New Additions to Line-Up for Independent Bookshop Week 2024

• Robin Stevens, Shirley Ballas, Kate Mosse, Kevin Kwan, Harriet Muncaster, Paul Sinha, Hilary Bradt and many more to take part in the celebrations
• Brighton Book Festival returns, children’s illustration sessions, wine tastings, after hours poetry readings, fancy dress fan events & much more
• Inaugural Big Book Club to unite indie book clubs across the country
• fm celebrates IBW with free audiobooks and exclusive membership offers

15 – 22 June 2024

Press images here

London, Wednesday 5 June 2024: The Booksellers Association (BA) has today revealed the new additions to the line-up for this year’s Independent Bookshop Week, the annual celebration of independent bookshops across the UK and Ireland. With the week taking place between 15 – 22 June, Hachette UK returns as the headline sponsor.

Top L- R: Libro.fm audiobook offer, Robin Stevens, Rossiter Books

Celebrations take place up and down the country with over 700 independent bookshops confirmed to take part. Special events with Robin Stevens, Shirley Ballas, Kevin Kwan, Hilary Bradt and more will take place during the week, along with the return of the Brighton Book Festival, a fancy-dress tenth anniversary fan event, exclusive audiobook offers, numerous opportunities to meet authors at their launches, the first ever nationwide Big Book Club, and much more.

BOOKSHOP EVENTS

North of England

• Forum Books in Corbridge, The Accidental Bookshop in Alnwick, and the bound in Whitley Bay will have a number of events celebrating IBW. On Saturday 15 June, illustrator Emma Mackenzie will be making a bespoke Help! Ralph Rabbit bookshop window from 9:30am at The Accidental Bookshop and from 1:30pm at the bound. On Monday 17 June, they’ll have an event with author Jill Halfpenny, discussing her memoir A Life Reimagined at the Biscuit Factory from 7:30pm. More info here. On Tuesday 18 June, they’ll be the bookshop partner at the opening of Northern Stage's production of UNDERDOG The Other Other Bronte in Newcastle, with author events including Eliza Clark, Jessica Andrews, Karen Powell. More info here, and a curated list on Bookshop.org is here. On Thursday 20 June, they will be participating in A Midsummer’s Evening in Corbridge 2024, with market stalls, street food, live music and dancing, and late author signings. More info here.
• Paper People Books in Pateley Bridge will be hosting a book signing with Yorkshire vet Julian Norton on Sunday 16 June at 10am. More info here. On Thursday 20 June at 7pm they’ll have Paul C Dunn giving a photography talk about his work for National Trust and Nostell Priory Yorkshire, and how this has helped his mental health. More info here. Finally, on Saturday 22 June at 12pm, children's author and illustrator Sally Agar will be running a talk and workshop/book signing about her children's books The Queen Next Door and Little People Big Dreams – Alexander Von Humboldt, while fabulous Marie-Louise Gregory, author of a children's series Sophia Slewfoot Solves will be running two workshops and book signings at 10am and 2pm. More info here.
• Darling Reads in Wakefield are offering a free Darling Reads Tote Bag when you spend over £20 or a free mystery book &  tote when you spend over £50. They’ll be giving away £5 National Book Token vouchers with any purchase, as well as other in store competitions for children and families throughout the week. More info on the bookshop’s website here.
• Book, Bean & Ice Cream in Preston will be doing school events at Ripley St Thomas School and Lancaster Grammar Girls with Kiran Millwood Hargrave on Tuesday 18 June, to inspire young readers.
• Juno Books in Sheffield is hosting novelist Sulaiman Addonia in conversation with Issam Ghariba about his new book, The Seers, on Thursday 20 June at 6:30pm. Tickets can be purchased here.
• Linghams in Heswall is organising a line-up of author and community events including: an evening with Santa Montefiore in conversation followed by a book signing for her new novel, Shadows in the Moonlight, on Monday 17 June at 7pm. Tickets and information can be found here. Robin Stevens will be leading their school events on Wednesday 19 June. Sarah Bowie will be joining the bookshop as  part of the Nina Peanut school tour on Friday 21 June.
• The Rabbit Hole in Brigg is hosting a signing with author John Patrick Green on Thursday 20 June at 4pm for his InvestiGators and Agents of S.U.I.T graphic novels. This is a non-ticketed event, more information can be found here.
• B For Butterfly Books in Sale will be organising The Big "B For Butterfly Books" Book Quiz on Wednesday 19 June at 7:30pm. Tickets are £10 (over 18s only) and include a goody bag, first drink and entry to the quiz. Up to five people per team and Simon will be the quiz master extraordinaire. You can purchase your ticket here.
• ebb & flo bookshop in Chorley is hosting Clive Myrie in conversation with award-winning journalist Chris Maguire at Bolton Albert Halls on Saturday 15 June at 7:30pm. Tickets are £22 and include a paperback of Clive’s memoir Everything is Everything. You can purchase your ticket here.
• Collected Books in Durham has put together a festival to celebrate IBW with authors including Edith Hall, Lauren Elkin, Clare Finney and Amy Twigg to take place on 16 – 19 June. More info about the festival can be found here. 
• The Book Corner in Halifax will host a book signing with Phil Earle in Halifax’s Piece Hall on Saturday 22 June at 10am. More information will appear on their website here.
• Through the Wardrobe Books in Mirfield will host a book signing with Phil Earle after The Book Corner on Saturday 22 June at 1pm, with more information to be announced soon.
• Serenity Booksellers in Stockport is celebrating The Gruffalo coming to the bookshop to celebrate his 25^th birthday on Wednesday 19 June between 11:30am and 4:00pm. More info here. They will also be joined by Man Booker Prize longlisted author Wyl Menmuir on Tuesday 18 June at 6pm. Tickets start at £1 and can be purchased here.
• Truman Books in Leeds is hosting Leeds Lit Fest 2024 which will take place from Saturday 15 June – Sunday 23 June. Events include children’s activities, live music talk with Alice Mcllroy, in conversation even with Stuart Maconie, Ajau Close and many more. More info here.

