Bookshops across the UK and Ireland are preparing for a jam-packed Bookshop Day (Saturday 9th October) with author events by bestselling and debut writers; exciting bookshop exclusives; late night openings; poetry slams by local DJs; book club dinners; theatre performances; children’s storytelling; treasure hunts; and virtual events to bring book lovers together.

From in-person events with Raynor Winn, Lara Maiklem, Robin Ince, Ann Cleeves, Max Hastings and Amia Srinivasan, to a Limited-Edition Bag designed by Dapo Adeola available exclusively from bookshops, Bookshop Day is packed with reasons to visit your local bookshop.

With Christmas fast approaching, the Booksellers Association is encouraging customers to “Shop Early, Shop Local”, and to start thinking about their Christmas shopping from Bookshop Day, for a calmer and more relaxed festive season. Booksellers will be on hand to help customers choose the perfect gifts for their loved ones, both in-store and via their websites, phone or email.

BOOKSHOP EVENTS

Bookshop Day highlights this year include:

· Lara Maiklem, bestselling author of Mudlarking and the most recent A Field Guide to Larking, will be doing an event at Festival in a Factory in Stoke-on-Trent, with books provided by the local Waterstones, where you’ll be able to discover the treasures just beneath our feet, hidden in rivers, streams, fields, beaches and connect with people of the past through the everyday items left behind. More info here (Saturday 9th October, 11am).

· Robin Ince will be at Mount Florida Books in Glasgow on Bookshop Day as a part of his #100Bookshops tour to celebrate the release of his new book, The Importance of Being Interested. More info here (Saturday 9th October, 8pm).

· Nigel Warburton will interview Amia Srinivasan, the author of the recently-released Sunday Times bestseller The Right to Sex at Blackwell’s Oxford. More info here (Saturday 9th October, 11am).

· Max Hastings, in his signature brilliant style, will give a thrilling narrative of this little-known but crucial naval battle, retelling the intense action which perfectly encapsulates the spirit and power of the Royal Navy, as part of the Dorchester Literary Festival, with books provided by Waterstones. More info here (Saturday 9th October, 2pm).

· Raynor Winn, bestselling author of The Salt Path, will be doing an event as part of Dorchester Literary Festival, with books provided by Waterstones, where she will discuss his latest book, The Wild Silence, which tells the story of one couple’s inextricable connection to the land; and how by exploring their past, Raynor comes to terms with their future. More info here (Saturday 9th October, 4pm)

· Ann Cleeves, bestselling author of the Shetland, Vera and Two Rivers novels will be doing a signing at her local bookshop, The Bound in Whitley Bay, Northumberland (Saturday 9th October).

· Melissa Cummings-Quarry and Natalie A. Carter, authors of Grown: The Black Girls’ Guide to Glowing Up will be doing an event at the newly opened Book Haus Bristol. Founders of Black Girls’ Book Club will be sharing stories and offer honest, practical advice on how to own your choices, to live your truth without fear and to be grown on your own terms without limits or apologies. More info here (Saturday 9th October, 11am).

· Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre will be hosting a Kevin VS The Unicorns series of events at Max Minerva’s Marvellous Books in Bristol. More info here (Saturday 9th October, sessions at 10am, 10:45am, 11:30am).

· Graeme Macrae Burnet will be doing a mystery drop-in tour of bookshops in the North of England, starting at The Book Case, Hebden Bridge, to sign copies of Case Study and say hello.

· Phil Earl, author of When The Sky Falls, will be visiting over 20 bookshops in Lancashire and Yorkshire in the lead-up to Bookshop Day to sign copies of his book.

· Alexandra Page, debut author of the YA novel Wishyouwas, will be doing an in-store signing at The Rocketship Bookshop in Salisbury. More info here (Saturday 9th October, 11am).

· Joe Shute, author of Forecast: A Diary of the Lost Seasons, will be at Ilkley Lit Festival with books sold by The Grove Bookshop (Saturday 9th October).

· Really Big Pants will be performing at Pickled Pepper Books in Crouch End. The show will be Clare and Cory Share a (Glorious) Story with an accompanying longer form picture book, illustrated by the award-winning Steve Smallman. More info here here. (Saturday 9th October, 10-11:30am).

· The Book Nook in Stewarton is holding ‘Activities with Authors’ throughout Bookshop Day, where authors will be chatting to customers, signing books and doing specially planned activities. Authors include Petra Baillie, author and illustrator of a range of children’s books including Illustrate your Own books and The Strange and Wonderful Adventures of Pippa; Sharon Baillie, author of Magenta Opium; Jerry Brannigan, author of Robert Burns in Edinburgh; Lindsay Littleson, author of a range of children’s books including The Titanic Detective Agency, Secrets of the Last Merfolk and Guardians of the Lost Unicorns; and Hannah Willow, expert in mindfulness for children, author of Just Be (Saturday 9th October).

· Chicken and Frog Bookshop in Essex will be hosting a number of events throughout the week including a poetry slam hosted by local DJ and poet Stuart Pink (Thursday 7th October, 7:30pm), the book launch for Frankie Durkin’s latest release, followed by a Book Club dinner (Saturday 9th October) and an online event with Melissa Welliver, debut YA author of The Undying Tower (Sunday 10th October, 7pm).

· Owl and Pyramid Bookshop in Devon will be hosting a number of events to mark Bookshop Day, including a book treasure hunt for children, blind date with a book for adults and children, raffle for book bundles, adults and children, free £5 voucher with every spend over £35, 10% off any Christmas books, games and Christmas cards and the launch of their new loyalty system and subscription service.

· The Ivybridge Bookshop in Devon will be hosting children’s storytelling and activities with local authors including Clare Helen Welsh and Holly Ryan for a morning of stories featuring dragons, mermaids, pirates, princesses, owls, terns, peacocks and elephants! (Saturday 9th October, 10am).

· Truman Books in Leeds will be hosting a number of events, including a late-night shopping event with free glass of bubbles (Thursday 7th October) and storytime for under-fives, a kids writing and a drawing competition to win a £10 book token, a free tote bag with all purchases over £30 (Saturday 9th October).

· Picaresque Books & Galerie Fantoosh in Dingwall will be holding a “Gathering of Authors” for Bookshop Day, with local authors donating signed copies of their books to go for auction in aid of Book Aid. Local authors including Barbara Henderson, Helen Sedgwick and Brian Devlin will pop in the shop during the day (Saturday 9th October).