Nominations for the ‘An Post Bookshop of the Year’ will close on 17th September at midnight. The 12 bookshops around Ireland with the most votes will then be longlisted and invited by the judges to enter a written submission. Last years worthy winners of Bookshop of the Year were Bridge Street Books in Wicklow Town.
Each year, the An Post Irish Book Awards bring together a vast community passionate about books – readers, authors, booksellers, publishers and librarians – to recognise the very best of new and established Irish writing talent and 2023 will be no different. 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.
Mystery shoppers will visit the 12 shops as part of the judging process. Following this, a shortlist of six shops will be finalised for the ‘An Post Bookshop of the Year’ and they will be officially announced on the 19th October. The overall winner will be presented with their trophy at the An Post Irish Book Awards event on 22nd November 22. The winner will receive a trophy along with a prize worth €15,000 from An Post Commerce.
Brendan Corbett, Chairperson of the An Post Irish Book Awards, says:
“Bookshops are at the core of communities’ throughout Ireland and offer a cultural and social hub for many. We introduced this category to acknowledge the important contribution bookshops and their booksellers make to not only to their communities and readers, but the significant role they play in the Irish book trade. We are delighted to see the category returning for the third year running and encourage everyone to support and vote for their local bookshop in the An Post Bookshop of the Year category.”
If you would like to highlight your favourite bookshop, visit https://www.anpost.com/bookshopoftheyear to submit your nomination. They will also have the option to explain the reason for their choice. Readers can also enter by scanning the QR code in their preferred bookshop and following the instructions. Everyone who votes will be entered into a draw to win a €100 book voucher.
