Al Saqi Books launches emergency appeal for funds after flooding damages London shop
London’s leading repository of Arabic literature suffered thousands of pounds worth of damage caused by flash floods that hit the English capital this week.
The owners of Al Saqi bookshop said hundreds of books were ruined by a basement flood.
The family-run business set up an online emergency appeal to help with costs that were not covered by its insurance.
The independent bookshop is also home to Al Saqi Books, a leading independent publisher of trade and academic books on the Middle East and North Africa.
The bookshop stocks thousands of Arabic-language books, which it imports from across the Mena region, bookshop director and Saqi publisher Lynn Gaspard told The National.
It was the worst damage the company had faced since opening in West London 43 years ago, she said.
“The dirty water was a metre high and those books that were on the lower shelves that aren’t soaked have dirty muck on them,” Ms Gaspard said.
Half of the damaged stock comprised works published by Al Saqi Books, some on their last print run, and most of their coffee table books were ruined.
There is also concern about how the damp will affect the condition and viability of the remaining stock.
A bastion of culture and intellectual inquiry, the bookstore is much respected within the Middle Eastern community.
Globally renowned, Al Saqi has often acted as a focus for foreign residents in the UK, and as a haven for books that were banned in their native countries.
After being closed for months because of the coronavirus pandemic, Al Saqi reopened fully a month ago.
Founded in 1978 by childhood friends Andre Gaspard and Mai Ghoussoub, who made London their home after they fled the violence of the civil war in Lebanon, the bookstore had faced its fair share of tough times over the years.
But Ms Gaspard, daughter of co-founder Mr Gaspard, said none of that compared to the past 18 months.
“We have survived wars, smashed windows, death threats, the bombing of our warehouse in Beirut during the 2006 war, and censorship of the books we publish. But the challenges of the past 18 months have been unprecedented,” she said.
Since launching the crowdfunding campaign on Tuesday, Al Saqi has raised more than the £15,000 ($20,760) it estimated it needed. The appeal has been shared hundreds of times on Twitter.
“Events like this are always a shock, but we are buoyed up and really touched by the support we are receiving,” Ms Gaspard said.
“It really means so much to me, my family and colleagues, especially when so many of us have felt so disconnected over the past 18 months.
“Luckily, our bookshop is still open as the flood was limited to the basement. So, for those who are able to come by and would prefer to buy a book to support us and our authors, we would love to see you.”
Events like this are always a shock, but we are buoyed up and really touched by the support we are receiving
LYNN GASPARD
Director and publisher, Al Saqi