Books Are My Bag

Books Are My Bag Books Are My Bag is a year-round campaign, run
by The Booksellers Association to celebrate bookshops in the UK & Ireland.

Books Are My Bag is a year-round campaign, run by the Booksellers Association, to celebrate bookshops across the UK and Ireland.

Meet The Bakery Dragon by Devin Elle Kurtz, our August Children's 🧁 🐉When Ember, a tiny dragon with a heart of gold, ...
01/08/2026

Meet The Bakery Dragon by Devin Elle Kurtz, our August Children's 🧁 🐉

When Ember, a tiny dragon with a heart of gold, befriends a baker, he discovers that making and sharing kindness is worth far more than stealing treasure. Bursting with magic, mouth-watering treats and charming illustrations, this heartwarming picture book is a joyful celebration of generosity, friendship and finding your own way. ✨

Chosen by independent booksellers across the UK and Ireland, stop by your favourite local indie to pick up your copy, or support them online at . Click the link in our bio for more information🔗

Discover All the Lives She Lived by Nathalie Abi-Ezzi, our August 📚Spanning Birmingham, Baghdad and Beirut, this sweep...
01/08/2026

Discover All the Lives She Lived by Nathalie Abi-Ezzi, our August 📚

Spanning Birmingham, Baghdad and Beirut, this sweeping historical novel follows Doris as a life-changing family secret sends her on an unforgettable journey to uncover the truth about her past. Richly evocative and deeply moving, it's a story of identity, belonging and the lives that shape us.

Chosen by independent booksellers across the UK and Ireland, pick up your copy from your local independent bookshop today, or click the link in our bio for more information💙

31/07/2026

This week, we're thrilled to highlight our latest Bookseller Stories - welcome to The Common Press, based in Shoreditch in East London. Co-directors Aisha Shaibu-Lenoir and Freddie Merry Ruddock, are joined by senior bookseller Gabi to tell us about this q***r, intersectional bookshop and cafe, which focuses on inclusivity and community interest, for people to find a safe space to find books and connect with others.

Throughout 2026, we're visiting bookshops across the UK and Ireland, to showcase how these vital places are bringing their communities together, and helping new and established readers discover the perfect book, to celebrate the National Year of Reading with Go All In 2026

Watch this space for more gorgeous bookshop content, and let us know in the comments which bookshops you visit regularly that inspire your tbr pile! Whatever you're into, there's a bookshop for you. Just ask your local bookseller.

This July/August issue of Booktime is out now!Including interviews from authors of:✨The Game Changers by Helen Rutter (S...
30/07/2026

This July/August issue of Booktime is out now!

Including interviews from authors of:

✨The Game Changers by Helen Rutter (Scholastic) - a super choose-your-own adventure story for kids

✨The Scandalous Ladies Football Club by Frances Quinn (Simon & Schuster) - a novel about a female football club in the late 19th century

✨Summerween by Joss Wood (One More Chapter) - a fun summer romance novel set in a spooky town

✨The Residency by C.D. Major (Canelo) - a gripping Gothic thriller set on a remote Scottish island

✨Maya & Maryley and the New Friend by Laura Henry-Allain & Yabaewah Scott (Ladybird) - a picture book about kindness and inclusivity

✨Henry Tudor: The Incredible Diaries of Me! by Danny Wallace (Simon & Schuster Children's) - a fun reimagining of Henry VIII's childhood

✨Scaredy Cat by Alex Falase-Koya & Ken Wilson-Max (Oxford University Press) - an inspirational picture book story of a boy and a cat

✨Cryptids by Tamara Macfarlane & Valentino Lasso (DK Children) - an intriguing, illustrated exploration of cryptozoology

And many more!

Which ones will you add to your reading list?

📍Available from your local independent bookshop now.

Our June picks, beautifully showcased by some brilliant independent bookshops, and the wonderful booksellers who sele...
28/07/2026

Our June picks, beautifully showcased by some brilliant independent bookshops, and the wonderful booksellers who selected them

📚 Indie Book of the Month: The Compound by Aisling Rawle

📚Indie Book of the Month (Children’s): And Now We Run by Nicola Penfold

Pop into your favourite indie, or shop online via Bookshop.org UK to grab your copies!

Our July Indie Books of the Month, handpicked by independent bookshops!📚 Indie Book of the Month: The Compound by Aislin...
17/07/2026

Our July Indie Books of the Month, handpicked by independent bookshops!

📚 Indie Book of the Month: The Compound by Aisling Rawle

“The Compound is thrilling, intelligent, and impossible to stop thinking about. It turns the language of reality television into something darkly literary, exposing vanity, loneliness, power, and performance with piercing precision. It’s addictive entertainment with real emotional and cultural bite.” – Gracie, Nantwich Bookshop and Coffee Lounge.

📚Indie Book of the Month (Children’s): And Now We Run by Nicola Penfold

"And Now We Run will leave you truly breathless! Nicola Penfold skilfully weaves the impact of climate change and the power of nature into this survival story. At its heart it is a story of courage and friendship, as well as not giving up in the face of adversity." – Abigail, Spellbound In Sandwich

📍Available from independent bookshops and via Bookshop.org UK now. Click the link in our bio to find out more!

10/07/2026

🌵 Discover The Compound by Aisling Rawle, selected by independent booksellers as July's !

Hear Aisling introduce her remarkable debut and find out why this unforgettable novel is a must-read this summer.

📖 Pick up a copy from your local independent bookshop or order through Bookshop.org UK , now available in audio!

and tap the link in our bio for more information.

07/07/2026

🏔️🌧️ In this exclusive video, Nicola Penfold introduces And Now We Run, Children’s for July!

With a special shout-out to Pickled Pepper Books, Nicola shares her excitement at seeing the book featured in independent bookshops across the UK and Ireland this month.

📖 Support your local bookshop by picking up a copy of And Now We Run, or shop online through Bookshop.org UK

🔗 Click the link in our bio for more details and remember to .

We’re excited to be working with the Jack Arts team once again on our City Spotlight activity. This year will see two lo...
07/07/2026

We’re excited to be working with the Jack Arts team once again on our City Spotlight activity. This year will see two local artists creating bespoke bookshop murals at two sites in Birmingham, from Monday 5 October. This year’s artists are UUendy Lau and Joshua Billingham, known professionally as Gent 48. Mural sites will be confirmed shortly.

We are thrilled to reveal that Jane Foster designed this year’s Limited-Edition Bag (available to purchase from your loc...
07/07/2026

We are thrilled to reveal that Jane Foster designed this year’s Limited-Edition Bag (available to purchase from your local bookshop from Bookshop Day, 10th October). Jane is a children’s illustrator living in Devon. Completely self-taught, Jane has had 36 books published over the past 11 years. Jane’s designs have appeared in Ikea and John Lewis, and she was chosen to create the illustrations for Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day. Her work is influenced by the simple designs of Dick Bruna, 1960s Scandinavian ceramics, and vintage fabrics.

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