Midlands

• Booka Bookshop in Oswestry will be doing a number of events during the course of Independent Bookshop Week, with authors including Wyl Menmuir, Joanne Burn and Paul Sinha. They will also be hosting a school event with Robin Stevens on Tuesday 18 June. More info here.
• Five Leaves Bookshop in Nottingham is hosting Unsuitable: a History of Lesbian Fashion, an illustrated talk by Eleanor Medhurst on Thurdsay 20 June at 7pm. Tickets can be found here. On Saturday 22 June at 7pm, they’ll be kicking off their Windrush Weekend with the locally published book The Life of William Chong: a Windrush Passenger, focussing on a local resident who arrived on the SS Emprire Windrush in 1948. Caribbean snacks included! More info here.
• Wonderland Bookshop in Retford will be joined by author John Patrick Green on Wednesday 19 June for a signing of his InvestiGators and Agents of S.U.I.T graphic novels. More information can be found here.
• Voce Books in Birmingham will be hosting novelist Sulaiman Addonnia as part of his UK tour for his new book, The Seers on Wednesday 19 June at 7pm. Tickets can be purchased here.
• Kenilworth Books in Kenilworth will be joined by children’s authors, literary novelists, and non-fiction writers throughout the last day of Independent Bookshop Week, Saturday 22 June between 10:30am – 3:30pm. More info here.
• Script Haven in Worcester launches Breathless – Breathe More – a collaboration with artists and poets on Saturday 15 June at 6pm. More info here. On Wednesday 19 June at 6:30pm they’re holding a spoken word poetry event to raise awareness for refugees in the local area. More info here. They will also host Lisa Billingham’s book launch for Katie - A New Chapter and Tom – The Next Chapter on Saturday 22 June at 7pm. More info here.

