Bloomsbury joins with BA and others to support bookshop reopening

Bloomsbury Publishing is championing the reopening of bookshops across the country, including from 12th April in England and Wales and 26th April in Scotland and Northern Ireland, working with the Booksellers Association in encouraging consumers to #ChooseBookshops.

A video, set to be released on 12th April, features authors from across Bloomsbury’s list—including Khaled Hosseini, Madeline Miller, Ann Patchett, Greg James and Tom Kerridge—encouraging readers to visit bricks-and-mortar shops.

Nigel Newton, Bloomsbury founder and chief executive, said: “This past year has taught us to be grateful for many things, and bookshops are one of them... we need bookshops more than ever before.”

Bloomsbury has also created a bespoke microsite curated for the high street bookseller, featuring titles published during this latest lockdown. Accessible with a one click web-link, the microsite enables booksellers to access special offers including signed copies, bookplates, POS, and opportunities to request virtual or physical author-led events.

Bloomsbury authors Esther Freud and Ben Bailey Smith will be championing Independent Bookshop Week in June as part of Bloomsbury’s campaign to support bookshops. And for the first time in its history, Bloomsbury has shifted Harry Potter Night, previously hosted across the country in February, to fall in Independent Bookshop Week, on Thursday 24th June. The company will be supporting the event with exclusive kits for all bookshops and schools.

Kathleen Farrar, managing director of Group Sales and Marketing, said: "Bookshops are a lifeline to so many people for so many different reasons. Bloomsbury, alongside our authors, are delighted to support the Booksellers Association’s #ChooseBookshops campaign because we miss bookshops, we love bookshops and we need bookshops now more than ever."

Widespread support for bookshops has come from publishers, including Canongate, HarperCollins, Hachette, PRH, S&S and Pan Mac, with further details on initiatives to be announced.

PRH said it would use the hashtags #BookshopsAreBack and #ChooseBookshops to celebrate bookshops across its social channels and website; Hachette will sponsor Independent Bookshop Week, and release a series of videos.

S&S is using #ChooseBookshops on its new title announcements online, in addition to publishing special and signed editions. Canongate and Faber indicated they would also adopt the hashtag ahead of the reopenings.