A Hackney Autobiography
On The Record Project

Project by oral historians On the Record, that records the history of a unique cultural institution called Centerprise (1971-2012).

Centerprise was a double fronted bookshop and coffee-bar on 136-138 Kingsland High Street. It was once described as a ‘lime green mystery’, because it’s inclusive approach to community work made it stand out from other shops. A typical customer might pop in for a coffee and come out equipped with timely welfare advice or inspired to write their memoirs. From within this cooperatively run space people campaigned against the dehumanising treatment meted out in psychiatric hospitals, started up women-only performance nights, assisted adult learners with literacy, published books in their own dialects and much, much more.

These collected histories, portraits and archive materials are available to view and explore online on the Hackney Autobiography website or via the free mobile app which maps these recorded stories by theme and location.