12 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 is designed 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. Previous winners include Kennys Bookshop and Art Gallery, Galway in 2021, Bridge Street Books, Wicklow in 2022 and Halfway Up The Stairs, Greystones, Wicklow in 2023.
The longlist of twelve bookshops around Ireland for 2024 in alphabetical order are:
- Bantry Bookshop, Bantry, Co. Cork
- Books Upstairs, Dublin 2
- Bridge Books Dromore, Co. Down
- Hodges Figgis, Dublin 2
- Hubb16, New Ross, Wexford
- Leaf and Bower, Ballincollig, Co. Cork
- Liber, Sligo town
- Little Acorns Bookstore, Derry
- O’Mahony’s, Limerick
- Tales for Tadpoles, Bray, Co. Wicklow
- The Company of Books, Ranelagh, Dublin
- The Secret Bookshelf, Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim
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 have been 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 24th October. The overall winner of ‘An Post Bookshop of the Year’ will be presented with their trophy at the An Post Irish Book Awards event on 27th November along with a prize worth €15,000 from An Post Commerce.
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 2024 will be no different. Other categories in the An Post Irish Book Awards include Novel of the Year, Children’s (Junior and Senior), Food and Wine, Crime Fiction, Popular Fiction, Non-fiction, Sports, Short Story, Poem, History, Teen and Young Adult and Irish Language.
Larry Mac Hale, Chairperson of the An Post Irish Book Awards, says:
“Bookshops are at the heart of many communities across Ireland and this category was introduced to recognise the important role bookshops play, not only in the books industry but in Ireland’s literary tradition and heritage. They are cultural spaces that really help to foster creativity and a love of reading among children and adults, and we are so proud to be able to support them in this way. It’s wonderful to see such deserving bookshops on the longlist and wish them all the best of luck.”
Dawn Behan, Chair of Bookselling Ireland, says:
“Irish bookshops are a vital part of society as they offer a space for discovery and celebration of the written word. Booksellers are at the core of the Irish literary industry, connecting readers with titles they will love and cherish, and it is wonderful to see them getting recognition. I’m pleased to see such a diverse longlist for 2024 and extend my warmest wishes to them all.”
Commenting on the important role bookshops play in local communities, Garrett Bridgeman, Managing Director of An Post Mails & Parcels says:
“We salute and thank all our independent bookshops who consistently enrich local urban and rural communities across the country. The very best of luck to everyone on the long-list; the judges have a tough challenge ahead of them.”
The shortlist for all categories in the An Post Irish Book Awards 2024 will be announced on Thursday, 24th of October, while the winners will be announced on Wednesday, 27th November. A television programme will be broadcast on RTÉ One television in December, culminating in one of the 2024 winning titles being announced as the ‘An Post Irish Book of the Year 2024’.
