Bookshop Day announces initial events and activities

Saturday 14 October 2023

• Bookshop events with Harriet Muncaster, AF Steadman, Les Wilson, Billy Sloan, Jordan Cramond, Laura Ellen Anderson and more
• Children invited to be booksellers for the day
• Craft parties, freebies, live music events and much more to take place in bookshops across the country

London, 7 September 2023: The Booksellers Association (BA) is today revealing the initial line-up for Bookshop Day (Saturday 14 October), the annual celebration of bookshops big and small in the UK and Ireland.

L-R: Harriet Muncaster, Next Page Books (Hitchin)

From author events with Harriet Muncaster, AF Steadman and Billy Sloan, to children’s book groups being invited to become a bookseller for the day, and from freebies and special offers to live music and bookshop birthday celebrations, Bookshop Day will have something for everyone. On Bookshop Day, book-lovers are encouraged to go to their local bookshop, or support them online if they can’t pay them a visit in person. With booksellers on hand to share personalised book recommendations, Bookshop Day is also the perfect opportunity to start your Christmas shopping early.

The theme for year’s Bookshop Day is “Bookshops bringing people together”, highlighting the key role of bookshops as community hubs, as well as retail spaces. The day also celebrates readers who found love in a bookshop, as books have a special power to connect people (even romantically!).

BOOKSHOP EVENTS

Author events and activities taking place on Bookshop Day across the UK include:

North of England

• Cogito Books (Hexham, Northumberland) are inviting their children’s book group members to become booksellers for a day, working the till, unpacking book deliveries, chatting to customers about recommendations and serving delicious Bookshop Day cake. This will take place throughout the day on Saturday 14 October. More info about the bookshop here.
• Featherbed Books (Tyne and Wear) will hold a joke-telling session where children tell jokes led by Martin Ellis from Zymrgy Publishing, who compiled The Little Book of Jokes for Kids of All Ages. This will take place on Bookshop Day at 12:00pm – 1:00pm. More info here.
• House of Books & Friends (Manchester) will hold a one-day in-store residency for local authors on Bookshop Day. They will be working in the bookshop for a period of time throughout the day, showing what they do and how they write. Members of the public can ask questions and the authors will be signing stock. Andy Spinoza, author of Manchester unspun (published in early November) will be in the bookshop from 1:00pm – 3:00pm. More info about the bookshop here.
• The West Kirby Bookshop (Wirral) are partnering with one of their favourite independent publishers, Daunt Books for Bookshop Day and will be offering ‘three for the price of two’ on all Daunt Books Publishing titles, giveaways, competitions and refreshments, and a store-wide 10% discount on all other books. This will take place on Bookshop Day from 10:00am – 6:00pm. More info about the bookshop here.

South of England

• Battersea Bookshop (Battersea Power Station, London) will celebrate its one-year anniversary on Bookshop Day, and the day will also be the Power Station’s one-year anniversary – so there will be many celebrations! A special event will take place on Bookshop Day (Saturday 14 October) and more information will be available here.
• The Book Nook (Hove) will host a fun-filled Evil Emperor Penguin event with Laura Ellen Anderson on Saturday 14 October at 2:00pm. More info here.
• Bow Books (Royston) are inviting children aged 4-8 to the official launch of Detective Buster Cuffs – Catching the Treat Snatcher. A reading session will take place with a retired policeman Jon and a signing with the author Liana Somerset. Gifts will be given to each child that attends and children must be accompanied by a parent. This will take place on Bookshop Day (Saturday 14 October) at 11:00am – 12:00pm. The event is free but please book your preferred time by contacting the bookshop (Tel: 01763 793 279 / Email: enquiries@bow-books.co.uk)
• Blueprint Coffee & Books (Whitstable, Kent) is giving 10% off all children’s books on Bookshop Day between 9:00am – 4:00pm. More info about the bookshop here.
• Children’s Bookshop (Muswell Hill, London) will hold an event to meet internationally bestselling children’s writer AF Steadman on Bookshop Day at 3:00pm. AF Steadman is the author of the blockbuster Skandar franchise, the epic series about bloodthirsty unicorns, elemental magic and sky battles. She will be available to sign and dedicate her books, Skandar and the Unicorn Thief and Skandar and the Phantom Rider. More info here.
• The Ivybridge Bookshop (Ivybridge, Devon) will host a children’s storytelling with Fiona Barker who will read Fox’s Favourite Autumn. This will take place on Saturday 14 October at 11:00am and is free to join. More info here.
• Next Page Books (Hitchin) are going to hold an event with author Harriet Muncaster on Bookshop Day from 9:30am – 12:30pm, taking place at the British Schools Museum, which is a 5-minute walk from Next Page Books. More info here.
• Pickled Pepper Books (Crouch End, London) will be celebrating Bookshop Day with The Tiger Who Came to Tea story time and craft parties run by one of their wonderful storytellers. The story times will take place on Saturday 14 October at 10:00am, 11:00am and 3:00pm. More info here.
• Red Lion Books (Colchester, Essex) will be hosting a night of Murdle which consists of a £25 two-course supper and an introduction to the game Murdle. This will take place on the eve of Bookshop Day, Friday 13 October at 7:00pm. More info here.

