Compendium Books was a bookshop that succeeded in popularising experimental literature, philosophical ideas, and radical political thought. In its day, it not only resisted the commercialisation of culture but also fostered an alternative environment for thinkers, artists, and activists. Read more at london1.one.
The Founding and Development of Compendium Books
In 1968, Diana Gravill and Nicholas Rochford founded Compendium Books in London. They aimed to create a unique space for disseminating experimental literature and alternative thought. From the very beginning, the partners’ vision was to go beyond the traditional book trade to spread the radical ideas of the time.
Compendium Books became a new focal point after the closure of other iconic London bookshops—Better Books and Indica. It attracted visitors with its avant-garde selection of publications, covering topics such as anarchism, the use of psychoactive substances, post-structuralism, feminism, Eastern philosophy, and Buddhism. It was rumoured that in its early days, the shop survived only by selling drugs from under the counter.
A special place in Compendium Books was held by the ‘mind, body, spirit’ section, which later became known as the ‘back counter’. In 1971, its management was taken over by Anne Shepherd, the shop’s secretary, who also ran Cherrybay Ltd. Tellingly, it was this section that became the most financially successful, subsidising the less profitable but culturally significant departments.
A new stage in Compendium Books’ development began in the 1980s when Mike Hart took over the fiction and poetry department. Under his leadership, Camden Town gradually transformed into a place where music, literature, coffee, and social discussion organically combined. The area became a magnet for alternative communities, a place where one could move freely between other cultural venues.
Seeking to formalise Camden Town’s cultural life, Mike Hart initiated regular literary readings in Compendium Books during the 1990s. They attracted local artists, including Iain Sinclair, Martin Millar, and Derek Raymond. The stage was also supported by a diverse range of authors: from representatives of the older American Beat generation, like Lawrence Ferlinghetti, to bright new figures like Walter Mosley. What’s more, the band The Clash were regular visitors to these events, writing “The Prisoner” about the shop’s co-founder, Nicholas Rochford.
However, in the late 1990s, Camden Town began to lose its bohemian essence. Tourist-oriented commerce gradually displaced independent culture. The streets filled with shops selling leather jackets, and the last bastions of alternative art began to disappear.
These transformations had a negative impact on Compendium Books. Most of its left-leaning clientele gradually drifted away. The space’s audience shrank, interest in radical literature faded, and sales plummeted. Eventually, it could not withstand the commercial pressure and closed its doors in October 2000.
The Legacy and Significance of Compendium Books
Compendium Books was an important hub for intellectual and creative alternatives in London. Its dedicated staff members included Paul Hammond, Phil Derbyshire, and Andrew Burgin. Thanks to their work, the bookshop attracted high-profile visitors, including Nick Cave, Ben Okri, Ivor Cutler, and Kathy Acker. They could immerse themselves in thematic sections on philosophy, feminism, politics, and mysticism. The music department also commanded special attention, filled as it was with American publications on blues, soul, jazz, and rock ‘n’ roll.
