08/05/2026
“I’m an independent bookseller, but now as the president of the BA I represent all booksellers, not just indies but chains, radical bookshops, specialist bookshops, genre bookshops, children’s bookshops, everyone who is a member of the BA. I’ve heard perspectives from all of those bookshops and booksellers regarding change, and the most live issue and a potential existential threat to high street bookselling is business rates.”
Thank you to The Bookseller magazine for interviewing our new President Debbie James of Kibworth Books and for discussing the pressing policy issues impacting bookshops today.
Bookshops play a vital role in their local communities, and despite repeated calls from the Booksellers Association, the government has not reconsidered business rates for bookshops in England.
Bookshops contribute significantly to the local and national culture, and to the reading for pleasure mission – yet are being penalised with the hiking of business rates, at the time of a government-backed reading campaign.
During the National Year of Reading 2026, more needs to be done by governments across the UK to support our members so they can continue to serve as important cultural hubs within their communities.
đź”— Read the interview in the link in the comments.