East of England

• Red Lion Books in Colchester will be doing an event with illustrator Thomas Gilbert, the artist behind Chitty Chitty Bang, on Saturday 15 June at 10am. More info here. On the same day at 2pm, there will be an event with publisher of Nanako Hanada’s memoir The Bookshop Woman. More info here. Finally, on Saturday 22 June at 6pm, Dee Gordon will present his new book Famous Essex Authors. More info here.
• The Book Nook in Tollesbury will be welcoming author Neil D’Arcy Jones, who will be taking readers on a mini mystery walk through Tollesbury, taking in a part of the Tollesbury Walk from his upcoming book Essex: 40 Favourite Walks. The walk will then be followed by a book signing at The Book Nook. The event will take place on Saturday 15 June at 10am. More info here.
• Next Page Books in Hitchin is hosting a sold-out event with Harriet Muncaster on Saturday 15 June at 1:30pm and 3pm.
• Yare Books Limited in Great Yarmouth is hosting a book signing by local author and historian Sheila Hutchinson on Saturday 15 June in the morning (time TBC). Weather permitting, they are also holding a BBQ in the yard behind the shop so book lovers can meet over a burger and discuss books which will take place on Sunday 16 June (time TBC). On Monday 17 June at 12pm to 2pm they’re hosting Lord Russell Baker for a book signing. Finally, on Saturday 22 June, they are hosting a book signing for another local author Heather Peck. 10% of all sales on local history books during the week will be donated to Norfolk Family History Society. More info here.
• Beccles Bookshop in Beccles is hosting an event with Rev Richard Coles on Saturday 15 June at 7pm, St Edmunds Church. More info here.

