Lighthouse 'radical' bookshop Edinburgh makes a statement on 'no platform'

[Laterthanyouthink]

www.lighthousebookshop.com/2019/02/16/to-platform-or-not-to-platform-where-we-stand.html

I cannot get my head around this at all, a bookshop should be the last place to find censorship

I very much doubt they’ll be in business as long as their predecessors. An un-feminist feminist bookshop will implode up its own arse in a year or two I would imagine. Though being near the university there might be enough of the woke pound around to keep them going.

Well they clearly don't need the money!

There are plenty of good bookshops in Edinburgh where one can poke around a real variety of books without being judged on how woke one is

I'm awfully tempted to go in at the weekend in my best Tory lady tailored work clothes, patent courts , proper hat, leather gloves and my vintage cashmere coat with mink collar (yes I know I'm a hypocrite but that particular mink died before I was born) and ask if they have any Sheila Jeffries or Greer.

Imagine the day has come when asking for Germaine Greer in a radical bookshop is something to be avoided

It’s mere yards from the university and in an area of town which is mostly lived in by young people. It’s in the midst of its target audience. And if you’re a student and ask them to order in books, it will do it cheaper than Blackwells. It’ll do fine.

And if you’re a student and ask them to order in books, it will do it cheaper than Blackwells

I wonder if they will order actual feminist literature that they consider ‘exclusionary’

You're showing your age LilaJude.

Edinburgh is widely populated by a huge mix of people, there is no such thing as the youth quarter!

"We're happy to order books for you provided we approve of your choice"

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

They can sell what they want. To label themselves a feminist bookshop while supporting an ideology that is scientifically incorrect and actively harmful to women is just woke virtue signalling. It’s hard of thinking. And that’s not what I look for in a bookshop

This. Feminist bookshop my arse.

Or I’d they dont agree I’m sure they will delete the Bad Bits with a big black sharpie or tear out offending pages.

Edinburgh is widely populated by a huge mix of people, there is no such thing as the youth quarter!

Who said anything about a youth quarter? I don’t even know what they means. I just stated the simple fact that lots of students and young people live in that area. I am intimately acquainted with it because I lived less than half a mile from that bookshop for 12 years (I’m now 31) and because I used to volunteer for an MSP doing data entry and door knocking in that constituency.

There are quite a few student dorms round there though isn’t there?

Yeah, loads. Pollock halls, Darroch court, sciennes, the ones at the back of the meadows, sugarhouse close etc.

It used to be called word power. It has always had quite a similar range of self conscious books in window displays which in my opinion never reflected what was a fantastic range of unusual books, including a lot of international fiction and interesting kids books. I’ve spent a fair bit of money there over the years. The old owner had a lovely old dog. I spoke to the new owner when it was renamed and it turns out she was friends with the owner and they offered her first refusal when they decided to sell up. She promised there would be a new dog and it duly arrived. I was very surprised to see their stance on “TERFs” at their Radical Book Festival. I live in Edinburgh and am gender critical. It’s their right to take particular views but aside from disagreeing substantively I find heir position incoherent and inconsistent with what I understand their principles and outlook to have been and to be. Accordingly, as is my right, I choose not to buy books there anymore. I believe though that for some custom lost by my views, there will be custom gained by the views. Finally, I’ve lived in the area and whilst it is next to the university and has a lot of students nearby, it is to me more aptly described as a multicultural, family area with the Mosque and halal supermarkets, foreign fruit and spice shops, internet and phone cafes, kebab shops etc. (I lived there for a bit). That said, it’s the sort of shop I would have (and did) made my way across town for and others may do similar. I have never found the shop busy at various times I’ve been in but it has lasted a long time I suppose.

I went in a fair bit when it was Word Power and found some good stuff in there. They always had a range of feminist writing and lots of good fiction. I definitely won't be spending any money in there ever again after they've publicised their anti-woman stance.

And if you’re a student and ask them to order in books, it will do it cheaper than Blackwells
Pretty sure Blackwells doesn't charge for ordering books. I've never heard of a bookshop doing that. Blackwells does a good student discount and stocks texts for many of the most popular undergraduate courses. I can't see how Lighthouse can compete with that.

Yeps I wrote. That area very diverse
And students buying books. They can order in from library

And if you’re a student and ask them to order in books, it will do it cheaper than Blackwells
Pretty sure Blackwells doesn't charge for ordering books. I've never heard of a bookshop doing that. Blackwells does a good student discount and stocks texts for many of the most popular undergraduate courses. I can't see how Lighthouse can compete with that

Plus Blackwells might even have the book in stock.

The previous owner of Word Power is a friend of my mums. She's a proper, old school radical feminist. Lots of stuff happened when the shop changed hands which I can't say much about, but this new stance craps all over other people's hard, hard work and commitment.

It's so heartbreaking.

And they don’t care if you might possibly be a woman

Blackwells might have a nice wee chat with you about what you are buying and recommend some other stuff you like. They certainly won't lecture and judge you on your political leanings!

That’s really sad Morris

Pretty sure Blackwells doesn't charge for ordering books.

I mean the book would be cheaper, not that there was any charge for ordering.

Lots of stuff happened when the shop changed hands which I can't say much about, but this new stance craps all over other people's hard, hard work and commitment.

I think it’s unfair to make vague, sinister comments like this. I would hope that since this is the internet people would take unfounded insinuations with a shovel of salt, but there’s sadly no guarantee. It would be just as easy for me to pretend I knew the old owner and suggest that she once behaved in some untoward way if I felt so inclined.

As for crapping on other people’s hard work and commitment, the new owners are allowed to take the business in a direction which reflects their own beliefs rather than someone else’s.

As someone who spent a lot of time defending the mind boggling nonsense word salad put out by this judgemental bookshop I think you are in no position to call other posters sinister!

Naw Lila
They ought to,welcom3 all women not just the poshies who are privileged and who know what all the prounoun stuff means
Very elitist and non welcoming t o just ordinary women

I mean the book would be cheaper, not that there was any charge for ordering

Why do you assume that? It may well be cheaper on Amazon. I've just checked 2 standard legal texts- one was cheaper at Blackwells and one was cheaper at Amazon. Blackwells will have both in stock. I doubt Lighthouse would and I don't see why one would assume Lighthouse would be cheaper than an academic book shop.