Fundraiser for award-winning children's bookshop

A man and a woman are stood in the middle, in front of a cashier desk in a bookshop. The man is on the left and has grey hair. He is wearing a white shirt, unbuttoned at the collar, and a black jacket, with black trousers and a belt. He is leaning against the desk with his right arm. The woman on the right is wearing a black hair bonnet, and is wearing a black dress with red and white floral decorations and a light blue denim jacket. To their left, there is a table displaying a colourful selection of books. There is a computer and more books on the desk, and behind the desk there is a display of wrapping paper hung on the white wall. There are more book shelves behind the two people, on their right.

Paul Chin (left) is owner of Moon Lane Books, which is managed by Jasmine Dellimore (right)

Gem O'Reilly
BBC Radio London

A bookshop in south-east London which was crowned Children's Bookseller of the Year two years in a row has started a fundraiser to help with its financial struggles.

Moon Lane Books in Catford says the rising cost-of-living as well as shrinking school budgets - which it works with for collaborations - were impacting its revenue.

So far, more than £11,000 of its £40,000 target has been raised. It will use the money to help to cover business costs and organise free community events.

According to the Booksellers Association, the number of bookshops in the UK fell from 1,063 to 1,052 in 2024. In London, seven independent stores closed last year however ten new ones were set up.

A set of white book shelves in the corner of a shop. There are four rows of shelves, with one set of shelves directly in front and another one at a right angle on the right hand side. In the middle across the shelves, there are books with their covers on display. More shelves to the right of the book shelves display more book covers. To the left of the shelves, there is a poster wall, with a fake painted white tree in front.

Moon Lane Books has twice been awarded Children's Bookseller of the Year, in 2020 and 2021

The store, which opened in 2018, runs workshops, storytelling sessions and school outreach projects.

Its owners say the store specialises in "promoting equity and inclusion" within children's literature, and aims to ensure "every child has access to books that enable them to feel seen, reflected, respected and valued."

The majority of the £40,000 target is required to cover rent, business rates and other overheads, according to the store's website.

The rest will go towards running free in-store events and a monthly book club.

The cashier's desk at a book store. There is a dark brown desk, with a red and white striped decoration on the side. A computer screen is on right of the desk, surrounded by books including 'Resistance' and 'Magical Unicorn Friend'. There is a small gap on the desk to the left of the computer. To the left of this is a poster which reads 'Help us save Moon Lane Books', with a QR code. There is a display of wrapping paper on the white wall behind the desk, and multi-coloured triangle banners are displayed from the ceiling. To the right of the desk, there is a set of shelves with colourful children's books on display.

One of their key goals is to fundraise to pay authors to run workshops and events.

"This particular goal is all the more important for us, because people are often pushed out of the creative industries when they are not adequately paid for their work and time," they said.

A woman and a young female child sat on a sofa. The woman is on the left and has shoulder-length brown hair and round glasses. She is holding her hands in her lap, and is wearing a grey T-shirt, faded blue jeans, and a gold strap around her right arm. The girl is on the right and is wearing similar round glasses and a white headband, and has brown hair tied in a ponytail. She is wearing a baggy black jumper with white flowers on it, and black trousers. They are sat on a grey sofa covered in a cream-coloured blanket. There are children's books on display behind the sofa, and on the right hand side there is a set of book shelves filled with colourful children's books.

Lauren Webb (left) said the bookshop was "like a little oasis"

The shop says it supports authors from all backgrounds, and aims to represent different cultures, disabilities, socio-economic situations and family dynamics in the books on sale.

It was awarded Children's Bookseller of the Year in 2020 and 2021, and British Bookseller of the Year in 2021, by the British Book Awards.

Store manager Jasmine Dellimore said: "It's great to see how happy these kids are to see themselves reflected in the books we stock.

"The aim is to continue holding events so that kids can come in, read stories, have stories be told to them, and be inspired to tell their own stories and share their own experiences."

'A little oasis'

Lauren Webb, who frequently visits the shop with her two daughters, said it would be "such a shame" if it were to close.

"We come in here a lot and it's like a little oasis in here. It's a really important part of the local community."

Ruby Tipper, one of the children who is a regular customer at the shop, said she found it "very welcoming and inviting with all its colours and books laid out".

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