South of England

• Pushkin House Bookshop in London will be joined by Carol Adlam for a conversation with Claire Whitehead on Friday 21 June at 6:30pm, to talk about Claire’s new graphic novel, The Russian Detective, inspired by a bestselling 19^th century crime novel. They will discuss the legacy of early Russian crime fiction, how and why to adapt forgotten works of literature for a modern audience, and re-examining Russian literature through an artist’s eyes. More info here.
• The Small City Bookshop and other independent bookshops in Bristol will be partnering with the Children’s Book Project, to support the launch of the charity by taking part in a citywide book drive during Independent Bookshop Week. They will be collecting donations of good condition children’s books to be distributed amongst baby banks, the care system and schools of Bristol. Some participating bookshops will be offering 10% off children’s books for any customer who donates. More info here.
• October Books in Southampton will hold an in conversation with Brazen Books founder Romilly Morgan on Monday 17 June at 7pm, for a discussion around independent booksellers and fiction in translation. Brazen will be publishing Japanese bestseller The Bookshop Woman, which will be out on Thursday 6 June. More info here.
• Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights in Bath will host an evening of romance on Monday 18 June at 7pm, celebrating the brand new releases of Laura Wood’s sweet and sexy novel Under Your Spell, Kate Young’s debut, Experienced, a queer romcom set in Bristol, and Kirsty Greenwood’s The Love of My Afterlife, a laugh-out-loud romcom with a supernatural twist. More info here.
• East Grinstead Bookshop in Grinstead will be doing a Rombouts Coffee Promotion throughout Independent Bookshop Week: enjoy a free coffee, served in their beautiful blue Denby mugs, with every purchase over £10. During the week, they will also have a range of special 'indie editions' celebrating how independent bookshops do things differently. More info on their website here.
• Daunt Books in Summertown, Oxford will be hosting two very special events celebrating Independent Bookshop Week. On Monday 17 June at 7pm they’ll welcome Mick Herron, who’ll be answering questions about his brilliant books, the Slough House series, the Zoë Boehm series, recent standalone novel The Secret Hours, and more. Tickets are £5 including a glass of wine or soft drink and can be booked online or in the shop. More info here. On Thursday 20 June at 7pm, they will be joined by Will Tosh in conversation with Simon Savidge on Will’s latest book Straight Acting, where the author reveals Shakespeare as a queer artist who drew on his society's nuanced understanding of gender and sexuality to create some of English literature's richest works. More info here.
• Afrori Books and The Feminist Bookshop in Brighton will be hosting Brighton Book Festival from Tuesday 18 to Sunday 23 June, a line-up of 20 fantastic events across the city ranging from poetry nights to wine tastings to fun family events. Tickets for indvidual events start at £5 and more information can be found here.
• Bookhaus in Bristol will be joined by Sulaiman Addionia for the launch of his book The Seers as part of their twinning with Prototype Publishing on Tuesday 18 June at 6pm. Tickets are £6 and can be purchased here.
• Chiltern Bookshops in Chorleywood and Gerrards Cross are hosting a range of exciting author events including:
  • An evening with world famous ballroom dancer, Strictly Come Dancing judge and author Shirley Ballas on Monday 17 June at 7:30pm. Tickets start at £12 and can be purchased here.
  • An evening with Hilary Bradt, trailblazing travel writer, lectruer and co-founder of Bradt Travel Guides about her new book Taking the Rise: My Adventures in Travel and Publishing on Tuesday 18 June at 7pm. Tickets start at £12 and can be purchased here.
  • A ‘Meet the Author Panel’ featuring Joanna Wallace, Dan Malakin, Denise Beddows, John Marley and Louise Burfitt-Dons on Saturday 22 June. More information will be released in due course here.
• Gilded Acorn in London will be joined by former Economist correspondent Tom Gardner with his new book The Abiy Project on Friday 21 June. More information will be available in due course.
• Maldon Books in Maldon will be joined by Tiny Dogs author and illustrator Rose Lihou, where you can draw your very own Tiny Dog and hear from her new book, Tiny Dogs: Bea’s Secret Friends. More information will be available here in due course.
• Rossiter Books and Cheltenham Ladies’ College in Cheltenham is hosting a very special fan event (fancy dress encouraged!) celebrating a decade of Robin Stevens’ Murder Most Unladylike on Saturday 22 June at 2pm, Parabola Arts Centre. Ticket bundles start at £16 and are available here.
• Toppings in Bath is hosting an evening with the global bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians  Kevin Kwan as he celebrates the launch of his new romantic comedy Lies and Weddings on Thursday 20 June 7pm. More information and tickets will be released in due course.
• The Alligator’s Mouth in Richmond is hosting a signing with author John Patrick Green on Friday 21 June at 4:30pm for his InvestiGators and Agents of S.U.I.T graphic novels. More information can be found here.
• Brick Lane Bookshop in London is hosting an evening with author and screenwriter Shani Akilah in conversation with Jendella Benson on Thursday 20 June at 7pm to celebrate the release of Shani’s debut short story collection For Such A Time As This. Tickets are £5 and can be purchased here.
• Stanfords in Covent Garden, London will be joined by Jack Cornish to talk about his new book and discover the rich history of Britain’s millennia-old network of pathways on Thursday 20 June at 7pm – 8:30pm. More info here. Stanfords will also be doing social media giveaways, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled.
• Pages of Hackney in London to host a Guardian Live online book club with Rev Richard Coles, in conversation with Zoe Williams, on Thursday 20 June at 8pm. More info here.
• A Mystery London Bookshop Crawl is taking place on Wednesday 19 June. The start point will be accessible by tube and/or overground from central London and you will visit lots of bookshops over the course of 4 hours. Tickets cost £14 and you can book yours here.
• Mostly Books in Oxfordshire is holding a school event with Kiran Millwood Hargrave on Thursday 20 June. They’ll also be hosting an evening with Rev Richard Coles in conversation with Joanna Cannon about his new book, Murder at the Monastery on Saturday 22 June at 7pm. More info here.
• Rossiter Books in Cheltenham hosts lawyer and author Harriet Wistrich to talk about her new novel Sister in Law – Fighting for Justice in a system designed by Men on Wednesday 19 June at 7pm. Tickets are £9 and can be purchased here.
• Rossiter Books in Ross on Wye to host an evening with foraging course teacher and author Liz Knight on her new book Buds and Blossoms on Thursday 20 June at 7pm. Tickets are £6 and can be purchased here.
• St Andrews Bookshop in Great Missenden is holding its first annual Christian Literature Festival within the Churches of Great Missenden where many of the UK's most loved authors will attend. The festival will take on 21 – 22 June and will run from 9:30am – 8:30pm on both days. More info about the festival and tickets can be found here.
• The Bookshop in Helston will celebrate Emma Cowell’s third novel, The Island Love Song, in conversation with Liz Fenwick on Tuesday 18 June at 7pm. More info here.
• Steyning Bookshop in Steyning is holding an evening with Rev Richard Coles and Elly Griffiths, chaired by William Shaw on Monday 17 June at 7:30pm. More info here.

