ATTENTION ALL READERS AND BOOKWORMS, the hunt is on to find Ireland’s most loved bookshop.
The An Post Bookshop of the Year award celebrates the role of independent bookshops and local branches of bookshop chains in promoting literature within communities.
Bookshop customers across Ireland have until midday tomorrow to nominate their favourite bookshop, which can be done or An Post website or by scanning the QR code displayed on posters in participating bookshops.
Public online voting will determine the 12 long listed Irish bookshops.
These shops will then be invited to enter a written submission and will also receive visits from mystery shoppers.
In October, the judges will narrow the field down to a shortlist of six finalists.
The winner of the ‘An Post Bookshop of the Year’ will be announced on the 1 December at the Post Irish Book Awards ceremony in Dublin’s convention centre.
The champion will walk away with a trophy and a €5,000 prize from An Post Commerce.
Kennys Bookshop in Galway is a previously won the award. alamy
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This is the sixth year the best bookshop category has been included in the awards.
Other categories include Novel of the Year, Children’s (Junior and Senior), Crime Fiction, Popular Fiction, Non-Fiction, Sports, Short Story, Poetry, Teen and Young Adult and Irish Language.
Previous winners of the best shop are Kennys Bookshop and Art Gallery in Galway, Halfway Up the Stairs in Greystones, Co Wicklow and Chapters Bookstore in Dublin.
Maria Dickenson, Chair of Bookselling Ireland said “Our bookshops are such an important pillar of community life across Ireland, creating welcoming spaces where people can discover their next favourite book, meet like-minded readers and connect with the stories and authors that matter to them”.
Commenting on the role of bookshops, Garrett Bridgeman, Managing Director of An Post added the award is “about recognising the passion, expertise and dedication of booksellers who work tirelessly to foster a love of reading in their local communities”.
“We are proud to support this award and encourage readers across the country to champion the bookshop that has made a difference to them and get voting”, Bridgeman said.
Voting details can be found here