Better Books was an independent bookstore. It was founded by Tony Godwin and was located at 94 Charing Cross Road, London.

[edit] History

It was founded by British publisher Tony Godwin who took over the premises at 94 Charing Cross Road, London, in 1946.^[1]

In 1964, Tony Godwin visited San Francisco and the City Lights Bookstore. He met Lawrence Ferlinghetti and suggested a work exchange, whereby Ferlinghetti would send "one of his Beats over in exchange for an English salesman who needed some education". City Lights store manager, Dick McBride, moved to the United Kingdom for six months to help "bohemianize" Better Books. ^[2]

Better Books had a string of influential managers including Bill Butler, Bob Cobbing and Barry Miles, who set about ordering a large quantity of books from City Lights and Grove Press .^[3]

It was home to the Better Books Writers Nights and in March 1965 it housed the sTigma Environmental Exhibition, inspired by Alex Trocchi's Sigma, A Tactical Blueprint and featuring a contribution by Jeff Nuttall.^[1]

Allen Ginsberg arrived at Better Books in May 1965, and offered to read anywhere for free.^[3] Ginsberg's first reading at Better Books was described by Jeff Nuttall as "the first healing wind on a very parched collective mind"^[3] and in Peace News, Tom McGrath wrote "This could well turn out to have been a very significant moment in the history of England - or at least in the history of English Poetry".^[4]

Shortly after the reading at Better Books, plans were hatched for the International Poetry Incarnation^[4].

[edit] References