Bookshop Day unveils final line-up

Saturday 14 October 2023

• Bookshop events with Geri Halliwell, Miriam Margolyes, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Robin Stevens, Richard Armitage, Tom Fletcher, Anna James, Tomi Oyemakinde and many more
• Double points offers, story time, draw-along sessions, audiobook discounts, poetry readings, and much more
• New bookshop openings just in time for Bookshop Day in Birmingham, Edinburgh, Frome, Stoke-on-Trent and Craigavon (NI)

London, Wednesday 28th August 2023. With less than three weeks to Bookshop Day (Saturday 14 October), the Booksellers Association (BA) is delighted to reveal additional plans for the annual celebration of bookshops big and small across the country .

The Gruffalo at the new opening of Waterstones in The Mall Blackburn

From fun events including draw-along sessions to special audiobook offers, to author events with Linton Kwesi Johnson, Geri Halliwell, Miriam Margolyes, Robin Stevens, Richard Armitage, Tom Fletcher, Peter Clark, Zehra Hicks and many more, Bookshop Day is the perfect opportunity to connect with your high street bookseller. Visit your local bookshop to get brilliant book recommendations, to start your Christmas shopping at the biggest time of the year for new book releases, and for a celebration of bookshops and their role in “bringing people together” in their local communities.

NEW BOOKSHOP OPENINGS/MOVES

A number of bookshops will be opening new branches or moving their premises just in time for Bookshop Day, while others have been open since this summer and are looking forward to celebrating their first Bookshop Day. New chain branches and independent bookshops include:

• Waterstones in Birmingham are opening their doors in October
• Waterstones in Edinburgh will be opening in October
• Waterstones in Craigavon (Northern Ireland) will open in October
• Harris & Harris (Suffolk) is moving to their new premises, which are five doors down from their current bookshop. The move will take place around Bookshop Day.
• Drop City Books (Stoke on Trent) will open in October
• Sherlock and Pages (Frome, Somerset) will open their doors in October
• LOS in a Book (Leigh on Sea) are set to open in late October
• Caper (Oxford) will open in late October
• Waterstones Petersfield reopened at a new location last June
• Waterstones Blackburn reopened at the end of July
• The Book Circle (Selby, North Yorkshire) opened on the 22 July
• Melanin Magic (West Norwood, London) opened in July
• Writer’s Block (St Peter Port, Guernsey) opened in July
• The Kitchen Table Dorset (Shaftesbury) opened on 19 August
• Foyles Waterloo (London) opened in mid-August, having previously closed by Network Rail redevelopment
• Gay on Wye (Hay on Wye) opened in August
• Teppa Books (Tonbridge, Kent) changed hands and name in early August
• Booka Bookshop and Café (Bridgnorth, Shropshire) to open a new branch at the end of September

Hannah Rimmer, Bookshop Manager, Waterstones Blackburn said: “Waterstones Blackburn opened its doors at the end of July and the local community welcomed the shop with open arms. Everyone has been so excited and happy to see us back, it’s been truly wonderful, and the shop has been busy since. We had The Gruffalo visit for our launch day and hosted a fun and very busy Storytime. We are working alongside Blackburn Youth Zone and currently have our first intern with us for a few months. It’s wonderful to be part of the local community and to work with young people. We’re looking forward to Christmas already!”

Alina Saadeh-Longo , Bookshop Manager, Foyles Waterloo said: “It has been really special to reopen our Waterloo bookshop. The love and positive feedback we’ve received from customers has been astonishing – many of our shoppers are overjoyed to see that we’re back, calling the shop an oasis for them during their commutes.”

BOOKSHOP EVENTS

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

North of England

• Waterstones Liverpool invite children to come along for an interactive Isadora Moon story time. Kids will get the chance to create their very own Isadora Moon Crown, Wings and Wand in an engaging craft session. They will also be reading part of the newest adventure in this series; ‘Isadora Moon and the Frost Fair‘. The event will happen on Bookshop Day at 1:30pm. More info here.
• Manchester Literature Festival, the renowned performer, activist, and critic, invites Linton Kwesi Johnson to do a reading and discussion of his work produced over the past decades. The event is hosted by Jackie Kay, who will be speaking to Linton about his achievements, contributions to Black British culture, and his body of non-fiction which, for the first time, has been compiled into one volume Time Come: Selected Prose. The event will take place at Contact Theatre on Bookshop Day at 7:30pm, with books provided in partnership with Waterstones. More information here.
• DRAKE – The Bookshop (Stockton on Tees) to host Fiona Erskine; Matson Taylor; Lisette Auton; Andy Ruffell and others as guest booksellers on Bookshop Day at 9:30am – 5:00pm. Just turn up, buy a book and be served by an awesome author. More info about the bookshop here.
• Waterstones Middlesbrough will host story time sessions on Bookshop Day at 11:am – 3:00pm. More info here.
• Waterstones Liverpool will host a book signing with Miriam Margolyes on her new book Oh Miriam! on Saturday 14 October at 11:00am – 12:00am. More info here.
• Waterstones Manchester will host a story time session with fun-filled activities, featuring some special guests on Bookshop Day at 11:00am. More info here. You can also meet Geri Halliwell-Horner (Manchester Arndale) on Bookshop Day at 12:00pm to celebrate the release of Rosie Frost & the Falcon Queen. Tickets cost £7.99 and include a copy of the book. More info here.
• 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.