Scotland

• As part of the Independent Bookshop Week Bloody Road Trip, 4 crime writers will be visiting 4 indies on Saturday 22 June, with the authors signing books and post on social media as they go round. The bookshops are Far From the Madding Crowd in Linlithgow, Atkinson-Pryce in Biggar, Kelsey’s Bookshop in Haddington and Night Owl in East Linton. The authors are D V Bishop, Lin Anderson, James Oswald and Douglas Skelton. More info here.
• The Ginger Cat Bookshop in Bridge of Weir are delighted to have author Lindsay Littleson in the shop signing copies of her fantastic new book Ice Cream Boy for Independent Bookshop Week, on Saturday 15 June at 2pm. No need to book, just show up! On the same day at 7pm, they will have an evening with authors CJ Cooke and Suzy Aspley in conversation. More info here. On Friday 21 June at 7pm, they’ll host an Evening with author Iain Kelly. More info here.
• Far From the Madding Crowd in Linlithgow will be joined by John Patrick Green for a book signing on Saturday 15 June at 11am for his InvestiGators and Agents of S.U.I.T graphic novels. More information can be found here.
• The Bookhouse in Broughty Ferry is doing two school events on Monday 17 June with John Patrick Green, author and illustrator of The Investigators graphic novels. They are also holding an evening with Scottish historical fiction authors Kate Foster and Elizabeth Macneal on Thursday 20 June at 7:30pm. More info here. Throughout the week, they will be offering 15% off everything in store and on their website. Every purchase of £30 or more in the shop or on their website will get a £5 National Book Token High Five Voucher. Every online purchase from Monday 17 June to Friday 21 June will have the chance to win a free tote bag.
• Night Owl Books in East Linton will host their book club with Kate Foster and Elizabeth Macneal on Monday 17 June at 8pm. Tickets are £20 and can be purchased here.
• The Orcadian Bookshop in Orkney is hosting story time with Sallianne Smales, author of The Smoozles of Orkneyjar series on Saturday 15 June at 10:30am. More info here. They’re hosting another story time with David Flanagan, author of Uncle Pete and The Boy Who Couldn’t Sleep series on Saturday 22 June at 10:30am. More info here.
• The Portobello Bookshop in Edinburgh will have an IBW window illustration designed by Alison Murray to mark the occasion. They’ll also hold a Scottish narratives panel event with Margaret McDonald, Tom Newlands and Juano Diaz on Wednesday 19 June, time TBC. Finally, Julia Armfield will be in conversation with Heather Parry on Friday 21 June at 7pm – 8pm. More info here.

Wales

• Rossiter Books in Monmouth will host Tiffany Murray in conversation with Jude Rogers about Tiffany’s new book My Family and Other Rock Stars at Bridges Centre on Tuesday 18 June at 7pm. Tickets are £9 and can be purchased here.
• Chepstow Books & Gifts in Chepstow is hosting Natalie Haynes, author of Divine Beauty, on Tuesday 18 June at 6:30pm. More info here.
• North Books in Hay-on-Wye is hosting an in-conversation event with Guardian journalist Jude Rogers and author Richard King on Saturday 15 June from 4pm - 5:00pm. Tickets are available by emailing the bookshop at Jules@northbooks.co.uk.

Northern Ireland

• The Secret Bookshelf in Carrickfergus will be hosting fantasy author Shauna Lawless for a signing event on Saturday 15 June at 12pm, more information can be found here. They will also be organising a children’s book ‘swap’ event ahead of the summer holidays on Saturday 22 June, more details here.

INDIE TWINNING

With its success making it a firmly established strand of IBW, Indie Twinning returns for a fifth year, with independent publishers and independent bookshops teaming up to develop bespoke programmes of activity across the country. Look out for special offers, exclusives, social media take-overs, bespoke bookshop windows and much more.

Confirmed activity includes:

