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Open Tuesday to Saturday from
10 am to 5 pm.

We can send books by post, usually £3 in the UK.
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Newham Bookshop events at The Wanstead Tap, Spring/Summer 2024
  • Thursday 18 April at 7.30 pm

    Sarah Wise
    The Undesirables

  • Thursday 25 April at 7.30 pm

    Andrew Whitehead
    A Devilish Kind Of Courage

  • Thursday 16 May at 7.30 pm

    Viv Groskop
    One Ukrainian Summer

  • Wednesday 29 May at 7.30 pm

    Iain Sinclair
    Pariah Genius

  • Wednesday 5 June at 7.30 pm

    Laura Laker
    Potholes and Pavements




Newham Bookshop by Pete Fallan
Newham Bookshop, Pete Fallan, March 2021.


Thursday 20 April at 7.30 pm
at The Wanstead Tap


Sound System
Sound System is published in
paperback by Pluto Press at £12.99.

Buy ticket online
Tickets online from
Newham Bookshop £5

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Great range of beers and sophisticated soft drinks
Dave Randall

Dave Randall
Sound System

The Political Power of Music

John Pandit
Dave Randall will be in conversation with John Pandit, left, founder member of the Asian Dub Foundation

Musicians have often wanted to change the world. From underground grime artists to pop icons, many have believed in the political power of music. Rulers recognise it too. Music has the power to unsettle the most fundamental political and social conventions, or prop up the status quo.

Sound System is the story of one musician’s journey to discover what makes music so powerful. Years of touring, playing and protesting have given Dave Randall a unique insider’s view of the music industry, enabling him to shed light on the secrets of celebrity, commodification and culture. He finds remarkable examples of music as a force of social change as well as something that has been used to keep people in their place throughout history.

This is a book of raves, riots and revolution. From the Glastonbury Festival to the Arab Spring, Pop Idol to Trinidadian Carnival, Dave Randall finds political inspiration across the musical spectrum and poses the question: how can we make music serve the interest of the many, rather than the few?

Dave Randall is a musician and activist. He was the former guitarist in Faithless and has toured the world playing guitar with Dido, Sinead O’Connor and many others.

“Fascinating… A deeply intelligent look at music and society and in particular pop’s tempestuous relationship with commerce. Thought provoking, readable and clever stuff.” – Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music.

“What an imaginative idea, what a terrific, exciting book, weaving together the strands of music, politics and worldwide struggles.” – Yasmin Alibhai-Brown.

Watch out for online events


Family lessons for
Writing and Reading Newham
available here

On the Record logo

Interested in learning more about Newham Bookshop and some of the people connected with it? We have four lessons for classroom or family use developed from On the Record’s oral history project centered around Newham Bookshop, Writing and Reading Newham. Click here for full details.


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Newham Bookshop is LoveReading’s
Bookshop of the Month

We are proud that Newham Bookshop is LoveReading’s Bookshop of the Month. The article features a Q&A with Vivian Archer, which you can read here.


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