Bookshop Day, organised by the Booksellers Association, is back on Saturday 12th October 2024 – and this year, the celebrations will include the creation of two bespoke bookshop murals, set to appear on sites on St Enoch Square and Blythewood Street in Glasgow city centre.
Bookshop Day, which celebrates all bookshops on our high streets – participating retailers include Waterstones, Foyles, Blackwell’s and numerous independent bookshops – runs on the second Saturday in October each year. This year the event’s theme is “Bookshops Making a Difference”.
Celebrations in approximately 1000 bookshops across the country will include a spotlight on Glasgow, a brand new campaign video featuring high-profile authors, the launch of the 2024 Limited-Edition Bag and much more.
Bookshop Day aims to remind customers of the value of their local bookshop, and that they are the perfect places to kick start their Christmas gift-buying, and comes hot on the heels of a new report from the Booksellers Association commissioned by Arts Council England, about the cultural and social impact, and value of England’s independent bookshops.
The aim of the research project was to determine how independent bookshops enrich the cultural and social lives of their communities, as well as identifying enablers and barriers, so that this contribution can be strengthened across the bookselling cohort. The research sought to measure and record the ways in which bookshops deliver the key aims of Arts Council England’s Let’s Create10-year strategy. Central to that is maximising the opportunities for communities in every part of the country to experience, enjoy and celebrate culture.
The report, published last month, found 92% of independent bookshops run activities and events for their local communities, including author events, 50% as many as 20 plus events per year. 48% of indies organise book fairs at schools and 45% organise for authors to go into local schools, while 65% support local literary, music and arts festivals. Nearly four in ten bookshops organise creative writing/writing workshops.
More support would, however, be welcomed. 78% of bookshops see grants and funding as a key enabler to sustain their role in the community, 71% would like straightforward access to funds for events and activities, and would like more support from publishers to run events.
Bookshop Day 2024 Plans
A major part of this year’s Bookshop Day promotion that should hopefully attract wider press attention launches on Monday 7th October, when, in collaboration with Jack Arts, local artists Jacqueline Briggs and Jack Stamp will begin work on two bespoke bookshop murals which will appear on sites on St Enoch Square and Blythewood Street in Glasgow city centre.
This year’s Bookshop Day campaign artwork was created by the award-winning author and illustrator Sophy Henn, best known for the much-loved Bad Nana series, the Pom Pom series, the Ted board book series, and the nonfiction titles Lifesize and Lifesize Dinosaurs, among others. Sophy was the World Book Day Illustrator in 2015 and 2016.
Just some of the many author events and activities taking place on Bookshop Day across the UK include a children’s bookshop takeover at the The Blue House Bookshop, with the bookshop being run by children from 10.00am until 12 noon, with authors signing, special cakes and members of their creative writing courses bringing family and friends to show them why they love books. Gnash Comic & Graphic Novels, First Draft Books, The East Gate Bookshop and The Ivy Bridge Bookshop are all participating bookshops in a planned South Devon Bookshop Crawl.
The Rocketship Bookshop in Salisbury will be joined by author and illustrator Kristina Stephenson for two craft sessions to promote her event at Salisbury Arts Centre on 1st November. With Halloween and the spooky season approaching, join them as Kristina shows you how to make your own Monster in a Jar!
There are plenty of other Bookshop Day activities around the country, some listed here on the Booksellers Association web site. Find out what events and offers are available from your local bookshop by signing up to Caboodle.
ssociation will be releasing a video featuring a number of authors, including household names, debut writers, and illustrators, which will be shared on Books Are My Bag socials channels – @booksaremybag on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube – on Wednesday 9th October at 6.00pm
Jack Stamp is an illustrator and designer from Edinburgh. He’s interested in comic and editorial illustration, graphic poster and book cover design. His work involves combining traditional hand drawn illustration, in pencil or ink, with clean digital shapes and bold colours to create striking imagery.
Jacqueline Briggs has created a number of public artworks and enjoys exploring socially engaged art across a variety of different mediums and working with underrepresented communities in the Highlands. Inspired by her contrasting Papua New Guinean and Scottish heritage, her interest in people and culture is represented throughout her work particularly through her bold use of colour and humour.
Angela Harding created the artwork for this year’s Books Are My Bag Limited-Edition Bag. Angela has illustrated Simon Armitage’s collection of poems, Blossomise, and created an illustrated version of Isabella Tree’s bestselling book, Wilding. She has also created the covers for a number of books and illustrated RSPB Birds by Miranda Krestovnikoff, which was long listed for the Klaus Fugge prize and October, October by Karyn Balen, winner of the Yoto Carnegie Medal. She has published two books with Sphere: A Year Unfolding in 2021 and Wild Light in 2022. Angela’s unique and distinctive style has become recognisable to nature lovers and book lovers alike, gaining her a huge number of fans who flock to buy her merchandise, including calendars, cards, jigsaws and tote bags. Her new book, Still Waves & Wild Waters, was published by Sphere last month.
On and around Bookshop Day, Angela will be illustrating bookshop windows with vinyls and hand-drawn elements, and signing books in the following bookshops: Edge of the World Bookshop (Cornwall) on Friday 27th September at 1.00pm; Maldon Books (Essex) on Saturday 5th October; and Suddenly on Sheaf Street (Daventry) on Bookshop Day, 10.00am – 3.00pm.
Web Links
• Follow the latest developments for Bookshop Day on social media: #BookshopDay @booksaremybag
• Find out what events and offers are available from your local bookshop by signing up to Caboodle
• To mark Bookshop Day – online at booksaremybag.com – the Booksellers Association will be releasing a video featuring a number of authors, including household names, debut writers, and illustrators, which will be shared on Books Are My Bag socials channels – @booksaremybag on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube – on Wednesday 9th October at 6.00pm | More Books Are My Bag links on Linktree
• Find Jack Stamp online at jackstamp.co.uk or on Instagram @jack_stamp_art
• Follow Jacqueline Briggs on Instagram @jacquelinebriggsart
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The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
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