Pan Mac virtual author tour to support bookshops

Pan Mac authors will embark on a 10-day virtual tour of high street bookshops this month with writers including Kate Mosse (pictured), Ann Cleeves and Prue Leith focusing on stores that mean something to them personally.

The Virtually Together campaign aims to support booksellers during the coronavirus crisis, highlighting ways to help their business, and will run from 19th to 28th May. It will see authors across Bluebird, Pan, Picador and MCB imprints embark on a virtual trip across the UK and Ireland, with a different author each day highlighting the work of a particular bookshop.

Interactive panel discussions with writers, headline author events, Twitter Q&As and poetry readings will take place. Adult events will take place during the week while events for children and teenagers will be held at the weekend.

Events will be covered across the digital channels of each day's chosen retailer, those of the authors and Pan Macmillan's own channels.

Confirmed authors taking part include Lin Anderson, Brian Bilston, Laura Brand, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Fiona Cummins, Adam Hamdy, Frances Hardinge, Mariam Khan, Mary Paulson-Ellis and Laura Shepherd-Robinson. Each will choose a bookshop that means something to them, with the opportunity for the Pan Mac sales team to also match-make authors and booksellers.

Stores involved so far include Jaffe & Neale, Edinburgh Bookshop, Bookish Crickhowell, Nantwich, Goldsboro, Alligator's Mouth and Chorleywood Bookshop.

Pan Mac m.d. Anthony Forbes Watson said: "The aim of this tour is to draw attention to high street booksellers, acknowledging their importance to us all, the job they're doing, the challenges they face, and how we can help. We want to support bookshops across the UK and Ireland, those who are able to trade and those who can't, for whatever reason.

“Each bookshop partner will be asked what will help them the most during this time. Customers can be asked to buy a book, a gift voucher to be used in the shop post-lockdown, to make a donation or to simply raise awareness of how important our high-street bookshops are to their communities. Matching a particular bookshop with a passionate author conveys the message that each bookshop is special, in its own way.”