Our Story
Access to books is important for many reasons, from developing the essential reading and writing skills needed to navigate the education system and beyond, to also providing fertile ground for people of all ages and backgrounds to explore their creativity, fuel their imagination and for some, be their escape and reprieve from the harsh realities of living under austerity. With hundreds of library closures, access to these vital books are increasingly becoming scarce. The power of books cannot be undermined - many would agree that education is a basic human right, by the same token, access to books must also be a universal right, as for some, it holds the keys to a brighter future.
However, with so many libraries closing around the UK - almost 130 reported in 2018 alone - access to books can become increasingly difficult, and whilst book sales have been on the up, many do not have the luxury of buying or accessing their own.
No one should be denied the opportunity to increase their education, their learning or to simply immerse themselves in a great book due to financial restrictions. Therefore the Free Books Campaign (CIC) was born out of the need to close this gap, increase book ownership and support readers, which can have a huge positive impact on someone’s life.
We’ve donated 6000+ books across the UK and Ireland
The campaign started as a fundraiser in July 2020, during the first UK lockdown. We are dedicated to getting books by authors of colour - who are typically underrepresented in the publishing industry and education system - to those who are unable to access them, by donating books to individuals, families, youth clubs, community centres, charities and schools.
The Free Books Campaign was founded by Sofia Akel, an avid reader and Race Equality Specialist. Since launching, we have raised over £10,000 in financial donations and received over 1000 physical book donations from publishers across the UK. So far, we have gotten over 6000 books into new homes! In 2021 we officially became a community interest company, meaning that all our funds are guaranteed to go back into the community!
We are incredibly passionate about supporting authors of colour and independent book stores through the campaign, therefore we purchase our books exclusively from Round Table Books (CIC) and Maldon Books, whenever possible.
The Free Books Campaign would not exist without the incredible generosity and kindness of so many people, especially during a time as difficult as the one we are in. With our deep thanks to you all, the campaign has grown into a beautiful, community-centred organisation, where we will continue to close the gap in essential access to books.
Our founder, Sofia Akel
From Our Recipients
‘Having books donated by the Free Books Campaign is truly wonderful and we can’t thank them enough! Getting more titles by BAME authors distributed throughout our school community and highlighting the fantastic BAME writing and stories out there is essential in reflecting our communities beyond the school gates. London is a rich and diverse cultural mixture and our reading material should reflect that so our students can see themselves within the stories.”
— Tracy Walker, Deptford Green School Librarian
“Such a fantastic initiative that has enabled me the pleasure of reading Akala’s latest Natives at a time when I could not afford to purchase the book myself. I was also gifted a book for my son by Vashti which I know will help me to show him that representation matters and that he too can become a strong Black leader.”
— A recipient of Free Books Campaign
“LDE UTC are impressed by the generosity of the Free Books Campaign. The extensive and varied reading material will appeal to our diverse cohort of learners, many of whom are voracious readers, looking to connect with stories written by contemporary authors. The Free Books Campaign is an amazingly helpful project that we have been lucky to benefit from.”
— Jolanta Kutereba, London Design & Engineering UTC
“I came across the Free Books Campaign in the summer of 2020, and I thought it was a brilliant initiative. With austerity measures resulting in numerous closures of libraries and community centres, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic making it harder for those facing socioeconomic barriers to gain access to books, I felt it was important that we, at Vintage, respond to this crisis.”
- Mireille Harper, Editor, Square Peg
