Twelve bookshops around Ireland selected for the ‘An Post Bookshop of the Year’ longlist
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Twelve bookshops across the country have been longlisted for the ‘An Post Bookshop of the Year’ category at this year’s An Post Irish Book Awards, the annual literary event that celebrates and promotes Irish writing and authors to the widest range of readers possible.
The ‘An Post Bookshop of the Year’ category was introduced last year to acknowledge the significant role played by independent bookshops and local branches of bookshop chains in helping their local communities to find and savour the titles of their choice. Kenny’s Bookshop in Galway was crowned the overall winner in 2021.
The longlist of twelve bookshops around Ireland for 2022 are:
Customers were asked to vote for their favourite bookshops and to explain the reason for their choice. The bookshops that received the most votes were then longlisted and invited by the judges to enter a written submission.
Mystery shoppers will now visit the twelve bookshops as part of the judging process to establish the shortlist of six bookshops. The shortlist will be officially announced on the 20th October. The overall winner of the ‘An Post Bookshop of the Year’ category will then be announced at the An Post Irish Book Awards Ceremony on November 23rd. The winner will receive a trophy along with a prize worth €5,000 from An Post Commerce.
The annual An Post Irish Book Awards bring together a huge community passionate about books, including readers, authors, booksellers, publishers and librarians, celebrating and recognising the very best of new and established Irish writing talent on offer. Other categories in the An Post Irish Book Awards include Novel of the Year, Children’s (Junior and Senior), Cookery, Crime Fiction, Popular Fiction, Non-fiction, Sports, Short Story, Poetry, Teen and Young Adult and Irish Language.
Brendan Corbett, Chairperson of the An Post Irish Book Awards, says:
“Bookshops sit at the heart of their communities’ cultural and social lives, and we introduced this category last year to acknowledge the important contribution they make to not only their communities and readers, but the significant role they play in the Irish book business. The holy trinity of bookshops, writers and readers is a wonderful alliance we should all support, and that’s why I’m delighted to see twelve such deserving bookshops on the longlist.”
Aoife Roantree, Chair of Bookselling Ireland, says:
“What a great longlist! It’s really wonderful to see booksellers who work every day to connect readers with books they'll love getting recognition for what they are so passionate about. They all work so hard to foster a love of reading among everyone – including children and those new to the world of literature – as well as supporting great new writing and illustrating talent. They play a significant role in our society and it’s great to be able to give them the credit they truly deserve.”
Commenting on the important role bookshops play in local communities, David McRedmond, CEO of An Post, says:
“Our local bookshops are an essential and vibrant part of local communities. Great booksellers and good books help us all through the best and worst of times in our lives. This award recognises their business acumen, creativity and human touch in reaching and connecting with their customers.”
The shortlist for all categories in the An Post Irish Book Awards 2022 will be announced on Thursday 20 October, while the winners will be announced on Wednesday 23 November. A television programme will be broadcast on RTÉ One television in December and will culminate in one of the 2022 winning titles being announced as the ‘An Post Irish Book of the Year 2022’.
An Post is also continuing with their hugely successful #ReadersWanted campaign, celebrating the value and joy of reading and encouraging everyone to pick up more books, more often. Simply search for the hashtag online to get involved.
Twelve bookshops around Ireland selected for the ‘An Post Bookshop of the Year’ longlist