Bookcrossing at the Stamford Arms
Southwark's Stamford Arms is the first central London pub to become an official bookcrossing zone.
In 2004 bookcrossing was added to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary as a noun defined as "the practice of leaving a book in a public place to be picked up and read by others, who then do likewise".
The pub, which started bookcrossing just before Christmas 2004, has about 60 books available and hosts meetings once a month for literature enthusiasts who would like to exchange and discuss their favourites.
Chris Miller, the pub manager's wife, said that being a bookcrossing.com zone has "brought new people into the pub", which adds to her husband's idea of "a welcoming environment with all different sorts of people." Membership of the website is not required in order to "catch" a book, as bookcrossing terminology describes it.
Chris first heard about bookcrossing by reading a thread in the London SE1 forum
Bookcrossing.com was started by Ron Hornbaker and is his software company's "labour-of-love". It has since grown to 331,745 members who have exchanged 1,767,891 books in tube stations, restaurants, and countless other locations around the world.
To become a bookcrossing member or exchange zone, go to bookcrossing.com
The Stamford Arms is on the corner of Stamford Street and Broadwall.