We are more than a bookshop . T he Common Press is Londo n's queer intersectional Bookshop café & Event s space. March The Common Press CIC is a not-for-profit queer bookshop café that means a lot of things to the community. As London's first consciously queer intersectional bookshop and events space, we provide a sanctuary and third space for literature, culture and for our LGBTQIA+ community to exist both during the day and at night in social settings. We are a radical and independent space that stands up for what we believe in and champions books by underrepresented authors and those from the Global majority. We host a diverse range of events every day, including dance classes, yoga sessions, book clubs, family-friendly events, book launches, workshops, and parties. Whether you're looking for the latest novels by your favourite gay, lesbian, queer, trans, and non-binary authors; seminal works of Black history; fourth-wave feminist theory; or that niche book on disability activism, we either have it or know how to get it fast. It's not just novels and theory, we also stock poetry, plays, graphic novels, and a great collection of books for children and young adults. And if, after all that browsing, you're feeling a bit tired, we make a pretty great coffee and cuppa as well. Book of the Month Looking for a Gift? Choose Here Sign up now Upcoming Events! If you'd like to see our upcoming events in a calendar format, you can click here . We also post monthly summaries of upcoming events to our instagram! 19/03/26 Mar Thursday The Queerly Autistic Workbook: Book Laun... 19:00 - 21:00 Button 23/03/26 Mar Monday Book Launch: the heart is a holding by L... 18:30 - 21:00 Button 25/03/26 Mar Wednesday Polystation: An Open Discussion on Redef... 19:00 - 21:00 Button 26/03/26 Mar Thursday Debut Book Launch: Bad Queer by Gayathir... 19:00 - 23:00 Button 08/04/26 Apr Wednesday Queer Writer's Circle 18:00 - 20:00 Button 11/04/26 Apr Saturday Bi+ Speed-Dating 18:00 - 22:00 Button See More EVENTS Interested in running an event with us? We run a huge range of events across the site, including book launches, club nights, panel discussions, and private parties. Please get in touch to discuss! Private Hire Read More

Book an Event If you want to speak to us about an event, please get in touch. Book an event with us: HERE Not sure who to contact? Whether it’s a general question, book request, event invite, partnership, filming, or anything else, fill out the form below and we’ll make sure it reaches the right person. For all event enquiries, please use the “Book an Event” button or link above. We are a small team and receive a high number of enquiries, please be patient in awaiting a response - we will get back to you as soon as possible! Contact Us First Name Last Name Pronouns Email Write a message My enquiry relates to: * Required Bookshop ----- Books + general info. Want to book an event? See event button above Media & Partnerships ----- Collaborations, Festivals & Private Events Other I want to subscribe to the newsletter. Submit Thank you for getting in touch with us. We will reach out soon.With love & solidarity, The Common Press Team Contact US

Private Hire Bring your vision to life at The Common Press From launches to parties, we've got you covered. Book Event Hire fees and venue specifications Full day hire - 09:00 am - 5:30 pm Half-day hire - 09:00 am - 12:00 pm Evening hire - 7:00 pm - late Extended and late times are available until 2 am. Please fill in the form here to start a conversation about your event. The Common Press has four spaces for hire. If you have a budget or you would like to collaborate with us please let us know so we can see what we can do. All pricing are community/charity rates and details for each space are below. **Note that VAT will be applied to hire fees** Unfortunately, our events space is no longer available for hire. The bookshop café is available for hire. Heading 1 Bookshop hire from £185 per hour Capacity: 45 seating | 70 stan ding Available Monday - All day Tuesday - Sunday from 7 pm - late alcoholic or non-alcoholic bar available. *Please note that VAT will be added to hire fees** Ideal for book events, open mic, panel discussions, parties & social gatherings. This space is wheelchair accessible. Includes venue hire + Staffing + Chairs + Tables + AV setup (Excludes VAT and sound technician) DJ decks £80 - DJ Pioneer XDJ RX - DJ Controller System Rekordbox. See full specs: https://www.pioneerdj.com/en-gb/product/all-in-one-system/archive/xdj-rx/black/overview/ Bar with staffing - available on request Sound Technician £15 per hour Security £150 for one security staff. Alcohol License and admin £50 (available with approval of management) EXTRAS Find us online! Instagram Books Instagram Accessibility Information Privacy Policy Visit us! The Common Press Bookshop 118 Bethnal Green Road London E2 6DG Opening Times Tuesday - Sunday: 11 AM - 6: 30PM Monday- CLOSED Open until late for events! Web Design by Alfonzo Sieveking Quick Site Navigation Home Events Private Hire Gift Guides Membership Shop Online Shop Gift Card Contact

