The Booksellers Association

The Booksellers Association The Booksellers Association is a membership organisation for booksellers in the UK & Ireland. Campaigns | Events | Policy | Member Services.

Supporting bookshops The Booksellers Association supports, represents, promotes, and celebrates bookshops and booksellers in the UK and Ireland.

šŸ“–Announcing our for June!In 1960s Italy, young Edith is sent to help her pregnant sister Lydia through the birth of a ...
01/06/2026

šŸ“–Announcing our for June!

In 1960s Italy, young Edith is sent to help her pregnant sister Lydia through the birth of a baby destined for adoption. Decades later in Ireland, a phone call from a man searching for his family forces Edith to confront the secrets of the past.

Ripeness is a sweeping, engrossing novel about familial love and the communities we create, about migration and new beginnings, and about what it is to have somewhere to belong, and has been chosen by independent booksellers as our šŸŒŠ

Available now from your local independent bookshop and via Bookshop.org UK!

šŸ“–Announcing our (Childrenā€™s) for June!A story about taking your shot and being brave enough to change the game.Eleven-...
01/06/2026

šŸ“–Announcing our (Childrenā€™s) for June!

A story about taking your shot and being brave enough to change the game.

Eleven-year-old Owen dreams of becoming a professional footballer, when he is offered a place at a Premier League academy, he thinks his dream might be coming true. But as he discovers the darker side of the game, Owen must decide whether to speak out or stay silent and protect his future.

The perfect read to the start of a World Cup summer, Strike has been chosen by chosen by independent booksellers as our , and is available to purchase from your local indie, and via Bookshop.org UK now! āš½

ā€œIā€™m an independent bookseller, but now as the president of the BA I represent all booksellers, not just indies but chai...
08/05/2026

ā€œIā€™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, childrenā€™s bookshops, everyone who is a member of the BA. Iā€™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.ā€

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 ā€“ 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.

šŸ”— Read the interview in the link in the comments.

šŸ“š The wait is over!Weā€™re delighted to share the Books Are My Bag 2026 Shortlist ā€” the only awards curated exclusively ...
08/05/2026

šŸ“š The wait is over!

Weā€™re delighted to share the Books Are My Bag 2026 Shortlist ā€” the only awards curated exclusively by independent bookshops.

Celebrating the very best paperback reads for summer, the shortlist includes four categories:

āœØ Fiction āœØ
Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis
Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
Muckle Flugga by Michael Pedersen
The Names by Florence Knapp
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

āœØ Non-Fiction āœØ
Careless People: A Story of Where I Used to Work by Sarah Wynn-Williams
Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane
Minority Rule: Adventures in the Culture War by Ash Sarkar
Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy
Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal: My Adventures in Neurodiversity by Robin Ince
The New Age of Sexism: How the AI Revolution is Reinventing Misogyny by Laura Bates

āœØ Childrenā€™s Fiction āœØ
Donut Squad: Make a Mess! by Neill Cameron
Finnā€™s Epic Fails by Phil Earle, illustrated by AL Murphy
Like a Brother by Nathanael Lessore
Crow: Thief of Magic by Fiona Dixon
Quill and the Last Generation by C. M. Lewis, illustrated by Marina Vidal
Tiny Hercules by Jon Lock and Nich Angell

āœØ Picture Book āœØ
Fox and the Mystery Letter by Alex G Griffiths
Frank and Bert: The One Where Bert is Scared of Frogs by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros
Hank Meets Frank by Maudie Powell-Tuck, illustrated by Duncan Beedie
Mouse by the Sea by Alice Melvin
Seven Babies by Forest Xiao
We Grew a Dragon by Emma Chinnery

Each title highlights the vital role independent booksellers play in championing the stories they love.

šŸ”— Find out more about the shortlisted titles via the link in our bio.

šŸ“ Available from your local independent bookshop.

šŸ† The winners will be announced on Thursday 18 June, during (13ā€“20 June).

Huge congratulations to all the shortlisted authors, illustrators, and publishers!

Photography: Emma Matthews

šŸ“–Announcing our for May!What if being a bit weird is actually entirely normal? What if sharing our internal struggles ...
01/05/2026

šŸ“–Announcing our for May!

