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Celebrity booksellers help find your perfect #bookmatch this National Bookshop Day

Announcement posted by Australian Booksellers Association 10 Aug 2016

Alan Brough, Maxine Beneba Clarke, Annabel Crabb, Brooke Davis, Jeff Duff, Nikki Gemmell, Richard Glover, Anita Heiss, Hannah Kent, Garth Nix, Dave O’Neil, Michael Robotham, William McInnes and more
SATURDAY 13 AUGUST, AUSTRALIA: NATIONAL BOOKSHOP DAY 

Bookshops flourish despite former Small Business Minister, Nick Sherry’s declaration in 2011 ‘in five years, other than a few specialty bookshops in capital cities, you will not see a bookstore. They will cease to exist.’

Australians love their local and Independent bookshops so much that sales are on the rise. National Bookshop Day, Saturday 13 August gives hundreds of local bookshops an opportunity to throw open their doors to book lovers and celebrate what they do best #bookmatch.

Book matching is the heart of bookselling and across Australia there will be ‘Book Doctors’ in store at key bookshops to prescribe the next best kids read; Grug-tastic happenings and a galaxy of popular authors including Alan Brough, Maxine Beneba Clarke, Annabel Crabb, Brooke Davis, Jeff Duff, Nikki Gemmell, Richard Glover, Anita Heiss, Hannah Kent, Garth Nix, Dave O’Neil, Michael Robotham, William McInnes and many more making guest appearances.

Leading authors and booksellers will unite to help people leap into their next chapter with a perfect #bookmatch:
  • Lost your mojo?
  • On the hunt for a new recipe?
  • Need a bedtime story?
  • In a dud relationship?
  • Need to escape?
  • Hungry for knowledge?
 
They can help!
 
INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE NOW

Event Highlights:
Around the country there will be book booths and tee-pees where people can enter, consult the book doctor and emerge with their prescription.
See Richard Glover, Nikki Gemmell and Michael Robotham amongst other well-known faces at the #bookmatch table at Gleebooks between 9 – 3.30pm.

Support the future of Australia’s book industry at Kinokuniya where a #bookscreate forum including Nikki Gemmell, Michael Robotham, Phillipa McGuiness and Garth Nix will take place at 2pm. James Kellow, CEO of Harper Collins Australia, will host the panel.

At Better Read than Dead you can meet Writer in Residence Annabel Crabb, write your own shelfie, see the staff dressed up as their favourite literary characters and nab a cupcake.

At 12pm well-known caterer Simmone Logue will be signing her book In the Kitchen followed by a 3pm signing of This Will Explain Everything by musician, artist and local legend Jeff Duff at Potts Point Bookshop.

Children’s Laureate Leigh Hobbs will have little ones enthralled with story time 10.30am at Younger Sun and Melbourne based comedian, man of leisure and now, author Dave O'Neil joins Maxine Beneba Clarke, Hannah Kent and William McInnes will be appearing behind the counter to sell some books to the adults at The Sun Bookshop.
 
 Writer, actor, comedian and TV presenter Alan Brough will be presenting a performance based on his children’s book Charlie and the War Against the Grannies 11.30 am at Benn's Books.

Expect to see lab coats and stethoscopes at the ready for #bookmatch at Avid Reader. Throughout the day you can busk your favourite book, dress your pooch as your favourite book character and don’t miss ever-popular Grug’s guest appearance next door at Where the Wild Things Are. They will also announce the winner for their ‘Flash Fiction’ prize on the day.

There will be many book sales on the day but a stand out will be at the National Library who will be having a National Bookshop Day Sale where you can get your hands on some unique books.
Discover all events here http://www.booksellers.org.au/aba-events
(Please contact us for details if your local isn’t listed here)
 
Everyone is invited to play along on social media:

Tag:

https://www.facebook.com/LoveYourBookshop
https://www.facebook.com/events/655152564636073/
https://twitter.com/NatBookshopDay
#LoveYourBookshop
 On the big day itself pop in to your local bookshop to take part in the celebrations. While you’re there you could:
  • Tag/check in on Facebook with @LoveYourBookshop
  • Tag @NatBookshopDay on Twitter
  • Take a selfie with your local bookseller / bookshop
  • Hug your local bookseller!
  • Tell your social media followers why you love your local bookseller, posted with #LoveYourBookshop
  • Film a short video of yourself and upload to your social media pages, tagging @LoveYourBookshop
 Australian Bookshop Fast Facts
  • Australia has the largest number of independent bookshops in the English-speaking world and growing, with many bookshops expanding and opening new locations.
 
  • Australians love their local bookshops  - book sales at independent bookshops have increased by more than 6% in the past year
 
  • Australia is home to the ‘World’s Best Bookshop’ – Readings as voted by London Book Fair.
 
  • The book industry employs more than 20,000 people with around 10,000 in book retail.
 
  • Australia has quite the reading habit: book sales have grown year-on-year for the past three years and the range of titles sold has grown by 15% since 2008.
 
  • Children’s book sales have grown over the past five years from 25% to more than 32% of total book sales.
 
  • The Australian Booksellers Association welcomed 55 new members in the past year.
 
 
Reasons to Celebrate Bookshops
  • When you shop at an independently owned business, your entire community benefits
 
  • Local retailers are your friends and neighbours—support them and they’ll support you
 
  • Local businesses donate to charities at more than twice the rate of national chains.
 
  • More independents mean more choice, more diversity, and a truly unique community.
 
  • Local businesses create higher-paying jobs for our neighbours
 
 The various ‘shop local’ movements across Australia drive home the point that there is a great deal of social capital gained by people who can walk or make a short drive to shops, see their neighbours and be recognised by their shopkeepers.  Bookshops are a key component of that ‘shop local’ experience, and are active cultural and social hubs for their local communities engaging with schools, young readers, community groups and local charities. ‑ Joel Becker CEO ABA
 
 
For more information, interviews, footage and images please contact Emma Rusher T 0423 214 626 | emma@houseofrusher.com