EVENTS Book launches, poetry nights, cabaret, drag queen story time, pottery classes, yoga... pretty much anything you can think of is happening here! You can use the button on the right to toggle between list and calendar view. We hope to see you at one of our events soon! Calendar View The Queerly Autistic Workbook: Book Launch Thu 19 Mar More info RSVP Book Launch: the heart is a holding by Lateisha Davine Lovelace-Hanson Mon 23 Mar More info Buy Tickets Multiple Dates Polystation: An Open Discussion on Redefining Relationships Wed 25 Mar More info RSVP Debut Book Launch: Bad Queer by Gayathiri Kamalakanthan Thu 26 Mar More info RSVP Multiple Dates Queer Writer's Circle Wed 08 Apr More info Buy Tickets Multiple Dates Bi+ Speed-Dating Sat 11 Apr More info RSVP Queer Herbal Medicine: Blind Tea Tasting Sun 19 Apr More info Buy Tickets Queer Herbal Medicine: Blind Tea Tasting Sun 31 May More info Buy Tickets Queer Herbal Medicine: Blind Tea Tasting Sun 12 Jul More info Buy Tickets March 2026 Today Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun 23 24 25 26 27 28 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 19:00 The Queerly Autistic Workbook: Book Launch 20 21 22 23 18:30 Book Launch: the heart is a holding by Lateisha Davine Lovelace-Hanson 24 25 19:00 Polystation: An Open Discussion on Redefining Relationships 26 19:00 Debut Book Launch: Bad Queer by Gayathiri Kamalakanthan 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5

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The Common Press Privacy Policy Our contact details Name: The Common Press CIC Address: 118 Bethnal Green Road, London, E2 6DG E-mail: books@commonpress.co.uk The type of personal information we collect We currently collect and process the following information: Personal identifiers, contacts and characteristics (for example, name and contact details) How we get the personal information and why we have it Most of the personal information we process is provided to us directly by you for one of the following reasons: To contact a member of our team To arrange an event with us To arrange a consultation for our book subscriptions We use the information that you have given us in order to contact you about your enquiry, and to fulfil book subscriptions. We will not share your information with third parties without your permission. Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the lawful bases we rely on for processing this information are: (a) Your consent. You are able to remove your consent at any time. You can do this by contacting us through the contact page on this website. (b) We have a legitimate interest. How we store your personal information Your information is securely stored. We keep all information for two years from your last point of contact. We will then dispose your information. Your data protection rights Under data protection law, you have rights including: Your right of access - You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information. Your right to rectification - You have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete. Your right to erasure - You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances. Your right to restriction of processing - You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances. Your right to object to processing - You have the the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances. Your right to data portability - You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances. You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you. Please contact us via books@commonpress.co.uk to make a request. How to complain If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to us, either by writing to us at: The Common Press 118 Bethnal Green Road London E2 6DG Or by using the contact form on this website. You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data. The ICO’s address: Information Commissioner’s Office Wycliffe House Water Lane Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF Helpline number: 0303 123 1113 ICO website: https://www.ico.org.uk This policy is effective from the 23rd of May 2022.