What if being a bit weird is actually entirely normal? What if sharing our internal struggles wasnā€™t a sign of weakness, but strength?

Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal by Robin Ince has been chosen by independent booksellers as our ā­

A powerful, personal exploration of anxiety, ADHD and neurodiversity, Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal reminds us all ā€“ no matter how weird we feel ā€“ that itā€™s okay to be a little different. We all are.

Available now from your local independent bookshop and via Bookshop.org UK



Pan Macmillan

šŸ“–Announcing our (Childrenā€™s) for May!Seahorse is having a bad day, in a terrible week, in an awful ocean. He woke up w...
01/05/2026

šŸ“–Announcing our (Childrenā€™s) for May!

Seahorse is having a bad day, in a terrible week, in an awful ocean. He woke up wrong and stubbed his tail and everything is wet!

So don't tell him funny stories or give him a hug, and DEFINITELY don't give him his favourite snacks on his special plateā€¦

Because Seahorse is furious and there is NOTHING you can do about it. Or is there...?

Seahorse is Furious by Morag Hood is available from your local independent bookshop and via Bookshop.org UK now! šŸŖø

Simon Kids UK; Morag Hood - Author & Illustrator

The Jhalak Prize has announced the shortlist for its tenth anniversary year. Across three categories ā€“ Childrenā€™s & YA, ...
17/04/2026

The Jhalak Prize has announced the shortlist for its tenth anniversary year. Across three categories ā€“ Childrenā€™s & YA, Prose, and Poetry ā€“ the awards celebrate the creativity, imagination, and scholarly excellence of writers of colour in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

For the sixth year, the awards are proudly partnered with National Book Tokens, providing booksellers with support to showcase these exceptional titles to their local communities.

Find out how you can support the in your bookshop, including a free point of sale kit, digital assets, and printable posters by clicking on the link in the comments.

Plus, find out how you can become a Jhalak Prize Bookshop Partner. ā¬‡ļøšŸ“š

šŸ“ˆšŸ“š Want clearer insight into your bookshop?BAseline is a FREE, confidential business comparison tool for UK independent ...
10/04/2026

šŸ“ˆšŸ“š Want clearer insight into your bookshop?

BAseline is a FREE, confidential business comparison tool for UK independent booksellers with physical shops.

āœ” Compare your performance with the independent sector
āœ” Receive a bespoke report with actionable insights
āœ” Get free mentoring support if you need help

Available to BA members trading since 1 January 2025.

Data is analysed by NielsenIQ BookData and handled in strict confidence.

šŸ—“ļø Deadline: 29 May 2026

šŸ“–Announcing our (Childrenā€™s) for April!Itā€™s another busy day at the ant hill. The farmer ants are collecting food, the...
01/04/2026

šŸ“–Announcing our (Childrenā€™s) for April!

Itā€™s another busy day at the ant hill. The farmer ants are collecting food, the worker ants are building tunnels and the soldier ants are guarding the queen. But for Andy, itā€™s a very special day: it's his birthday! Word spreads for his "small gathering" and, in no time at all, thousands of ants arrive to bust their best moves and tuck into dips. But as the party gets into full swing an unwanted guest arrives... The ants must work together to save the day (and the dips!) in this charming, original picture book comedy that will empower even the shyest of us all to shine and make a differencešŸœšŸŽŠ

Ant Party by Ross Montgomery and illustrated by Sarah Warburton is available from your local independent bookshop and via Bookshop.org UK now!

Walker Books

šŸ“–Announcing our for April!A one woman showA one night standA one star reviewBring the House Down by Charlotte Runcie h...
01/04/2026

šŸ“–Announcing our for April!

A one woman show
A one night stand
A one star review

Bring the House Down by Charlotte Runcie has been chosen by independent booksellers as our šŸŽ­

Funny and thrilling, Bring the House Down gives you a front row seat to the downfall of the people who tell us what to think. It's about art, performance, female rage, and how while revenge may be sweet, it can also be perilousā€¦

Available now from your local independent bookshop and via Bookshop.org UK!

HarperCollins Publishers UK

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London

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Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+442074214640

Website

https://www.booksellers.org.uk/

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