Book Lovers Unite

In celebration of Book Lovers Day, (Aug 9) we curated a few of our favourite books by Liverpudlians, or those adopted by the city. Acknowledging their work in our celebration of an amazing art form. From laughs to the painful truth, we’ve got it all. So, keep reading and hopefully, you’ll find something that takes your fancy.

For the Little Ones

Local author Natalie Reeves Billing is well known for her fun workshops and ‘Monstrous Me’ collection of monster-themed books. Children and parents alike love these books. Tickle your funny bone and immerse even the most unconfident readers with Lisa Williams bright and enticing illustrative style.

Take a Picture, It’ll Last Longer

“Francesco was a regular on Liverpool’s music scene and was always in the right place at the right time” (Michael March) and it shows.
Funded by a Kickstarter, ‘Revealed: The Photographs of Francesco Mellina’ is the product of love and support, a fine example of Liverpool’s community spirit.

Awe-Inspiring

What were you doing at 13? Playing with friends? Drawing pictures that you hope no one will ever see? Well, for 13-year-old Latoya Likambi, life is a lot more notable. Releasing her 3rd book in late 2020, the second in her KASEY’S DIARY series, she is already an international bestselling author.
“I aspire to inspire and encourage more children to unleash their creative genius,” says Likambi. So get your little ones writing, you never know what they might produce.

Forgotten Voices

A little older than other books in our selection, ‘Chinese Liverpudlians: History of the Chinese Community in Liverpool’ was published in 1989 by local historian Maria Lin Wong. Collecting testimonies of those who settled in Liverpool and observing their community and the reality of migrants at that time, Wong’s book is raw and punching. Not meant to be a definitive study, this book offers an insight in the hope that readers will continue on and do their own research on an important group of people within Liverpudlian society.

The Importance of Artwork

They say don’t judge a book by its cover, but with covers as striking as those designed by local artist Sumuyya Khader, it’s hard not to. Reviving works written by London author, Ben Okri and having been recently commissioned to illustrate the covers of Penguin Classics’ Black Britain Writing Back collection, Khader’s work is drawing fresh eyes to incredible, pre-existing work.

Poetry

Combining the works of Liverpool poets Roger McGough, Brian Patten and Adrian Henri, ‘The Mersey Sound’ is a fabulous anthology of work. With a stunning cover, the 2007 Restored 50th Anniversary Edition not only catches the eye but shows how relevant their work remains all of these years later. With fans describing it as "a wry, whimsical, sensitive, challenging, timeless and ultimately thought-provoking collection of poetry," I don’t see how we couldn’t love this collection.

In Store

We're lucky enough at MerseyMade to have a wonderful collection of books in-store. Addressing plastic use, mental illness, rainbow babies and adventure, there's no stone left unturned with this incredible collection by local artists and writers. So head into the store and pick one up, we can assure you that you won't regret it!