Boomtown Books

Alison MacNaughton started Boomtown Books and later the bookshop became a cooperative. Boomtown Books was based at 167 King Street, Aberdeen in late 1976 and later, it expanded into number 165 on the same street.

The shop shared the site with Aberdeen People’s Press, the Workers’ Educational Association and Ambrosia Wholefoods. The shop was eventually sold by their landlords - the Workers Educational Association (WEA) and they moved to 7d Ferrier Gardens, Sandilands, Aberdeen.

It sold radical press such as Peace News and Freedom; shared information from local campaigners with the public and hosted campaign groups such as Aberdeen Against The Poll Tax.

It specialised in selling green literature, magazines, political papers, feminist fiction, radical politics and lesbian and gay literature. The bookshop provided information on local groups and anti-poll tax and organised badge-making and bookstalls.

A former worker named Julia at Boomtown Books said:

'Working in a bookshop ... requires so much energy and commitment ... makes you feel that you will never be able to leave. It's a bit like a baby except you can't take it with you.'

Sources:
Abeerdeen Protest Blog

The Radical Bookseller, No. 1, Oct 1980; Radical Bookseller, Issue 75, 1991 Bishopsgate Institute
The Radical Bookseller, No. 67, 1990, Senate House

Radical Bookshops Listing, Radical Bookshop History Project (November 2023) [Available online here, accessed 13.05.2025]

Further research:
There are some items (newsletter, posters and leaflets) as part of the Aberdeen People’s Press archives at the University of Aberdeen.