Printed Matter

Printed Matter is a community bookshop in Hastings that specialises in new books on social sciences, social history, culture, fiction, and vinyl records.

The bookshop was founded in 2017 by Lee, who has a background in homelessness work, to provide a diverse selection of thought-provoking books that aren't typically found in mainstream shops. Lee's aim was to create a space that encourages people to think, learn new things, and broaden their knowledge.

The bookshop stocks a wide range of books on social history, Black culture, current affairs, and alternative economics. The basement of the bookshop houses second-hand record sellers, offering new reissues of early reggae, soul, 60s R&B, and jazz. The collection includes rare punk, hardcore, ska, and rap records. Printed Matter also collaborates with Pressing Matters record store, which stocks many unique and hard-to-find titles.

Printed Matter hosts a monthly radical book club and is starting a Capital reading group. The bookshop frequently holds author talks on current affairs, social history, and culture, inviting local writers and those who can visit for minimal travel costs. These events sometimes take place in larger venues to attract wider audiences and support the venues' publicity and revenue.

Printed Matter are members of the Alliance of Radical Booksellers.

Sources:

Transition Town Hastings
Earth Island Books
Repeater Books
Hastings Online Times