“I definitely would not be here had it not been for access to literature”, says Sofia Akel, multi-award-winning cultural historian and founder and director of The Free Books Campaign and Festival. “What we’re seeing is a wider divide being created between those who have access to the financial means to read and those who do not.”
Growing up on an east London estate, Akel’s early role model was her favourite fictional character, [Roald Dahl’s] Matilda, and her trolley of books. Akel has always wanted to be a librarian, and she grew up opposite a library, learning all the staff’s names and even setting up her own – lending out her small collection of books and creating renewal slips for her friends and family to sign.
The library represented Akel’s “first slivers of independence”. “Every single day during the summer, I would complete the reading competitions. Then they came to school, and you’d have the biggest bragging rights. You would be in assembly, standing in front of everyone, getting your medal and certificate for all the books you read over the summer. I just loved it.”
However, libraries are under threat in the UK, with 773 closed between 2010 and 2019, making books and learning harder to access for those who benefitted from these spaces most – often those from less privileged backgrounds.
So, in 2020, Akel decided to do something about it. She launched the Free Books Campaign to help bring books to all – donating books by authors of colour to those who would otherwise be unable to access them, as well as providing a platform and support for the authors themselves. “The goal is for reading not to be considered a privilege but an experience that everyone has equal access to,” she says. “Although many systemic issues sit at a governmental level, we should never underestimate the power of community and what we can do to better the lives of those around us when we come together. Our campaign is a testament to that: donating 8,000 brand new books in four years.”
In 2022, the Free Books Festival was launched at Copeland Gallery in Peckham, southeast London. The entirely free literary festival includes a free bookstore and events accessible to all – a key tenet of Akel’s mission. “Why are these particular events [usually] only reserved for people of a particular class, with a social network that asks them to do things?” she asks. “You want to ensure everyone’s still nourished, cared for and thought about.”
Alongside offering free books, the 2024 edition of the festival – to be held in Hackney, east London – will also feature writing workshops and free childcare, as well as talks on important topics such as modern slavery and the exploitative chocolate industry in West Africa. “We really want this to be a beautiful three days, regardless of your background – for you to make this your home,” says Akel. “We want to bring a high-quality, high-impact festival to our community. So that means when you enter the festival, you don’t know who has and who has not, because everyone there has an equal, equitable chance of accessing everything that the festival has to offer.”
Sofia Akel’s 5 Recommended Reads
- The Lonely Londoners by Sam Selvon – A true classic. Lonely Londoners has comedic brilliance and provides a voice to the immigrant experience.
- Where We Come From by Aniefiok Ekpoudom – Journalist Aniefiok Ekpoudom travels across Britain, tracing the history of the UK rap and grime scene.
- African and Caribbean People in Britain: A History by Hakim Adi – Adi guides her reader through a history dating back 1,000 years, charting the history of African and Caribbean people in Britain.
- Poor by Caleb Femi – Poor brilliantly blends poetry and photography to explore the experiences of growing up as a young Black boy in 21st-century Peckham.
- Keisha The Sket by Jade LB – This book tells the story of a 17-year-old girl growing up in south London; a timeless, starkly honest coming-of-age story exploring the reality of youth culture.
The Free Books Festival runs from 19-21 July 2024 at BSix Sixth Form College, Hackney, London
Click here to support the festival, or grab your ticket by clicking here.