Midlands

• Waterstones Nottingham hosts Charlotte Lydia Riley as she discusses her new book Imperial Island. The book looks at the ways Britain’s former empire has had lasting effects in the country today, and how it continues to shape and divide Britain. Over the course of the book, she draws on research, personal letters, pop culture, and more to chart the fall and fallout of the British empire. Riley will talk about her new book, followed by an audience Q&A and book signing. This event occurs on Bookshop Day from 3:00pm-5:00pm. More info here.
• Dark Peak Books & Gifts (Glossop, Derbyshire) to host a book signing to celebrate the launch of Lamb by Glossop’s own Matt Hill on Saturday 14 October at 2:00pm – 4:00pm. More info here.

South of England

• Waterstones Reading invites children to come along to meet author of the bestselling Murder Most Unladylike series, Robin Stevens. She will be signing copies of The Body in the Blitz, the second book in her new series The Ministry of Unladylike Activity. The event happens on Bookshop Day at 11:00am. More info here.
• Waterstones Newport celebrate Maz Evans’ newest books. Oh Maya Gods is the first book from her spin-off to the bestselling Who Let the Gods Out Meanwhile, for adults, her book Over My Dead Body is a hilarious and sharp spin on a whodunnit mystery. There’s something for everyone at this event which takes places on Bookshop Day from 1:00pm -3:00pm. More info here.
• Waterstones Crawley invites readers to come along to meet author Tomi Oyemakinde, who will be in store signing copies of his debut YA horror novel, The Changing Man. This event takes place on Bookshop Day at 1:30pm. More info here.
• Waterstones Folkestone invites children to come along for a story time session where there will be a reading of the storybook Nanette’s Baguette by Mo Willems. The story time will take place on Bookshop Day at 10:30am. More info here.
• Waterstones Bluewater will be celebrating the publication of Richard Armitage’s debut thriller Geneva. Richard Armitage is an award-winning stage, screen and voice actor best known for his roles in The Hobbit, Alice Through the Looking Glass and Oceans 8. There will be a book signing where readers will get the chance to meet Armitage himself. This will take place on Bookshop Day at 11:00am. More info here.
• Waterstones Eastbourne invites author James Lovegrove to do a book signing for readers to tie in with the release of his latest instalment in his popular ‘Cthulhu Casebooks’The event will take place on Bookshop Day from 11:00am-12:00pm. More info here.
• Waterstones Piccadilly will host Tom Fletcher where children can come and chat to Tom about A Christmasaurus Carol. Tickets cost £14.99 which includes entry for one person and a copy of the book. Parents accompanying their children do not require a ticket. More info here.
• Waterstones Swindon to host a Q&A and book signing with Anna James for her Pages & Co series on Bookshop Day at 2:00om. More info here.
• Waterstones Exeter (Roman Gate) will host Hana Tooke for a book signing of The Midnighters on Saturday 14 October at 2:00pm. More info
• Waterstones Canterbury (Rose Lane) will host a book signing for Rosie Talbot for her young adult titles A Taste of Darkness on Bookshop Day at 2:30pm. More info here.
• Word on the Street (Ashtead, Surrey) to host a storytelling and draw along session with Zehra Hicks based on her new book When Dinosaurs Walked the Earth on Saturday 14 October at 2:30pm. This is aimed for children under 8 and tickets are free of charge and can be collected from the shop. More info
• Chorleywood (Richmansworth) and Gerrards Cross Bookshops (Gerrards Cross) will host a joint event in Amersham with renowned astronaut Chris Hadfield to celebrate the launch of his latest thriller The Defector. This will take place on Bookshop Day at 4:00pm – 5:00pm. More info here.
• First Draft Books (South Devon) are running a local author’s fair in Pavilions where people can meet local authors and find out more about their work – plus there’s a pop-up bookstore. This will take place on Bookshop Day at 10:00am – 3:00pm. More info here.
• Ottie and the Bea (Framlingham) to host a Pumpkin & Falling Leaves workshop with author Rob Ramsden and Kate Rolfe. There will be readings of We Planted A Pumpkin by Rob and Wolf and Bear by Kate, you can also make your own autumn garland to take home. This is for 3-7 year olds and the ticket price is redeemable against any book purchase on the day. This will take place on Bookshop Day at 10:30am. More info here.
• Owl and Pyramid Bookshop (Seaton) to host Tim Kendall and Fiona Mathews, whose book Black Ops and Beaver Bombing was shortlisted for this year’s Wainwright prize, for a chat and book signing. There will be prosecco, discounts and offers, children’s story time, adult and children’s quizzes, a pop-up crime fiction shop with local crime writers and a raffle for a bundle of books. This will take place at 4:30pm on Bookshop Day. More info here.
• Round Table Books (Brixton) will host an event at BRXTN Village Studios where a group of poets from Menopause: The Anthology as Arachne Press and Round Table Books performs poetry. Featuring poets Anne Eccleshall, Claire Booker, Clare Starling, JP Seabright, Kavita A Jindal, Kim Whysall-Hammond, Mary Mulholland and Tessa Lang, with editor Catherine Pestano. This will take place on Bookshop Day at 5:00pm. More info here.
• 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 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 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. They are also welcoming local author Alice Hemming to the shop for story time and a craft session based on the bestseller The Leaf Thief at 10:30am.
• 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. On Bookshop Day an author event with Ian Anderson about his book The History & Natural History of Spices will take place at 11:00am. More info here. An author talk will take place with Ken Rickwood about his book Colchester’s Shrub End: A History of a Manor, Village & Parish. More info here.

