As riots and looting spread through a number of London neighborhoods, booksellers around the city struggled to cope. The authorities have warned many stores to stay closed during this difficult time.
Here’s more from The Bookseller: “A Waterstone’s spokesperson said it was closing stores early depending on police advice but only the shop on Clapham High Street had closed … A WH Smith spokesperson said it had closed at most six stores across the stricken areas in Brixton, Wood Green and Enfield.”
Jacket Copy reports that a few independent bookstores have remained open. One of them is Pages of Hackney (pictured, via), a store located in one of “the most volatile areas.” The bookstore’s Twitter feed includes firsthand accounts of the riots. About two hours ago, they assured one customer: “Everything is fine at the moment. A little edgy, but mostly ok.”