A Walking Book Crawl by Medway Author and Comedian Zahra Barri

Medway Book Crawl: A Full and Comprehensive Guide

By Zahra Barri Comedian and Author of Daughters of the Nile

Part 4

The Gillingham to Rainham instalment via Chatham Docks…

Welcome to the final instalment of my Medway Book Crawl, a literary exploration of our marvellous Medway!

Last time we met up I left you book worms crawling around the shelves of Chatham Library on Gun Wharf. The library, as you have seen sits proudly on our beloved River Medway and stands rather presidential- like the Kent version of The White House. Chatham Library and Community hub is aptly positioned, adjacent to the historic dockyard. The library itself places itself in front of old war canons pointing out to any potential invaders that dare to threaten the future of the literary word (Chat GP).

I got inspired by the old battalion setting and felt compelled to check out the epic 900-page classic, War and Peace (which explains why this book crawl is a little on the late side). I heard you guys did too- except in the spirit of local community you checked out the modern classic- Chatham Naval Dockyard & Barracks Through Time by Kent author and historian (he’s appeared on BBC’s Heir Hunters) Clive Holden.

Inspired by Holden’s historical local knowledge, we head to Fort Amhurst and re-imagine a time when Britain lay its dominance on the oceans and Chatham built, repaired and maintained not only Napoleonic battleships but all sea vessels from the Spanish Armada to the Cold war and everything in between. Aye, Aye Captain! You give a patriotic salute in honour of these maritime memories as you go forth in your book crawl past Chatham Dockyard and towards St Mary’s Island stopping at….

Drill Hill Library:

All this talk of history is making you want to re-enact your youth. So why not reclaim your student days at the Drill Hill Library -a shared partnership of Canterbury Christ Church, Greenwich and Kent Universities. Its specialisms lie in nursing, paramedics, engineering, pharmacy and journalism- which I think you’ll agree are subjects which pretty much run thus country!

Despite this being a university library, Medway advocates the democratisation of education and so the resources are also open to the likes of me, you and Joe Bloggs too. In fact, anyone with a ME postcode can access a one -year membership which gives reference access and use of their PC’s. GET IN! Smile for your photo I.D and pretend your eighteen again on freshers week.

You are definitely hungry after all that studying- so we all have a picnic in the Lower Lines before hopping over to …

Royal Engineers Museum, Gillingham

Peruse the grandness of the great museum before checking out The Royal Engineers Collection. It has been developed by the Corps of Royal Engineers over the last two hundred years and now forms one of the most important military collections in the UK. The historic significance of the Collection was recognised in 1998 with the official award of ‘Designated’ status, marking it as a collection of national and international importance. Oooh la la!

From a V2 Rocket to the diary of the youngest soldier to serve on the 1914 Western Front, its steeped in history. Their collection holds over 1 million items including objects, diaries, photographs and books. Errr, did someone say, fitting location for a Who Do You Think You Are scene?

Now it’s just a short hop, skip and a jump or as I call it the Gillingham to Rainham pilgrimage via train and head to the cutest, most heartwarming bookshop, a bookshop which should feature in a Richard Curtis film or at the very least be a subject of a sky arts documentary…. Its…

Sunburst Bookshop, Rainham

Managed by Luke Foord and run by volunteers. You can get books for 30p. THIRTY PENCE!! It is owned by Hamish Mackay Miller who with his wife Barbara (RIP) also wrote the Bygone Kent series of books.  Luke was kind enough to give me a very detailed tour which included showing me a copy of Don Quixote, printed in 1766.

Sunburst is like a smaller version of Baggins, (referenced in the first instalment). It’s certainly not the largest or biggest second-hand bookshop but it has just as much charm. So much charm that it draws in international buyers. They range from Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Australia, who are either buying books for themselves or to redistribute in their home countries.

Luke also regales a tale of one particularly elderly customer who used to do a regular ‘book crawl’ like this one. He lived in Gravesend and would get the train heading east and would finish at Sunburst which was, he says, was his favourite. When he passed away in 2021, his will stipulated that his extensive collection of rare books would be donated to Sunburst upon his death. So, thank you, Laurence Lee.

Theres something very special about knowing that Sunburst is run entirely voluntarily and that the books are donated by people who have lived a life. Books are a piece of history and Sunburst emits a warming nostalgic vibe. It even sells DVD’s too!

Luke said his favourite book was Dune by Frank Herbert and I left eyeing up a Folio Edition of Mark Twain essays. He lets me borrow a copy as I hop back on the train, and in exchange I give him a copy of my novel. You can grab one too on the below link. Happy Book Crawling.

Daughters of the Nile by Zahra Barri is published by Boundless (£9.99)