Nikki Lynch on Good Press: ‘Inclusivity and accessibility are ingrained within us’
Danny Munro finds there’s a lot more to Glasgow collective Good Press than simply creating books and zines
Nikki Lynch is a core member of Glasgow-based Good Press, a collective with no time for the management structures typically present in most workplaces. This is a workers cooperative bookshop, printers and event space that Lynch explains is dedicated to the promotion, distribution and production of independent and self-published printed matter. Founded in 2011 in nearby record shop Mono and now based in their own unit on neighbouring St Andrews Street, the team have spent 15 years trading literature on their own terms.
Though they sell plenty of books, prints and zines, their remit extends far beyond commerce. ‘As a community-centred space, we hope to cultivate a positive exchange of ideas and practices,’ says Lynch, including ‘support, knowledge sharing, convivial co-learning and a place to discuss ideas beyond the bounds of institutional structures.’ In practice, this takes many forms. Whether it’s the print studio and bookmaking service, or the book launches and spoken word performances it hosts each week, Good Press serves its community with a bustling calendar all year round.
When put to Lynch that it must be difficult to maintain a commitment to independent works in dire economic times, the collective member appears nonplussed. ‘We often notice rising costs in smaller ways like shipping being more expensive but, having said that, we also have an enormous amount of things for under £5.’ The bills must be paid, of course, but a commitment to accessibility is a duty from which Good Press doesn’t shirk. ‘Inclusivity and accessibility are ingrained within the anti-hierarchical approach of the open submission policy. This all rings truer and perhaps more essential as the world and those who run it drive us towards a more unequal society and a bland, AI, algorithmic-induced stupor.’ For Good Press, participating in Glasgow’s arts and culture world remains a pleasure, not a chore: ‘People endlessly make things, no matter what the economic and social climate, which we’re always grateful for and thrilled to provide a home for.’
Good Press, 32 St Andrews Street, Glasgow.