Job Vacancies - CLOSED Applications for Events Manager and Bookseller are now closed. Unfortunately, we are unable to respond to every candidate, if you don't hear from us by 29th November 2024, it is unlikely you have not been selected this time around. Events Manager We are seeking a part-time, seasonal Events Manager to support our busy schedule. This is a temporary position, working 3-4 days per week until February 2025, with the possibility of an extension. The ideal candidate will be highly organized, with 3-5 years of experience in event management or operations. This role requires both remote and in-person work. You will be responsible for the overall planning, coordination, and execution of events, ensuring they run smoothly and meet both client and organizational expectations. Events must align with our organization's values and target audience. We are looking for someone who is comfortable engaging with a wide range of people and can demonstrate a high degree of professionalism. Many of our events take place in the evening, so the ability to work late is essential. Candidates with previous experience in event hosting, strong communication skills, and a background in event management or administrative work will be highly valued. You will report to the management team. Key Responsibilities: Developing event concepts, timelines, and schedules. Booking and programming events and assisting with events setup and pack down. Tracking expenses and ensuring cost-effective events. Building partnerships with external venues. Overseeing event marketing strategies, including coordinating with the Social Media Manager, writing newsletters, and maintaining relationships with partners and organizations. Ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations. Analyzing event successes and failures, providing feedback for improvement and future development. Candidate Requirements: Previous experience working at night and events. Strong interpersonal skills. Excellent multitasking abilities and organizational skills. Attention to detail. Confidence in interacting with the public and staff members. Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite. Applicants selected for an interview will be contacted via email. Due to the anticipated volume of applications, we regret that only those shortlisted will be contacted. £27,000-30,000 pro rata Application closes on Thursday 7th November 2024 at 11:59 pm If you have any questions: please email: gm@commonpress.co.uk £27,000 - £30,000 pro rata (up to 4 days per week) Apply Now Weekend Bookseller £13.15p/hour We’re looking for a bookseller to join our team. This is a seasonal, part-time weekend position, currently planned until February 2025, with the possibility of an extension. The ideal candidate will have a strong interest in a diverse range of queer literature that champions LGBTQIA+ authors, Black and POC writers, the global majority, and disabled people. They must also be comfortable working with a diverse range of colleagues and customers. Responsibilities include proactively engaging with customers on the shop floor, recommending books, checking in, and shelving new stock. The role requires supporting our busy events schedule, which includes regular evening events. Standard working hours will include some evening shifts. Additionally, booksellers will be expected to assist in serving drinks, while barista skills are a plus, they are not essential. The bookshop is often very busy, so the successful candidate must be comfortable in a dynamic and active working environment. Previous bookselling experience is highly valued but not essential. Bookselling training will be provided, including barista training. The Common Press pays the London Living Wage. Applicants will be invited to interview by email. Due to the anticipated volume of applications, we regret that only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Candidates who pass the interview stage will be offered a paid trial shift to assess how they interact with customers, regardless of the outcome. Application closes on Thursday 7th November 2024 at 11:59 pm If you have any questions: please email: gm@commonpress.co.uk Apply Now

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How to find us "Oh, toto, there's no place like home." Directions: It's pretty easy to get to us. Just up the road from Boxpark Shoreditch, we're about fifteen minutes from Old Street Station in one direction and Bethnal Green Station in the other, or twenty minutes if you're walking from Aldgate East. Buses number 8 and 388 stop right outside our front door. You can click on the map below to open it in Google Maps and get directions. We can't wait to see you! Accessibility: The entrance to the bookshop is 90cm wide. The entrance to the bar is 100cm wide. The ground floor is completely wheelchair accessible , with no steps or slopes. We have wheelchair accessible toilets too. We are a dog-friendly business. Service animals of any kind are welcome across the site. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch with us on commonpressbooks@gmail.com Opening Times: Tues to Sun - 11 AM - 6: 30 PM Closed on Mondays Open on late for events. Private hire available all week. o