Scotland

• The Book Nook (Stewarton) will host two events on Bookshop Day. The first event is with Jordan Cramond who has acted in several popular movies and is appearing in the forthcoming film adaptation of inspirational novel White Bird, alongside Helen Mirren and Gillian Anderson. Jordan will read excerpts from the book and talk to the children about his acting career. The event will take place at 2:30pm. More info here. The second event is with Scottish music journalist and broadcaster Billy Sloan, who will be sharing stories from his new book One Love, One Life: Stories from the Stars, in a fun evening with music and refreshments. This will take place at 6:00pm. More info here.
• The Celtic House (Isle of Islay) will host an event with locally-based author and documentary maker Les Wilson who will present his new book Orwell’s Island: George, Jura and 1984.  This will take place on Saturday 14 October at 5:00pm and is a free event, no booking required. More info about the bookshop here.

BOOKS ARE MY BAG LIMITED-EDITION BAG

Illustrator Poonam Mistry is this year’s designer of the Books Are My Bag Limited-Edition Bag, which will be available exclusively in bookshops from Bookshop Day onwards, while stocks last.

Poonam’s style incorporates her love of nature and explores the relationship between pattern, shapes and colour creating beautifully intricate illustrations. Brought up around Indian fabrics, paintings and ornaments, she cites them as a source that heavily influences her work. She has collaborated with Penguin Random House, Tate Publishing, Buster Books, Hachette among many others, and she’s represented by ASH Literary.

Poonam joins the likes of artists and illustrators such as Jackie Morris, Dapo Adeola, Charlie Mackesy, Sir Peter Blake, Tracey Emin and Orla Kiely, who have designed previous editions of the bag.

MANCHESTER CITY SPOTLIGHT

This Bookshop Day will spotlight Manchester and its wonderful bookshops. Local artists Danielle Rhoda and Maisy Summer will work with Jack Arts on two murals with sites on Shudehill and Church Street in the city centre.

Originally from Poland, now based between Barcelona and the UK, Danielle Rhoda is an illustrator, animator and maker of things. With a passion for depicting diversity in a delicate, sensitive but also naive way, she illustrates different people. She’s worked with the BBC, New York Times, City of London, CNN and more.

Award-winning illustrator and animator, Maisy Summer helps her clients communicate their stories personally and thoughtfully often with community, people, heritage and culture at the centre. Maisy is the director and founder of international creative hub Small Fry, a collective putting on creative events, projects, talks & workshops across the city and beyond. She is also a Guest Lecturer (FHEA), and runs briefs, talks and sessions at universities across the UK. Maisy’s worked with Hodder and Stoughton, The Sunday Times, Google Arts and Culture, Paperchase, Whitworth Art Gallery, Bury Art Museum, Stockport Hat Museum, Women in Print among others.

Emma Bradshaw, Head of Campaigns at the BA, commented: “We’re delighted to see lots of wonderful events already confirmed to take place on Bookshop Day. Celebrating all high street bookshops, from indies to chains, the day is a brilliant opportunity for customers to meet and chat to their local booksellers, discover the next book they’ll fall in love with, and take part in dozens of author events and celebrations. We want bookshops to continue to bring people together throughout the year, every year, and book lovers to show their support to these national treasures of our high street.”

Details of Bookshop Day events taking place across the country can be found on the Books Are My Bag Facebook events page.

Follow the latest development on social media via @booksaremybag / #BookshopDay