At LoveReading we love to celebrate the hard work put in by independent bookshops who offer a fantastic service and a wide range of brilliant old and new books. The Books Are My Bag is a nationwide campaign that celebrates the work of these bookshops. The campaign was first started in 2016 and is the result of collaboration between publishers, bookshops and authors.

This year plans to celebrate local bookshops include partnerships with National Poetry Day and Welcome Collection as well as a flagship event with celebrated authors and poets. Poetry events will be taking place in bookshops across the UK, following on from National Poetry Day on the 4th of October and to celebrate Bookshop Day. 

The Books Are My Bag campaign has been supported by a large number of famous faces, from Mary Berry to Grayson Perry, and all the ‘BAMBassadors’ that have been photographed with the iconic BAMB tote bags (available online or in your local bookshops) are showing their love of books and bookshops and supporting the campaign to keep high street bookshops going. 

Saturday the 6th October will see booksellers across the UK holding special events to celebrate Bookshop Day - including children having the opportunity to experience working on the tills and running a bookshop for a day. Head to your local bookshop this weekend and find out what’s on. You can also use the Bookshop locator on the Books Are My Bag website to find your local shop. 

The Shortlist for the BAMB 2018 Reader Awards has been announced, with the opportunity for you to vote for your favourite and be in with a chance of winning one of ten £100 (€120) National Book Tokens.