Compendium Books

Compendium Books was an independent bookstore specialising in experimental literary and theoretical publications.

History

It was founded by Diana Gravill and Nicholas Rochford and was located at 240 Camden High Street, London and opened in August 1968.[1]

Following the closures of Better Books and Indica, Compendium was for many years the main place for "the London literary avant-garde"[2][3]. It was a key venue for the British Poetry Revival[4] and for availability of the texts of post-1968 political and cultural theory [5].

Compendium Books closed in October 2000[5]. It is now a Dr Martens shop.

There was also one in Manchester.

References

  1. ^ Miles, Barry (2010). London Calling: A Countercultural History of London Since 1945. Atlantic Books. ISBN 9781843546139.
  2. ^ Fountain, Nigel (1988). Underground: The London Alternative Press 1966-74. Routledge. p. 190. ISBN 0415007283. 
  3. ^ Williams, John (2002-12-09). "Mike Hart: Bohemian bookseller and champion of new fiction". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2002/dec/09/guardianobituaries.booksobituaries. Retrieved 2010-06-27. 
  4. ^ Baker, Brian (2007). Iain Sinclair (Contemporary British Novelists). Manchester University Press. p. 2. ISBN 071906905X. 
  5. ^ a b Derbyshire, Philip (2001). "Obituaries/Profiles: Compendium Bookshop, 1968-2000". Radical Philosophy. http://www.radicalphilosophy.com/default.asp?channel_id=2191&editorial_id=9970. Retrieved 2010-06-27. 

There was not ever a branch in Manchester, I know because I was one of the owners.{D.G.]

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