The Common Press came as a very welcome addition to the Shoreditch community, opening in 2021 in response to many queer and Black-owned businesses shutting down during the pandemic, and the lack of Queer-friendly spaces that don’t centre around alcohol. As well as championing LGBTQIA+, Black, POC and non-binary voices and small publishers, the queer intersectional bookshop, cafe and events space, run by a team including Aisha Shaibu-Lenoir provides a place for marginalised communities where they can create, connect, and thrive both personally and creatively through events and workshops.