Bookbanks

A good deed in a weary world

You might not realise when you first see it, but this is a beautiful picture:

It’s an image of someone picking up a copy of George’s Marvellous Medicine at a Bookbanks site in Euston, in the middle of London.

Bookbanks is a new UK charity that has started giving out books - for free - to people who go to food banks.

Food banks, just in case you don’t know, are charitable organisations that supply food to people in need. They are thought to have given out food to 4% of the UK population in the past year; a percentage that has been steadily rising since the imposition of David Cameron’s austerity programme in 2010, the disaster of Brexit in 2016 and the Liz Truss cost of living crisis as few years ago.

The leading food distributor, Trussel food banks, gave out 2.9 million food parcels in 2024/25, of which 1.02 million went to children.

Many of the recipients have also been in the care system, many are disabled, many live in social housing.

And I know you don’t need me to explain why books might make wonderful additions to those life-changing parcels.

But let me spend a moment on the novel in the picture, George’s Marvellous Medicine.

Because I remember the joy it brought me when I read it as a child. The outrageous delight. The sense of subversion it provides from its very first words:

‘I’m going shopping in the village,’ George’s mother said to George on a Saturday morning. ‘So be a good boy and don’t get up to mischief.’

This was a silly thing to say to a small boy at any time. It immediately made him wonder what sort of mischief he might get up to.

And then, of course, the hilarity of that mischief. How it went beyond anything I could possibly have imagined: surreal, magical and, yes, as the title promised, marvellous.

It’s a literary buzz I’ve been chasing ever since - and I’ve treasured my copy accordingly:

The idea of a child being denied similar delight is appalling.

The fact that Bookbanks can supply it (and that maybe the book in the photo has already done so) is all the reason I need to support them.

And then, of course, there are all the other books. All the other wonders and beauties. All the other things that everyone should be able to access and enjoy - to have and hold. Things that might just change, improve and brighten their lives.

Bookbanks are doing something special.

How to help

The bottom line is the bottom line.

Bookbanks need money to continue the fine work they are doing and to expand further.

They have a donation button on their website.

More reasons to help

The charity has been a big success since starting up last year. It has such clear, simple and laudable ambitions that people understand it immediately - and often want to help accordingly.

Bookbanks has been featured in The Times newspaper, it’s started putting on literary events, it’s attracted writers like Andrew O’Hagan and Kit De Waal as ambassadors, and it’s quickly expanded from one location in Hackney to half a dozen scattered around the country.

One of the locations is in Norwich, near my own house.

And so it was that last week I was able to meet one of the Bookbanks team, Hattie Garlick, to talk about how Galley Beggar Press might be able support this vital work.

I’m hoping that we will soon be able to supply some books - and get some of our writers involved – but that’s not actually the point of this article.

Because as I spoke to Hattie I also realised that alongside support and goodwill, there’s just a pressing need for money.

Hattie explained some of the superb work the organisation does and the pride they take in getting quality books to people - and how much it matters that they can offer a wide and various range of titles.

Which is all great - but also made me realise just how complicated this operation is likely to become.

As they expand, Bookbanks are going to have to deal with many of the logistics that make publishing so challenging - and they’re going to have to do it almost from scratch — and with additional complexities.

The fact is that moving and storing large quantities of physical books is difficult and expensive. The book trade relies on a complicated set of processes to get books from the printers, to warehouses, to distribution centres and on to the shops.

As it expands - and let’s hope it does! - Bookbanks is going to have to do all those usual logistical things - but there will be an additional need to engineer a system that allows frequent rotation of the stock of books at different locations - so that the people who need them don’t keep seeing the same old handful of titles.

For publishers, most of the logistics come to an end once the books are safely on bookstore shelves¹. Bookbanks are going to need to keep changing those shelves. And it really matters that they can.

They’re doing incredibly well with good will and hard work at the moment - but it isn’t hard to foresee a time when they’re going to need vehicles, drivers, storage space, distribution hubs, complicated fulfilment processes… Phew!

All of that can be arranged - but none of it is likely to come cheap. Hence this extra plea here on Substack.

Finally and gratefully

I’m very conscious that many people have already been generous to both to myself and to Galley Beggar Press on this website. I’m aware that I’m asking for even more now.

But it’s that generosity, and the goodwill I’ve seen towards the furtherance of literature, that also make me think that those readers of this article who can afford to, might be keen to contribute to Bookbanks too.

Of course, in an ideal world, we wouldn’t need them. But since we don’t live in such a place, their little candle throws its beams a long way.

So here’s that website donation link again. They accept one of donations - but also you can give a small amount each month. As the cliché goes, it’s less than the price of a cup of coffee, but if enough people join in, it will make a world of difference.

Fondly,

Sam

Links, tips and suggestions will return soon. I’m still taking recommendations so drop a line in the comments - or visit last week’s article. I’m also hoping to write something about a very brilliant book I just read soon… Oh and if you’re new here, please do hit the button:

1. One day I’ll write a post about the insanity of the returns system in the UK - and why that means that there are also extra expenses, worries and logistics for publishers after this stage. But let’s not worry about that for now!