Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The committee was formed in October 1977 in response to a series of attacks on Black run, community, independent, and socialist bookshops in London. One of the first known attacks occurred in 1973 against Unity Bookshop in Brixton which was firebombed. Throughout 1977 Bogle-L'Ouverture, Atlas Books, Bookmarks, New Beacon, Centerprise, Corner House, the Other Bookshop, Unity Books and the Bookplace were all systematically attacked. Black run organisations and bookshops in Leeds, Bradford and Nottingham also came under attack. The graffiti and 'calling cards' left by the attackers indicated that it was the work of the National Front and the Ku Klux Klan.
Bookshop Joint Action Committee was comprised of 7 of 10 bookshops which wrote letters of complaints to the Home Office. They held a press conference on 17 October, 1977 to bring public attention to the attacks. The police were seen as colluding with, if not perpetrating some of the acts, and letters to the Home Office clearly state this.
Jessica Huntley and Bogle-L'Ouverture were active in the formation of the group which organised:
- A Bookshop Defence Fund
- Distribution of materials and information about the attacks
- Press and publicity
- A picket of the Home Office:
They called on individuals to "Raise this matter {the attacks and lack of response} within their organisation. Write to the Home Secretary expressing anger and concern about these fascist attacks made on bookshops and his total indifference." - Bookshops "Flying Work Party" for London:
This group of volunteers were sent to damaged shops to repair and get them up and running again as quickly as possible.