'The Wapping Project' has always been a special place in my heart. Who could not feel inspired by a decadent three hour lunch, followed by a walk to the specially flooded rooftop to see an art installation of rowing boats! Or a best friends birthday and an exhibition of Belgian Fashion. This week a brunch to remember was followed by a show celebrating 30 years of Ally Capellino. My manbag spend may now boil over.
But what made it so memorable and urged me to write is a retail space of such enormous charm. The Wapping Project Bookshop is home to Lydia Fulton and is a true reflection of her talent for curation. The Bookshop is seemingly one of the few places you can find a copy of the latest 'its nice that' plus a hundred other literary wonders for children, for cooks or for paper fetishists. I could have spent a fortune, and I probably will - hopefully next Thursday I'll be lucky enough to get a ticket for a reading/showing by photographer Tim Walker. Can you imagine how special it would be to hear Tim talk while sitting on the floor of a tiny greenhouse?
In the past this experimental treasure has hosted evenings with Edna O’Brien, Iain Sinclair, Jeanette Winterson, Michael Rosen, Richard Milward, Linda Grant, Billy Childish, even film maker Mike Figgis. I also love the opening hours. Thursday (by appointment) plus friday, saturday and sunday. It's an oft cited moan of the shop keeper, how hard we work. Why not make it easier on yourself and leave the rest of the week to be creative? Why open on a monday when nobody shops anyway? Let's all follow Lydia and close a bit more often!
Whilst The Wapping Project Bookshop may all sound a bit too cool for school don't be put off. Lydia and I had a long conversation about the new East London line extension. Great Food, one-off Exhibitions, a bookshop of love and chats about the architecture of train lines. What's not to love!
