The Hampshire village of East Worldham, nestled just outside Alton, is celebrating a major literary coup after being chosen as one of only 90 locations in the UK to receive a brand new Penguin Books Little Book Stop.
A Triumph for Community Spirit
The announcement forms part of the renowned publisher's 90th-anniversary celebrations. The competition was fierce, with more than 2,000 applications submitted from across the nation. Impressively, East Worldham was the only successful location in the entire county of Hampshire, highlighting the strength of its community bid.
Now installed on the corner of Blanket Street and Caker Lane, directly opposite The Three Horseshoes pub, the Little Book Stop operates on a beautifully simple principle: Take a book, leave a book. This free community book exchange launched with an initial collection of 25 brand new titles for both adults and children, all generously donated by Penguin.
Championing a Love of Reading
Rebecca Sinclair, chief brand officer at Penguin Books, explained the project's core mission: "This project is about celebrating a love of reading and making books accessible to everyone. We received an incredible number of applications. It was inspiring to see how many communities wanted to champion reading. We are excited to include East Worldham and to see the impact this Little Book Stop will have."
The initiative is a partnership with Little Free Library, an international non-profit that has supported the creation of over 200,000 book-sharing boxes worldwide since 2009. Daniel Gumnit, the organisation's chief executive officer, commented: "At Little Free Library we believe stories belong to everyone. These book-sharing boxes spark curiosity, bring neighbours together and make books more accessible in the communities where they are needed most."
A New Village Hub for Books
The Evans family, landlords of The Three Horseshoes, applied for the Little Book Stop on behalf of the parish and will proudly serve as its custodians. "We are absolutely delighted to have been chosen," said Mark and Alison Evans. "Books bring people together in a powerful way. They start conversations, entertain families and offer comfort in difficult times. We hope this Little Book Stop becomes a place where friendships form, imaginations grow and the joy of reading is shared by everyone."
The family has committed to regularly checking the book stop, replenishing stock, and encouraging the whole community to participate by donating books. "We want this to be a living, breathing part of village life," they added. "Everyone is welcome to browse, take something home or leave a favourite book for someone else to discover."
The curated launch selection includes titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin publishing, such as:
- The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy
- The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
- Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
- Look Up! by Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola
- The Story of Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson
Author Jacqueline Wilson expressed her delight, stating: "I am delighted that The Story of Tracy Beaker is part of Penguin’s Little Book Stops. A chance for children to choose and share books in their local community is a wonderful idea."
The Little Book Stop is open to all, day and night, and is expected to become a regular and cherished stopping point for residents, walkers, and visitors to East Worldham for years to come.
