We’re delighted to share that Knowle has been chosen as one of just 90 locations across the UK to host a Little Book Stop, part of a national initiative from Penguin Books to mark their 90th birthday.
This year, Penguin celebrates 90 years of reading moments and everything books bring to communities — imagination, empathy, escape, connection. To mark the occasion, they launched 90 Little Book Stops: book exchange spots inspired by the original Little Free Library model that began in 2009 in Wisconsin and has since grown into a global network of over 200,000 book boxes. This exciting project is being delivered by Penguin Books in collaboration with the non-profit Little Free Library, who run the international network.
Together with Knowle C of E Academy Parents Association, we at Visit Knowle applied to bring one of these Little Book Stops to our village after being asked to apply by some of our local residents.
Kim, of Visit Knowle said “Our Little Book Stop will be installed in September outside Knowle Sweet Shop, and we can’t wait for you to start using it”. It’s designed to be a simple and delightful place to pause, browse, and reconnect with stories, whether you’re swapping a book on the school run, discovering a surprise on your way home from the shops, or passing one on to a neighbour who needs a lift.
Volunteers from Knowle CofE Academy Parents Association & Visit Knowle will regularly be checking it to make sure it’s well taken care of. Jenny said “I was delighted to work with Visit Knowle on the application for Our Little Book Stop – we know how competitive it is so we’re really pleased to have played a part. If you see any of our volunteers checking the book stop, do say hello!”
This is a gift from us to our village and we hope it becomes a daily habit, a conversation starter, and a spark of kindness in our community.
Look out for it this September… and get ready to take a book, leave a book, and share the joy of reading.