About us (and FAQs). Opened in 2021, The Common Press used to be known as Glass House. We are a Community Interest Company (CIC)as of July 2024. The Common Press is a consciously intersectional bookshop and café celebrating writing by queer people and people of colour. Since launching we've gone from strength to strength, receiving warm reviews in National media and collaborating with an amazing range of performers, musicians, artists, and writers to create a space which serves marginalised communities across all of London. Above all, we've been welcomed by so many people here in Shoreditch who have made the site a second home, and we couldn't be more grateful for their support. If you have any questions about the project, you can get in touch with us here - or scroll down, we might have answered them below! FAQs: What are your opening times? The bookshop is open Tuesday - Sunday from 11 am to 6: 30pm. We are open from 7pm until late for a range of events and private hire. Sadly our events space is currently under construction and not available. Can I run an event with you? Absolutely! We run a huge range of events: book launches, club nights, private parties, burlesque lessons - you name it! You can find out more about working with us here. Is The Common Press wheelchair accessible? The Common Press bookshop is entirely wheelchair accessible and also has accessible toilets. Unfortunately, the events space is in the basement and is not currently wheelchair accessible. We are actively exploring solutions for this. A lot of our events take place in the bookshop if you aren't sure whether an event is wheelchair accessible, drop us an email. Is The Common Press dog friendly? Yes. Both service animals and pets are welcome throughout the site. I have published a book. Can you stock it? The Common Press stocks a lot of books from small and independent presses and self-published authors. All stocking decisions are at the discretion of the manager - please get in touch using the contact form , and include as much information about your book as possible. I would like to work at The Common Press. Do you have any vacancies? We aren't able to update this page with openings in real time - it's a good idea to keep an eye on our instagram page where we usually post about hiring, or send us an email with a cover letter and CV attached. We don't always have time to respond to unsolicited emails, so if you don't hear back from us within two weeks unfortunately we don't have a suitable position for you at this time, but your CV will be kept on file in case one opens for as long as data protection permits.

Happy P R I D E 2023! Welcome to our dedicated portal for The Common Press Pride Festival 2023! Here you can see all of the events we have planned throughout the festival, which includes book launches, poetry, amazing panel discussions with some of our favourite authors, parties, workshops, and children's events. You can click on any event to go to its registration page. It's really important to us that our events are as accessible as possible, so we've tried to keep everything low-cost - some are free to attend and almost everything else is pay-what-you-can. The pay-what-you-can tickets have a £4 minimum, but if you would particularly like to attend an event and cannot afford that, please email as at books@commonpress.co.uk and we'll sort it out. All events are marked as ground floor or basement - please note that the basement is not wheelchair accessible. We can't wait to see you at the festival! Thank you so much for your ongoing support, and more than anything else, happy Pride from everyone at The Common Press! 20 June Refuge & Migration ScheduLE: Pride without borders basement / 6.30pm-8pm A panel discussion with some of the most prominent organisations advocating for LGBTQ+ migrant rights. authentic ground floor / 6.30pm-9.30pm A panel disc ussion about food, culture, and marginalisation. 21 June ScheduLE: Book launch: The Pride Atlas, by Maartje hensen basement / 7.30pm-9.30pm Celebrate the publication of this beautiful and wonderfully researched guide for LGBTQ+ travellers! Queer Nightlife: Which way Now? Ground flo or/6.30 pm -9.30pm A range of performers and creatives on the advantages and setbacks of the UK's queer nightlife scene. Travel & Nightlife 22 June Music & POWER ScheduLE: Sounds of Survival basement / 6pm-11 pm One of our favourite music and poetry events returns! Expect a fantastic atmosphere and some beautiful sounds. Documenting the Diaspora: Joy, Art, and the Asian experience Ground flo o r/7.30 pm -9. 