• Bookhaus in Bristol will be twinning with prototype publishing, selling a range of their beautiful books at a discounted price in store all week, as well as hosting the launch of prototype’s latest fiction release The Seers by Sulaiman Addonia on Tuesday 18 June. More info here.
• Afrori Books in Brighton are partnering with Profile Books, who publish inventive books, fearless writing and powerful voices, with more details to be announced in due course.
• Heron Books in Bristol is hosting a brilliant line-up of events in partnership with And Other Stories including:
  • An after hours poetry reading in the Arcade, featuring Forward Prize shortlisted poet Ralf Webb on Saturday 15 June at 6pm. Tickets start at £4 and can be purchased here.
  • Their Short Fiction Book Group discuss Black Vodka by Deborah Levy on Monday 17 June at 6:30pm. More information can be found here.
  • Publisher and translator Stefan Tobler joins the Poetry Book Group to discuss Pitch & Glint by Lutz Seiler on Thursday 20 June at 6:30pm. More information is available here.
  • The announcement of the winner of the Heron Books Flash Fiction Competition, with a prize bundle of And Other Stories going to the winner, will take place on Saturday 22 June. Shortlistees will be invited to read their work in the bookshop from 5pm. Find out more about the competition here.
• London Review Bookshop in London will be partnering with Weidenfeld & Nicolson, with booksellers picking their favourite Weidenfeld & Nicolson title, and beautiful table and window displays with bespoke materials. This will take place over the week and make sure to keep an eye out for exclusive online and social content.
• Fourbears Books in Reading is in partnership with indie publisher b small and the bookshop will have a dinosaur–themed window display featuring a big T Rex
• Portobello Bookshop in Edinburgh is in partnership with indie publisher Fitzcarraldo hosting a Fitzcarraldo Editions display and offering Fitz goodies to giveaway including bookmarks, posters, postcards, tote bags and exclusive proofs. They’ll also share staff interviews and reading lists on their social media channels.

BIG BOOK CLUB

Launching this year, the Big Book Club strand of IBW will celebrate the role of indies in bringing people together via a shared love of reading, showcasing the fantastic diversity and creativity of booksellers and the special experiences they continue to create for their customers.

From a French-language book club to a showcase of the Indie Book Awards shortlist, and from positivity book boxes for customers (containing chocolate and bookmarks) to a book-themed social, the Big Book Club will see over 200 people attending book club evenings in indie bookshops across the UK and Ireland on Wednesday 19 June.

Participating bookshops confirmed so far include The Beckenham Bookshop, Booka Bookshop (Bridgnorth), Booka Bookshop (Oswestry), Book-ish (Abergavenny), Book-ish (Crickhowell), The Book Shop (Lee-on-the-Solent), Daunt Books Summertown (Oxford), Goldfinch Books (Alton), The Heath Bookshop (Birmingham), Hungerford Bookshop (Hungerford), Jaffé & Neale (Chipping Norton), The Mainstreet Trading Company (Melrose), A New Leaf Book Shop (Slaithwaite), Night Owl Books (East Linton) and Wantage Bookshop (Wantage).

GUEST BOOKSELLING

Authors, poets and illustrators are invited to get involved with IBW with Guest Bookselling. Allowing guest booksellers to learn more about a new side of the booktrade and supporting local indies, and an exciting opportunity for bookshop frequenters to have a chance encounter with authors, poets and illustrators, this is a win-win for all!

Confirmed authors doing guest bookselling include:

• Book-ish in Crickhowell will have Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things, as bookseller for a day on Wednesday 19 June.
• Chorleywood Bookshop in Chorleywood will be joined by best-selling crime fiction writer Mark Billingham on Thursday 20 June , who will be behind the till at the shop. Mark will also be signing copies (and selling!) his latest novel The Last Dance, the first in a new detective series.
• Linghams in Heswall will see author and TV presenter Louise Minchin working in the shop on Tuesday 18 June, between 12:30pm and 1:30pm.
• P&G Wells in Winchester will host Rose Lihou, author of Tiny Dogs, as a guest bookseller at her local bookshop on Saturday 15 June.
• Pigeon Books in Portsmouth will welcome celebrated author Kate Mosse, who will be working in the shop as a guest bookseller on Saturday 22 June.
• Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights in Bath will host Emma Carroll, who will be doing a guest bookselling stint in the morning on Sunday 16 June, followed by an event and book signing after lunch. Mr B’s will also be running a preorder offer through the day for Emma’s upcoming book The Houdini Inheritance.
• The Book Corner in Halifax will have children’s author Phil Earle for a day of guest bookselling and signings on Saturday 22 June.
• Kew Bookshop in London will host Pari Thomson, author of Greenwild, as a guest bookseller on either Saturday 15 June or Sunday 16 June.
• Notting Hill Bookshop in London will host Allie Esiri, author of 365 Poems for Life and A Nursey Rhyme for Every Night of the Year, on Sunday 16 June as a guest bookseller.
• East Grinstead Bookshop in Grinstead will have best-selling authors Karen Swan, Sarah-Jane Butler and Liz Fielding as guest booksellers on Saturday 15 June.

