Independent Bookshop Week to go ahead in June

The Booksellers Association (BA) has confirmed that Independent Bookshop Week will go ahead as planned from 20th to 27th June, sponsored by Hachette UK.

This year's week-long celebration of the UK and Ireland's indies will focus on their resilient spirit during the current crisis with virtual author events, online story times, Twitter chats and more.

Members of the public will be encouraged to support their local high street by choosing an indie bookshop when making a book purchase during the week.

The campaign will include indies across the UK and Ireland being “twinned” with independent publishers, as a way of underlining how small businesses are supporting each other at the moment.

To help book lovers find reading inspiration the shortlist for the Indie Book Awards will be announced on 15th May and the winners will be revealed on 26th June, the penultimate day of Independent Bookshop Week. Further events will be announced in the coming weeks.

Emma Bradshaw, head of Campaigns at the BA, said: “Independent Bookshop Week 2020 may not be taking the form we imagined, but as bookshops across the UK and Ireland have demonstrated during the past months: where there is a will, there is a way. We look forward to revealing plans for this year’s IBW, and to working with publishers and authors on supporting bookshops, while tapping into their communities to bring books to readers. In the current landscape people are turning to books for escapism, entertainment and education, and we hope that IBW will help to remind book-lovers how important it is to support their local high street by choosing a bookshop when they buy a book.”

Publishers and bookshops are invited to contact Bradshaw to confirm their plans, by emailing emma.bradshaw@booksellers.org.uk.

There will also be further updates on social media via @booksaremybag and #IndieBookshopWeek.