The below is a letter from the Friends of Surplus Radical Bookshop to request the Peace Centre, the current owners of the bookshop space, to reconsider their decision to not renew the bookshop's lease at the Peace Centre premises.

Please sign the petition for your name to be added to the list of supporters to be submitted to the Peace Centre.

 

An Open Letter in Support of Surplus Radical Bookshop

To the Peace Centre,

We are writing as the Friends of Surplus Radical Bookshop regarding the possible non-renewal of the bookshop’s lease at the Peace Centre in Mowbray at the conclusion of its existing lease, which ends on 31 August 2026.

We understand that Surplus Radical Bookshop’s lease at the Peace Centre on 3 Rye Road, Mowbray may not be renewed, and we would like to respectfully ask that the decision made considers what we feel are relevant factors.

Surplus Radical Bookshop is much more than a tenant occupying space in a building. Through its work as a bookshop, community organization, and events space, it has become an important part of the community around it. 

It provides many things: an extraordinary archive of rare fiction and non-fiction; a base from which progressive organisations can plan their community work; a platform for authors and poets; and a place for students to make new connections and expand their horizons.

Over the years, the bookshop has hosted multiple book launches, film screenings, book clubs, talks, workshops, and other types of community gatherings. These activities contribute not only to the cultural life of Mowbray and the surrounding student population, but to the broader community that Surplus Radical Bookshop serves.

There is also something significant about where this work takes place. The presence of Surplus Radical Bookshop at the Peace Centre in Mowbray has allowed it to: operate centrally in relation to public transportation infrastructure and the CBD; be accessible students from the surrounding residences; attract visitors to the area; and remain close to partner organisations in the area.

Its continued presence therefore represents more than the continuation of a tenancy; it preserves an established community resource in a place where it has developed roots.

We appreciate that decisions about the use of property necessarily involve a range of financial, operational and other considerations, and we do not presume to know all of the factors that the Peace Centre must take into account. We nevertheless hope that the community and cultural value created by Surplus Radical Bookshop can form an important part of that consideration.

This letter has been signed by including authors, patrons, community activists, students, and other members of the Surplus community who believe that the bookshop is a valuable part of Mowbray, the city as a whole, and the wider cultural and political context. We are united in our hope that there will be an opportunity for the bookshop to remain at the Peace Centre.

We therefore respectfully ask that the Peace Centre:

·       Reconsiders the decision regarding the renewal of Surplus Radical Bookshop’s lease;

·       Considers the wider community and cultural value of the bookshop alongside the other factors involved in the decision; and

·       Engages with Surplus Radical Bookshop and relevant members of the community to explore whether a mutually beneficial way forward can be found.

 

We believe that Surplus Radical Bookshop and the Peace Centre share an interest in peace, community work, cultural cultivation, and human connection. We hope that this shared purpose can provide a basis for finding a way for the bookshop to continue its work at the Peace Centre.

We would welcome the opportunity for a constructive conversation about the future of Surplus Radical Bookshop at the Peace Centre. Our intention in writing is not to presume the outcome of that conversation, but to make clear how strongly we believe that this community resource is worth preserving.

We respectfully ask that Surplus Radical Bookshop be given the opportunity to remain at the Peace Centre.

 

With thanks for your consideration,

The Friends of Surplus Radical Bookshop