ONLINE CELEBRATIONS

For the third year, the Independent Bookshop Week BookTok Tour returns and will see BookTokers across the UK and Ireland celebrating IBW and sharing content from their much-loved independent bookshops. With BookTokers hailing from across the UK and Ireland, locations include Coventry, Hertford, County Antrim, Kirkcaldy, London, County Kildare, Milton Keynes, Edinburgh, Watford, Glasgow and Caerphilly.

Confirmed influencers taking part include emilymiahreads (73.4K), amymaybooks (67.2K), whatbritreads (56.1K), samfallingbooks (49.9K), ceartguleabhar (36.5K), readwithhayls (34.2K), prettyxbookishreads (29K), marcereads_ (26.3K), readwithmeg (25.5K), kevinkelly_ (23.5K), acourtofsass (6,842) and sobeykin (3,100).

UK-based book blogger, Lauren and the Books will host a Cosy Reading Night on Saturday 22 June for the fourth year, to celebrate Independent Bookshop Week. Between 7:00pm and 10:00pm Lauren will be live on Instagram and show her followers what she’s reading, as well as encouraging her followers to share what they’re reading. Lauren can be followed on Instagram @laurenandthebooks and YouTube @laurenandthebooks, and the hashtag for the evening is #CosyReadingNight.

EXCLUSIVE POEM

With the success of poems created by Brian Bilston, Hollie McNish and Dean Atta, critically acclaimed spoken word performer George Mpanga, known for his artistry as George The Poet, has created a bespoke Independent Bookshop Week poem to support the campaign. The poem will be shared on the Books Are My Bag social media channels (@booksaremybag) at 6:00pm on Wednesday 19 June, with a reading filmed at New Beacon Books in London.

HIGH FIVE FOR BOOKSHOPS

High Five for Bookshops, the successful national giveaway from National Book Tokens, is back for a sixth year. The giveaway supports indie bookshops across the UK and Ireland to reward their most loyal local customers.

Bookshops participating in Independent Bookshop Week each receive 100 vouchers with unique codes, which customers can use to claim a £5/€5 National Book Tokens e-Gift card to spend in-store.

Since its launch, High Five has continued to grow year-on-year, with 92,000 vouchers sent to indies in 2023 – a 200% increase since 2019. The giveaway is a valuable, footfall-driving asset to the annual Independent Bookshop Week celebrations.

BOOKSHOP CRAWLS

All book lovers are once again invited to organise their own Bookshop Crawl to celebrate IBW. The Bookshop Map on the homepage of the Books Are My Bag website is a useful resource to find your closest local indies and plan your route.

BOOKSHOP.ORG FREE SHIPPING

Bookshop.org, the online bookshop with a mission to support and celebrate indies in the UK, will again be offering free shipping on any purchases made on the website the last weekend of IBW, Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 June 2024.

LIBRO.FM AUDIOBOOK OFFERS FOR BOOKSHOPS

Libro.fm, the audiobook platform encouraging more people to read while supporting local, independent bookshops, will be offering bookshops and their customers:

• Official IBW ambassadors’ audiobooks can be downloaded free from Libro.fm from 15 to 22 June
• A special membership offer starting from Saturday 15 June, where you can get 3 audiobooks for the price of 1 when you sign up for a new monthly membership supporting your bookshop with code SWITCH.
• In June, Libro.fm will also be running a special BOGO sale for members (customers will be able to get two audiobooks with one credit from a curated selection).
• Libro.fm are offering partner bookshops the opportunity to raffle off audiobook credit bundles at Big Book Club events, with each bundle allowing the winner to redeem 6 audiobooks of their choosing.

Emma Bradshaw, Head of Campaigns at the Booksellers Association, commented: “We are delighted to see such a variety and quantity of activities and events taking place in bookshops, and at partner venues, this Independent Bookshop Week. That so many bookshops are working with other local businesses to create entertaining line-ups for customers, across all demographics and interests, just shows how much value they bring to their communities. We’re looking forwards to seeing lots of customers visiting their local bookshops to purchase their summer reads and celebrate this year’s campaign!”

Follow the latest developments via social media: #IndieBookshopWeek @BooksAreMyBag

Find out more at https://booksaremybag.com/IndependentBookshopWeek/About