wishing to make a large contribution.
If you are somebody who engages with literature, cares about the success of independent bookshops, and you want to support Bristol’s local literature community, I implore you to consider donating even a small amount to this crowdfund, with the knowledge that someone on the other end will be matching your contribution.
This bookshop is truly a gem, and Darran McLaughlin’s management is a major part of its unique personality and success. I hope this article leads you to check out their website, browse their selection and rediscover a way to read.
Featured Image: Courtesy of bookhaus
