Award-winning independent bookshop Forum Books is set to open its fourth store at Gosforth Central shopping centre in Newcastle, taking over the former TG Jones unit. The new shop, fittingly named The Forth, will be the company's first in the suburb.
Expansion to Gosforth
Forum Books' original shop opened in Corbridge in 2011, before moving across the road into a converted chapel seven years later. It has repeatedly won the regional title of North England Independent Bookshop of the Year at The British Book Awards.
The company has since expanded to sister bookshops Bound in Whitley Bay and The Accidental Bookshop in Alnwick. Now it is bringing its eclectic, bright and carefully-curated bookshelves to Gosforth Central.
Former TG Jones store
The Gosforth Central shopping centre's social media first teased the news, revealing that Forum Books will open its fourth independent book emporium inside the centre. It is taking over the former TG Jones store, which closed its doors in September, and fit-out teams are now working behind hoardings erected in front of the large unit.
The news has created an excitable stir in Gosforth, with avid readers keen to see it open, while also hoping it hosts special events including author events. Its sister venues are famed for championing local authors, with LJ Ross and Ann Cleeves both staging events at its stores.
Centre rebranded last year
Forum is also putting the finishing touches to a new store called Bound on Whitley Bay's Park View, a street once included in a list of the 10 coolest shopping areas in the world. Business owner Helen Stanton has previously revealed how pressure from Vera author Ann Cleeves, who lives in Whitley Bay, helped persuade her to open at the coast in 2021.
The Gosforth Shopping Centre, on the suburb's High Street, was rebranded to Gosforth Central last year, following its purchase by a group of local investors. Monument Real Estate, based in Newcastle, acquired the centre in an off-market deal four years ago. The acquisition triggered investments and the arrival of many new tenants, including bakery Pure Knead, Passion 4 Fruit and The Sweety Box.
