UK:Left bookshops under legal attack
01 July 1996
Two right-wing activists, Alexander Baron and Mark Taha, have issued libel writs against the printers, distributors and stockist of the anti-fascist magazine Searchlight. The writs, including one against Searchlight's editor, Gerry Gable, pose a severe financial threat to bookshops supporting the anti-fascist movement.
Several bookshops have felt compelled to settle out of court to avoid ruinous legal costs. This includes Centerprise, in north London, which reached a settlement despite the fact that it had not stocked the offending issue of Searchlight.
Two other well known north London shops, Houseman's (closely linked to the peace movement) and Bookmarks (the official bookseller to the Trades Union Congress) are particularly threatened as they have refused to settle out of court. They have set up a Bookshop Libel Fund which has wide ranging support from MPs, the TUC, barristers, novelists and film makers. They are calling on supporters to raise the issue in their organisation, trade union or college. The Bookshop Libel Fund can be contacted with donations at Houseman's Bookshop, 5 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DX.