Bookshop.org kicks off virtual events programme with Ishiguro

Bookshop.org is to launch a series of online events for its customers, partnering with Faber to deliver a conversation with Kazuo Ishiguro and indie bookseller Nic Bottomley for the inaugural event.

Book buyers will receive a free ticket when they purchase a book at any independent bookshop or on Bookshop.org. For the e-commerce platform's first event, supporting independent bookshops will partner with Faber for an evening with Kazuo Ishiguro. Celebrating the publication of Ishiguro’s new novel, Klara and the Sun, the event will be hosted by Nic Bottomley, co-founder of indie bookshop Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights in Bath, and will take place on 23rd March, from 7 p.m.

Any indie bookshop that wishes to take part - whether they are registered with Bookshop.org or not - will be able to send a link to customers who have purchased Klara and the Sun so that they can join the event for free. All customers that purchase the novel via Bookshop.org will be sent the free event link.

Nicole Vanderbilt, m.d. at Bookshop.org UK, said: “We are continually looking at how we can develop our offering to support the independent bookselling community. We have worked closely with independent bookshops to develop this approach for our online events, recognising that many already work with publishers to create incredible opportunities for readers to connect with writers. We believe our events will help indies both to sell more books and to deepen their relationships with their customers. By making tickets free to all independent bookshop customers, whether they are Bookshop.org users or not, we hope to encourage book buyers to choose indie bookshops, no matter how they choose to buy from them. We’re delighted to be working with Faber on our first event, which shares our dedication to supporting the entire indie community.”

Authors for future events will be selected by the Bookshop.org team, with publishers invited to submit authors for consideration. Details of future virtual author events will be announced in the coming months.