It’s Wednesday 6th November, a cold, drizzly, grey autumn morning and Trump had just been re-elected. The kind of day that makes you just want to shut out the world. Luckily, I have the perfect excuse for getting out of bed, I‘m meeting Marin Scarlett. This isn’t our first, we’d been introduced a while back by mutual friend, abortion activist Mara Clarke. We keep good company, and in today’s world, it seems more important than ever.
What brings me to Pelican House, other than chatting to Marin, is something rather special, that she has initiated: the forthcoming opening of ‘The Scarlett Letters’, a project that started off as a sex-worker centred bookshop and is turning out to be a hell of more – an actual sex-worker, queer friendly community-led space, in the heart of East London. How incredible is that?
Borne out of her passion for books and bookshops, this project began germinating in her head following a visit to NYC’s Bluestockings. Of course, London has a host of brilliant bookshops too – Gay’s The Word, Freedom Press, Housmans - but none quite like the one she has imagined and, in any case, we need more, not less independent bookstores and creative community havens.
Both names have interesting literary connotations. The Scarlet Letter is a novel set in 17th century puritan Massachusetts. It tells the story of Hester Prynne, who has a child out of wedlock. She is forced to wear large red A (for ‘adultery’) as a punishment for her ‘sin’. The term ‘blue stocking’ has evolved over time from describing a piece of clothing associated with intellectuals to then mostly referring to an educated woman with intellectual, especially literary, interests, including members of the 18th century Blue Stockings Society literary group.
You can sense Marin’s excitement as she turns the key in the lock to reveal the huge space. The walls are painted a dark crimson red, creating a warm, tantalising ambiance. The place still looks like a bit of a building site, with pots, brushes, rollers and dust sheets waiting for the next DIY shift to start, but you can see it taking shape. We walk around and she talks me through the different ideas she has to bring it all to life. You can tell how much time and energy she has invested in conceptualising this project. From zine making workshops, crafting, talks and events, and tons more - this is going to be phenomenal!
The Perfect Home
We head upstairs in the main building to find a quiet spot to chat in one of the common rooms. Pelican House is an activist's paradise, and important social centre - the home of worker organising, movement building and experimental arts. It makes absolute sense that it will now also be The Scarlett Letters’ home.
Finding a commercial property to let for the bookshop – let alone one big enough to accommodate the other activities - was a major battle. Not only is London experiencing an unprecedented housing crisis, there are an awful lot of horrendous landlords out there, ready to deploy every unscrupulous trick in the book to rip off tenants, from extortionate rents, additional – and often imaginary – service charges for short lets, you name it. Besides, landlords have little interest in social endeavours, even less in bookshops, and become outright obstructive if they find out that there is a connection to sex work.
Sex work is work
Even in 2024 sex work continues to be stigmatised and sex workers themselves often vilified. In fact, the reality is quite different. For many people, sex work can be a positive choice, a way to earn a decent living, pay off exorbitant debt, including student debt, or being able to plan for the future.
Years ago, a global majority sex worker at a feminist conference told the audience: ‘for me the choice is quite simple, it’s either I earn peanuts cleaning rich people’s toilet and get treated like shit, or I take control over my own life by selling sex. I would choose option two any day. And anyway, who are you to tell me what to do with my body?’ So, if you think sex workers lack agency, are exploited and need rescuing, think again. What makes sex work difficult, and at times dangerous, is societal attitudes and criminalisation. Let sex workers guide the narrative of their lives, not centuries old, internalised prejudice.
And now for some real joy!
Dates for you diary
Back at The Scarlett Letters, while Marin and her team are putting the final touches, get your diary and make a note of these important dates:
❤️The crowdfunder launches TODAY – please help if you can, trust me, it's worth it!
❤️Working Guys Launch Party, Saturday 16thNovember
❤️Vagina Museum founder, Florence Schelchter, book talk and signing, Thursday 21st
November
❤️AND …. drum roll ... OFFICIAL GRAND OPENING is on Friday 29th November.
❤️Follow The Scarlett Letters on insta for their latest news.
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