stretch your
shelf
Finding connections through books and beyond.
New Year's note from the founder
Happy new year and welcome to the brand new Stretch Your Shelf website! I’m thrilled to be able to start 2025 in this cosy space in the web, and you … you’re practically a pioneer!
In its simplest form, Stretch Your Shelf is a gentle challenge – find 3 or more books that fit the theme of the month, making sure that they’re chosen from at least 3 different genre. Why?
Because I’m curious to see if it’s possible to dive deep while also branching out widely. Because I’m multi-passionate and have noticed that seeking to learn ‘that’ thing often helps me understand ‘this’ better. Because I’m obsessed with discovering connections between seemingly separately topics. Because the best stories are told from more than one point of view. Because I want this to be a place where we can all be more than just one thing.
In so many ways I feel like we’re in a pivotal moment in our collective history. One little website can’t solve it all, but instead of worrying about that, I’m excited about what a little ecosystem can do – especially one revolving around knowledge, understanding and empathy.
Here, we stem the churn of consumerism by celebrating older books along with new releases. We honor the creatives by inviting them to speak to us about their craft. We meet as a community at monthly virtual check-ins and workshops, and invite readers to share their stories. We examine the written world and discover the threads that connect us, so that we might live large.
Theme by Theme
Snow
Books that bring a chill, words you can breathe out into a crisp winter morning, lines you can snuggle up with under a duvet.
Palestine
Three titles that I feel you can’t go wrong with when jumping into Palestinian stories.
Flee
These books carry the stories of people who have had to make the difficult choice of fleeing their own homes in order to find refuge or asylum.
In winter, I want concepts to chew over in a pool of lamplight - slow, spiritual reading, a reinforcement of the soul.
Katherine May
Read Palestine Week ... all year round
For the second year running, Publishers For Palestine have hosted a week at the end of November to celebrate Palestinian literature. At Stretch Your Shelf, we stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people in their fight for freedom, liberation and lasting peace.
We call for an end to the occupation of Palestine and the genocide of its people.
Stories are powerful because they carry within them threads of heritage, culture, heart and truth, and this is one of many places where they will not be quelled.
This upcoming Read Palestine Week feature which aims to highlight excellent and diverse Palestinian works in all genres will be lovingly updated throughout the year.
The Tabkha Series
A Palestinian cook book by Mona Zahed, written from her tent in Gaza where she and her family have been displaced more than 8 times, then lovingly illustrated by 21 artists from all over the world, Tabkha is a unique collaboration between Mona, creative mutual aid group Coffees for Gaza and Naarm-based independent publisher Slingshot Books.
In this upcoming series, you’ll learn about Mona’s story, the culture and heritage of Palestinians through their dishes, and the process of coming together as a team to produce a high-quality publication.
This is a cook book designed to be treasured in homes and kitchens around the world, with 100% profits going to Mona’s family and others supported by Coffees For Gaza.
Pre-orders are open now for an anticipated launch in March 2025.
