Are you ready for the first ever nationwide Independent Bookstore Day?
Building on the success of last year’s inaugural California Bookstore Day, independent bookstores across the country are getting ready for this day of celebration.
And why not – after a brutal run that saw more than half our independent bookshops wiped out things have stabilized and a glimmer of hope has returned and seems to be getting brighter.
Over 400 bookstores are part of the festivities and there is plenty of cool swag being produced for this special day.
From signed prints by graphic novelist Chris Ware and Captain Underpants creator Dav Pilkey, to a Roz Chast designed tote bag, to a signed collection of essays by “Bad Feminist” Roxane Gay, to my favorite which is a box of Books about Books with Independent-Bookstore-Day-only editions of Shadow of the Wind; 84 Charring Cross Road; The Borrower; and The Bookman’s Tale in a well designed, reusable tin with lid.
One of the better quotes about the goings on comes from Seattle’s Open Books co-owner John Marshall who told The Stranger:
“We feel a bond with other indies…Heck, Amazon has even made Barnes & Noble seem like a relative—what dark magic does that? We are pleased to celebrate shared DNA with our sibling stores.”
Here are the posters for the New York and California celebrations and a trailer for California Bookstore Day courtesy of Pegasus Books.
Click here to view the embedded video.