Scotland

• The Orcadian Bookshop (Orkney) will hold a book signing for Allyson Shaw and her book Ashes and Stones which has just been released in paperback on Bookshop Day at 10:30am – 12:30pm. More info here. They will also host a special story time reading to launch Salianne Smales’s new book The Smoozles Book 3 – The Curious Tale of… The Eye Blinks and The Selkie on Bookshop Day at 1:00pm. More info here. An exciting offer of double points for loyalty card holders will take place all day – 2 points for every £10 rather than 1.
• Heron & Willow (Jedburgh) to host a special free event to hear O. Morgan talk about their work on Bookshop Day at 7:00pm. More info here.
• Waterstones Stirling will be holding a book signing with Donna Ashworth for her new poetry collection Wild Hope on Bookshop Day at 11:00am. More info here.
• Waterstones Dundee will host a reading session on a selection of owl books this Bookshop Day at 11:30am. More info
• 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.

Wales

• Book-ish (Crickhowell) to host Karin Celestine in the Snug for a reading and sharing a sneak peek of their next book on Saturday 14 October at 11:30am. More info
• Waterstones Swansea will be joined by James Norbury who will be signing copies of The Cat Who Taught Zen and Big Panda and Tiny Dragon. More info

AUDIOBOOK OFFER

Libro.fm, the audiobook retailer and app that shares profits with local bookshops, is celebrating Bookshop Day with a special membership offer and audiobook sale.

They’re offering new members a free audiobook when they start a new membership using the promo code “BOOKSHOPLOVE”. They’re also running an audiobook sale from 2 October to 15 October with audiobooks at a special discount. This is perfect for all book-lovers who want to support bookshops, and especially people who enjoy audiobooks. More info 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.

CHOOSE BOOKSHOPS VIDEO

To celebrate Bookshop Day, the Booksellers Association will be releasing a video featuring a broad range of authors, including household names and debut writers, which will be shared on Books Are My Bag socials channels (Instagram, Twitter and Facebook) on Wednesday 11 October, 6pm.

CAMPAIGN ARTWORK

This year, the artwork for the Bookshop Day campaign has been commissioned from award-nominated illustrator Michaela Dias-Hayes. For the illustrations for the book Sunflower Sisters (Owlet Press, 2021), Michaela took inspiration from her part-Jamaican heritage and her former long term partner’s Indian family. For her first book as both author and illustrator, Colour and Me (Owlet Press, 2022), she took inspiration from conversations with her son. She loves to create accurately portrayed black and brown characters, inspired by her own family and experiences, and places them within stories that explore and celebrate black heritage in an accessible way for young readers.

Emma Bradshaw, Head of Campaigns at the BA, commented: “It’s wonderful to see such a full line-up for this year’s Bookshop

 Day. We’re looking forward to celebrating on Saturday 14 October and can’t wait to see the buzz around the country.. Thanks to the hard work of hundrends of brilliant booksellers, Bookshop Day is the perfect opportunity to get  personalised reccomendatiosn from booksellers, the experts in the field, and start your Christmas shopping early, bagging one (or two!) new releases at the time when the biggest books of the year are published.”

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