World Book Day: 'Why I've given away 6,000 free books'

Imagine having entree to thousands of books and giving them each distant - for free.

That's precisely what writer and taste historian, Sofia Akel, did. "Reading shouldn't beryllium a privilege," she says.

The 28-year-old has ever loved reading, and she would often find herself successful the room adjacent the East London property wherever she grew up.

She says this was wherever she was capable to "nurture my caput arsenic a child".

But arsenic Sofia grew older, she realised not everyone had specified casual entree to books, with galore not being capable to spend them.

So she created the Free Books Campaign - a non-profit institution dedicated to getting books by authors of colour to those who can't spend them.

Since launching successful 2020, it has donated 6,000 books to radical crossed the UK and Ireland.

Anyone tin inquire for a publication they'd similar to read. The institution is funded by donations, and if it has capable money, it volition bargain the publication and nonstop it over.

"[Reading] should beryllium thing that everyone is capable to enactment in, the aforesaid mode that astir radical would hopefully hold that acquisition shouldn't beryllium a privilege," she says.

"Why I tin subordinate is that if I wasn't capable to person entree to the room virtually connected my doorstep, I wouldn't beryllium wherever I americium now," says Sofia

"My worldview, my imaginativeness and my vocabulary would person been importantly reduced."

The run is built wholly connected spot - thing Sofia takes pridefulness in.

"All we inquire is that you can't spend oregon entree books yourself," Sofia says. "I don't consciousness that anyone is successful a presumption to archer different idiosyncratic whether oregon not their claims for affordability oregon accessibility are valid.

"I've known from increasing up what it's similar to beryllium connected that different side.

"Having these things accessible, wherever you don't person to leap done truthful galore hoops conscionable to get entree to a publication is truly important."

Recent information suggests it whitethorn beryllium much hard to entree books astatine a library.

According to the The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), room publication stocks decreased by 11% crossed England, Wales and Scotland betwixt 2021 and 2022.

Accessibility is precise important to Sofia.

In bid to marque definite radical cognize astir the scheme, she besides launched the Free Books festival successful Peckham, south-east London - with Broccoli Productions, a media accumulation company.

Over a weekend, they gave distant astir 3,000 books.

Sofia worries that publication festivals are often successful the countryside oregon "grand" areas wherever you "have to walk hundreds of pounds".

"Everything was free," she says. "Literally everything. And past everyone was allowed to instrumentality location 2 books."

Estelle, who's a biochemistry graduate, went to the festival with her friends.

The 22-year-old says it's important events similar this exist.

"With the outgo of surviving situation astatine the moment, erstwhile I bash person other money, I would alternatively enactment it towards thing else," she says.

"And adjacent though I emotion reading, I wouldn't beryllium spending my wealth connected books arsenic it wouldn't beryllium that precocious connected my priorities list.

"But with events similar this, it means I'm inactive capable to bask my passionateness of speechmaking and uncovering caller books."

So which books did Estelle instrumentality home?

"XX by Angela Chadwick. That 1 benignant of had a subject link," she says. "And I chose Good Intentions by Kasim Ali. He was really astatine the lawsuit and I got my publication signed.

"I've ne'er met an writer successful idiosyncratic earlier of a publication that I've read, truthful that was precise exciting."

Despite the campaign's success, Sofia says immoderate radical person tried to instrumentality vantage of it.

"Sometimes you tin accidental to instrumentality a mates of books and past you spot radical with a big, big, stack," she says. "And you conscionable person to punctual radical they are expected to beryllium communal.

"But I've recovered that the radical that person truly benefited from it person taken the clip and attraction to marque definite that they lone instrumentality what they're allowed to take," she adds.

"They halt and really person a speech with you astir what it means to them to beryllium capable to bash that.

"So I've recovered that the bully outweighs the bad."

Listen to the latest If You Don't Know podcast to perceive much astir Sofia's Free Books Campaign.

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