Samuel French is more than a bookshop. It is a priceless and invaluable asset to the theatre industry; an industry for which London and the United Kingdom are globally renowned.

Upon hearing news today that the bookshop has been forced to close due to a 200% increase in rent over the past five years, the industry has been in shock. Spending hours in Samuel French searching for the perfect drama school audition piece is a memory held dear by countless actors. Not to mention the writers, directors, producers, designers, singers, dancers, composers, librettists and lyricists, students, technicians, and choreographers who rely on the unique service and expertise brought by the bookstore and its staff; one that Waterstones and Amazon will not be able to fill in its absence.

We are petitioning Camden Council  and private landlords The Linton Group to reverse the rent increases that are forcing Samuel French to close after 187 years, and to acknowledge the bookshop's status as a community asset of cultural importance. London is the theatre capital of the world, and the performing arts sector contributes over £5.4 billion (Department for Culture Media and Sport, 2015) to the UK economy, not including the countless number of jobs it creates. Do not let this vital piece of London's theatre history be replaced by a Starbucks.