Coming soon: The Word

Part of a long-neglected parade of shops on New Cross Road will reopen in September as a bookshop. Goldsmiths, owner of the parade, says:

The Word – at 314 New Cross Road on the corner of Laurie Grove - will primarily stock books recommended on the university’s reading lists, including titles by Goldsmiths lecturers. There will be a loyalty card scheme for students and second-hand books. 

The Word will be run by David Brett, who has worked in academic bookselling for fifteen years, as a book-buyer and manager of independent academic bookshops.

“I live just down the road in Lewisham,” said David, who got the idea for the bookshop after hearing from student friends of his girlfriend’s mother that Goldsmiths’ branch of Blackwells had closed. 

“Both my girlfriend and her mother got Masters degrees from Goldsmiths,” he explained. “I’m excited to say that this is the first shop I’ve actually owned and I am very much looking forward to this new chapter in my life and in the life of Goldsmiths.”

Staff in the Library and Estates & Facilities departments at Goldsmiths have been working with David over the past year to get The Word up and running. It is hoped that, much like our Curzon Goldsmiths cinema, the shop will also give the local community a great new facility.

At less busy times on campus, such as in the run up to Christmas, more general books will be stocked. 

And David’s intention is to make the bookshop a vibrant and stimulating place to visit, so book launches and readings will be held, and subject and publisher promotions offered. 

A bookshop is usually top of the BC wishlist in any debate about what facilities are missing from the local area, so this news should be very welcome. But as with the new cinema, the offer needs to be right if it's going to succeed.

Full disclosure: I am on the Council of Goldsmiths.