Crowdfunding Campaign Saves UK’S First Black Bookshop
New Beacon Books, the UK’s first Black bookshop, is considering a move after a crowdfunding campaign to save it from closure raised £50,000 in just a few days. Founded in 1966, New Beacon Books has been based in Stroud Green Road in London for all but one year of its existence. But the COVID-19 pandemic alongside online retailers has left the bookshop struggling, and in December, the shop announced that it would likely have to shut its doors. Immediately, a crowdfunding campaign was launched with a goal of raising £35,000 to keep the store open. That goal was reached within 48 hours, and now the campaign has raised over £50,000. Now New Beacon Books’ director, Michael La Rose, said the shop is looking at potentially relocating to avoid going online only. La Rose said that alternative locations could “accommodate publishing, bookselling, writers in residence [and] public programmes.” Francesca Gilbert, who helped launch the campaign, said, “The New Beacon bookshop exists as far more than just a bookshop. It is an invaluable institution of black history that is needed now more than ever. It is a crucial cultural space rich with the affirmation, validation and celebration of black literature, culture and art that must be preserved.”
Spider-Man: No Way Home is Now One of the 10 Highest Grossing Films of All Time
The numbers from the final 2021 box office weekend are in, and Spider-Man: No Way Home has now passed Titanic’s original domestic gross to become one of the 10 highest-grossing films of all time. The film has now cracked the $600 million mark domestically, making another $52.7 million this weekend. Will the latest Marvel comic book film surpass 9 and 8—Star Wars: The Last Jedi ($620 million) and The Avengers ($623 million)—domestically? It’s currently on track to do just that.
Author Patricia Cornwell Wants the World to Know She’s Not “Delta Karen”
Former actress Patricia Cornwall was recently arrested after hitting and spitting on an old man on a Delta airplane. She has since been dubbed the “Delta Karen.” Now, bestselling author Patricia Cornwell is taking to Twitter to let people know that, despite the fact that they have similar names, she is not “Delta Karen.” In one tweet, Cornwell shared a story about the incident and wrote, “Those asking. No this isn’t me.” Patricia Cornwall—not to be confused with Patricia Cornwell—has been charged with assault and banned from flying.
January 2022 Horoscopes and Book Recommendations
New Year, new books! Here are your January 2022 horoscopes and the books you should be reading this month, based on your sign.