30pm A panel discussion with Anna Fux and David KAm, hosted by our very own Kenneth Lam. 23 June Queer culture ScheduLE: Contemporary GAY CULTURE: A PANEL With Michael Handrick, Daniel Harding, Jeremy Atherton Lin and Vaneet Mehta basem ent / 7.3 0pm-9.30p m A panel of fantastic authors on gay and bisexual men's culture in the UK. "Queer": Neurodivergence and LGBTQ+ culture Ground flo or/7.30-9.30 We could all benefit from thinking differently sometimes, and the experts on this panel prove that that's the case with their insightful critiques of the way the world excludes neurodivergent people. 24 June Authors' evening ScheduLE: children's Authors' Evening Ground Floor / 4 p m-6p m Meet your favourite children's book authors and illustrators! This is a child-friendly event, so bring the whole family. Authors' Evening whole site/7pm-10pm The very best queer writers working in the UK today. Some and enjoy a free glass of prosecco and get some books signed! We are very sorry to have had to postpone our planned Authors' Evenings until later in the year due to factors beyond our control. Many of the authors due to attend are taking part in one of our other events, so if you particularly wanted to meet someone just drop us a message at books@glasshouse.london . If they'll be here on another date we'll make sure to get you in. If you had already booked a ticket and made a donation, this will be refunded in full, including any Outsavvy fees. POSTPONED POSTPONED 25 June Family ScheduLE: wellness day w. Tobi Adebajo bas ement / 2 p m-6p m A day of mindfulness and intentional practise, to keep yo ur brain refreshed during Pride season. This is a child-friendly event. Queer Parent ing panel gro und flo or/3pm-5pm A fantastic panel of experts discusses everything you need to know about being part of a queer family. To our disappointment, we have had to cancel the Queer Parenting Panel due to transportation disruption affecting the speakers. We apologise for the inconvenience, and hope there's another event you'd like to attend instead! The Rise of Queer Romance gro und flo or/6.30 pm-8.30pm Hopeless romantics, this one's for you! We explore the surg e in queer romantic writing, with an insiders perspective from four incredible authors. Queer Singles Social g ro und flo or/8.30 pm-10pm Come for the romance authors, stay for romance in general. This is a casual social for anyone hoping to meet more people this Pride. CANCELLED 27 June Poetry & History ScheduLE: Queering the Past b as ement / 6 p m-8p m Queer Historical Fiction has never been as exciting a nd wide-ranging as it is now, and we'll be hearing from three authors who penned some of our favourites. The Comm on Press Poetry Night g ro und flo or/7pm-10pm A whole evening of poetry, in our much-missed former bar - it's open again for the evening, so grab some drinks and listen up. 28 June Class ScheduLE: Economics of queerness Ground FLoor / 6 p m-7.30p m Join Decolonising Economics for the first of three panel conversations with LGBTQ+ community organisers of colour. Here, Queer, and Working class: Juno Roche and Soph Galustian in Conversation gro und flo or/7.30pm-9.30pm A long-time favourite of queer writing in conversation with a remarkable new talent! Mur der, She WRote: Feminist Crime Fiction Basement / 7 p m-9p m Best-selling authors Alice Slater and Rose Wilding are challenging the stereotypes of a genre - we're hugely excited to be pairing them for an evening of conversation. 29 June Gender ScheduLE: Queer BIPOC Masculinities Ground FLoor / 7 p m-8p m A conversation led by award-winning playwright Rikki Beadle-Blair, exploring navigating masculinity as a queer person of colour. Other people's Films presents: Onanism Basement/7pm-10pm A screening programme of short experimental works from the 1900s to today about masturbation, sex and desire. 50 LGBTQI+ WHO CHANGED THE WORLD Ground floor/6pm-7pm A talk and signing by French artist Florent Manelli, hosted by Clare Summerskill. Florent's book is the product of a touring exhibition of LGBTQI+ icons launching at Strawberry Hill House on the 30th. 30 June community ScheduLE: Free Therapy Sessions with Sai Joshi Basement/2pm-6pm We have a limited number of spaces available for people who need someone to talk to - booking opens later this week. t4T: Trans social Gro und FLoor / 6 p m-8p m A very exciting two-part event: first a casual social for trans and non-binary people to meet, make friends, and drink tea, and then a panel discussion featuring Jamie Raines, Nicola Dinan, and Harry Nicholas. Sober Pride Party Ground Floor/8pm-12am A good time, without the alcohol! Drinkers and non-drinkers alike are welcome, but we will only be serving soft drinks. 1 july Pride ScheduLE: Family pride day Ground Floor/11AM -4pm A range of relaxed events and readings for kids - if the Pride Parade seems a bit too busy and noisy for your youngsters, celebrate the day with us instead. Brick LAne Alternative Pride Party Ground Floor/9pm-3am We still haven't quite finished cleaning up from last year! Those of you lucky enough to have attended will know why everyone was talking about it - and if you didn't attend, don't miss out this year!