Charity shops will remain open until Thursday 5 November, when they will shutter up for the duration of lockdown. If you have time, please do pop in and browse the paperbacks and hardbacks they have on offer: not only is it a great way to support them ahead of a tricky winter, but it’s also bound to be an absolute treasure trove of bargains and difficult-to-find tomes.

If you prefer to shop from the comfort of your own sofa (and who doesn’t, eh?), then you’ll be pleased to note that many charities also have online shops. This means that you can find literary treasures and…

fund vital research via the British Heart Foundation
help support the UK’s most vulnerable children with Barnardo’s
fight poverty and injustice around the world with Oxfam
help millions of people in the UK and around the world to prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies, disasters and conflicts with the Red Cross
help cats and dogs find loving homes with Battersea

… as well as support countless other brilliant causes. It might also be worth bookmarking those websites, as they’ll definitely come in handy when you start your Christmas shopping, too.

A Black-owned bookshop

The only thing you should be “panic buying” for lockdown 2.0