In Conversation with Free Books Campaign

The Free Books Campaign team reflect on building their work from a gap they have experienced firsthand: a lack of truly accessible, inclusive spaces where stories and community can exist without financial barriers. Rooted in a shared belief that literature should belong to everyone, their work centres those often left out of traditional cultural spaces.

For this Community Spotlight, we sat down with Free Books Campaign to talk all things books and what it really means to show up for your community whilst being an active, participating member of it.

At a time when the arts are increasingly restricted by financial barriers, Free Books Campaign envisions a world in which there are no barriers to reading or storytelling, where it is not a privilege but a powerful form of imagination building, escapism and self-care for all.

In this conversation, we hear from those behind the campaign. A team driven not only by passion for literature but also by lived experiences of how transformative access to stories can be.

What sparked your journey into this work?

Sofia: Reading and education have underpinned most of my life, from being an avid reader as a child to becoming a university lecturer as an adult and running countless campaigns in between. Growing up, I was lucky enough to have a library across the road from my estate, which meant I got to experience independence, escapism and exploration on my little trips to the library! However, what was clear across both sides of my life is that financial barriers can determine whether or not you can access the magical world of stories and knowledge. Over 800 libraries have been permanently closed down, and universities cost over £9k a year, so where does this leave our communities living in poverty or those who simply want to access third spaces? So I've since made it my mission to make the arts and literature free and accessible to all.

Fatima: I’ve always loved reading, ever since I came to this country. What started as a way to learn English became one of my greatest joys. I was looking for a space to connect with other readers, and just after the pandemic I came across the Free Books Festival. It made me fall even deeper in love with reading and showed me the power of a community coming together around diverse literature. At every event I kept meeting the most amazing people. After volunteering at the third festival, I became a permanent member of the Free Books Campaign and have been with them ever since.

Jadyn: At my core, I’m a writer. I am so deeply in love with words and the communities they build. There’s something so special about literature and the way it brings people together, and for a long time I was searching for a way to pour that love into something meaningful. Free Books Campaign found its way onto my horizon at just the right moment. I met our founder Sofia by chance at Wimbledon Book Fest, gathered my courage, and reached out to ask if there was any way I could get involved. I ended up volunteering in the bookshop at the Brixton Christmas Free Books event and, in the new year, joined as a permanent team member.

How would you describe the kind of care or change your work brings?

Bringing storytellers and story lovers from all over the world together through open access has been genuinely life-changing – not just for those who support us, but for us as a team too. This work brings people together in the most beautiful ways and builds a community inspired by empathy and trust.

What’s one thing people don’t always see about what you do?

The time put into the work we do. Our work is predominantly volunteer-led, so everything we do is within the same days that we’re working either freelance gigs or full-time work. We give everything we can to make sure our community gets the best experience we can offer.

What’s carried us this far is a combination of hard, persistent work and the genuine kindness of people who truly believe in our work. This organisation is as grassroots as it gets -  and we wouldn’t have made it here without people who saw the need for this work and showed up for it wholeheartedly.

What keeps you and your team inspired when the work feels heavy?

We deeply believe in making all forms of storytelling accessible, and that belief is what grounds us when things feel overwhelming. Coming back to the why – the reason we do this – helps us recalibrate. We take breaks when we need them, and we’re fortunate to have a founder who leads with empathy and genuinely cares about how we’re doing.

Who has shaped how you show up for your community?

The community itself. We are part of it too, and we continue to shape and be shaped by one another – showing up, learning, and growing together. Everyone has something to give, however big or small.

How do you sustain yourself while giving so much to others?

By remembering that it’s okay to take a break. Whether that’s through reading, moving your body, meditating, or simply reaching out to someone you love. The world doesn’t sit on your shoulders, and you can’t help others if you’re burnt out. Taking care of yourself is part of the work. It also helps knowing that our community gives back to us too. Our goals are shared – they belong to all of us. There’s a real strength in knowing we’re all in it together.

And we, as a team, laugh a lot too. We show up for each other with catch-ups, treats, hugs, and plenty of giggles. Staying connected to the joy and childlike wonder of what we’re building also means everything.

If you could dream big, what would the impact of your work look like in your community five years from now?

Free Books Campaign would have a global presence. Not just a festival in London, but events in cities all over the world. Our monthly book donations would reach people wherever they are, we’d host events everywhere, and every single bit of it would still be completely free.

How do you centre care within your work??

Every event, activation, launch, and opportunity we create has always been – and will always be -  free and fully accessible to everyone. For too long, arts, culture, and literature have felt like they belong to a certain kind of person. We want our community to feel encouraged, excited, and genuinely invited in, with no strings attached. We want to bring people together around a shared love of stories and each other. Our care shows up as access – always.

If you could ask your community one question, what would it be?

What are you craving? From us and from each other? What do you need and love in your spaces, and how can we be part of delivering that?

Looking ahead, Free Books Campaign continues to expand their reach with a series of upcoming initiatives designed to keep community and accessibility at its core. This spring, the team is launching a mini library in the lobby of Aethos Hotel Shoreditch: a public, freely accessible space featuring a curated selection of books by authors of colour from around the world, all donated by publishers and available to read and borrow at no cost from 2nd April through to the end of May.

They are also reviving their much-loved Community Linkups, offering bi-monthly free group visits to Tate exhibitions. This is in addition to their flagship Free Books Festival set for this summer. We have plenty to look forward to for the National Year of Reading.