Competition to celebrate one millionth BAMB supporter

Book lovers in the UK and Ireland are being given the chance to win a bundle of prizes, donated from across the books industry, in celebration of annual bookshop campaign Books Are My Bag this year reaching one million supporters, after issuing its one millionth tote bag. 

The #OneInAMillion competition is offering various prizes, including a one-off Orla Kiely leather bag, designed in the style of her Books Are My Bag tote bag with the Books Are My Bag logo inside; £250 in National Book Tokens; a "golden ticket" to Hay Festival; and a variety of signed special editions and other treats donated by publishers.

For first prize, an afternoon tea at Claridges, London Zoo tickets and a copy of Zoo Quest is up for grabs, courtesy of Hachette; while, from Penguin Random House, Puffin is offering a rare print signed by Quentin Blake and, from Vintage, a collection of Vintage Classics Dickens and a special edition of The Handmaid’s Tale (Vintage). Pan Macmillan is meanwhile donating a signed first-edition copy of Sparsholt Affair by Alan Hollinghurst and a set of Pan Macmillan 70th Anniversary edition books. 

From Bloomsbury, first prize also takes home a signed Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World print by Kate Pankhurst (Bloomsbury), and, from Faber, a limited-edition copy of Alan Bennett’s Keeping on Keeping On, a book that retails at £200.

For second and third place, a range of other new books "expected to be bestsellers this Christmas", such as Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King (Hachette), Nigella Lawson’s new cookbook, At My Table (Vintage) and Down to Earth: Gardening Wisdom by Monty Don (DK), are also ready to be won.

Bookshop lovers will have until 7th November to enter the competition, with the winners being revealed on 25th November, when bookshops across the country will offer a Saturday Sanctuary as respite from the business of daily life.

Meryl Halls, head of membership services at the Booksellers Association, said: “Reaching our one millionth supporter is a hugely exciting milestone, and we’re delighted to be able to show our thanks to bookshop lovers across the UK and Ireland with this fabulous prize. It is wonderful to see the book industry coming together to support bookshops with the amazing prizes they have donated. We wish everyone the best of luck, and look forward to hearing all about our supporters’ favourite bookshops.”

Orla Kiely added: “I am so happy to have collaborated with the Bookseller’s Association. As a great lover of books and bookshops, nothing gives me more pleasure than discovering a new book, whether it’s a beautiful edition on a new favourite photographer, a great novel or a rare out of print edition. There is nothing more relaxing, inspiring or stimulating than reading and losing oneself in another world. We should all take time to read and importantly, to encourage our children to love books.”