Nov 2003

Reservoir Books is not just a bookshop. Its trendy black-and-red, Tarantino-referencing shopfront and décor belies its true identity as an extremely ambitious cultural and intellectual project.

One of the reasons Reservoir Books is where it is is that it is preserving the crumbling 16th century building (until recently a hairdresser's and restaurant) that hosts it. With the roof still half consisting of plastic sheeting (the interior was left exposed to the elements by the previous owner), the building is a vast, extremely delapidated four-storey labyrinth of oak-panelled rooms and winding staircases. What the customer currently gets to see is on the lower floor alone, and is a pleasingly white-painted café, its walls lined with books, films and - because it could not be removed - a hairdresser's long mirror. You would never guess that this place was bought for £10,000, its roof open and its lower floor littered with dead animals and syringes, and then restored by the two owners themselves. On one table sits an enchanting wooden cage inhabited by two tiny feathered birds which twitter magically at the flick of a switch. "For the children," I am informed by Jonathan Ungar, one of the proprietors of the establishment.

When I visit to hear about the project, Jonathan's wife Eleanor (a philosophy and educational studies graduate) is busy running the gently buzzing café and shop single-handed. Jonathan breaks off from talking to me to lend a hand, and as the couple move swiftly between tables, food counter/sales desk and video club membership desk/information point, it is evident that the enterprise is not just a business venture, but also a labour of love. The food served in the café also has this air of thoughtfulness about it; the delicious cakes are regularly brought back by Eleanor from her homeland, France; the French hot chocolate is the best I have tasted in an Oxford café and the carefully-chosen European menu is varied, interesting and cheap.

Whilst I wait, I scan the shelves of films and books and find (amongst others) impressive Philosophy, History and Fiction sections, all featuring seminal texts (including many set texts - take note Oxford PPE-ists!) at very low prices. Surprised that they have not been snaffled from the shelves already, I later learn that new books arrive all the time through donation, either from individuals or from publishers to whom Jonathan has made enquiries. The film section is also impressive, featuring unusual foreign and cult films. Membership of the video club is on a returnable deposit basis, and overnight rental is a mere £1.50.

Film is, in fact, to be the direction of the next arm of Reservoir Books' endeavours. Taking over what was once Convocation Coffee House, in a superbly central location on Radcliffe Square under the University Church, Jonathan and Eleanor will be showing foreign and classic films not generally available in cinemas (even of the more art-house variety). Showings will start next year, quite probably in the next Oxford University term. Membership details are still being finalized. Watch this space...

The ultimate aim here, after raising funds for and awareness of the project though the bookshop and film club, is to obtain the funding to restore the entire building over the next few years, finally opening it as - get this - a ground-breaking virtual exhibition space, with walls of electronic screens presenting materials (such as rare manuscripts) which are never normally accessible to members of the public. Themed exhibitions may also be held on contentious issues, such as the abuse of children or the elderly, drug abuse and eating disorders, and will be accompanied by open public debates and discussions. This gives a glimmer of insight into of the far-reaching nature of the project: Jonathan and Eleanor want to create a cultural space which provides a kind of democratic centre of learning, an alternative to the other, more "establishment" educational facilities of the town. It will be accessible to all. Intellectuals from around the world will be invited to place a "family tree" of their cultural heritage within the project's archive, in the form of five carefully selected books which have influenced their thought; outreach projects will try to encourage minority communities in Oxford to use the facility as part of their own space. When all this is up and running, Reservoir Books per se will bow out gracefully, and cease to exist.

This is surely the kind of far-sighted and inclusive scheme that Oxford should embrace as it makes its bid for European City of Culture in 2008. Students love Reservoir Books, and I resolved to make a return visit soon - perhaps after I finish the Ken Kesey novel I had been looking for in libraries for weeks, and spotted on Reservoir Books' shelf for £2…

Su Jordan, 21.11.02