Saturday was a double celebration for independent bookselling, with the Booksellers Association sponsoring Bookshop Day in the U.K. and Ireland, while the Australian Booksellers Association promoted Love Your Bookshop Day. In a tough year, many indies shared their modified revels and customer appreciation on social media. Here's a sampling:
#BookshopDay
Drake the Bookshop, Stockton on Tees: "Oh. My. Word. We are acutely aware that we have THE best customers (and friends) in the world (gauntlet laid down) but today they proved beyond doubt. The foulest of days and still they came! Thank you SO much for continuing to #choosebookshops #BookshopDay."
Rossiter Books, Ross on Wye: "It is Bookshop Day! And with weather like this what better than to pop out to your local bookshop, buy some books and then curl up and read them?"
Gay's the Word, London: "Happy #BookshopDay. Thank you to all of our lovely customers who make working in Gay's the Word such a delight."
The Portobello Bookshop, Edinburgh: "It's Bookshop Day! It's pretty dreich today, but we're here as ever and now open 7 days a week! Thanks from us for all your kindness and support these past few months."
Pigeon Books, Southsea: "Happy Bookshop Day! We're open and ready to sell you some excellent books, we have some free stuff to give away and it's going to be ace. Come visit!"
Lighthouse--Edinburgh's Radical Bookshop: "It is #BookshopDay and it is WET! But BOOKS! What's a little rain when THIS awaits? And to mark first weekend of #blackhistorymonthuk, if you buy a book by a Black writer we'll gift you a £5 National Book Token. Read more! Read more Black writers! #ChooseBookshops."
Harris & Harris Books, Clare: "Thank you to each and every single one of you who helped me celebrate Bookshop Day in immense style and jubilation yesterday.... It started with a 'clawing at the door' and finished... late. In between was filled with non-stop beautiful people with wide eyes, book lists, excited chitterchatter and many MANY filled book-bags of 3 for 2s.... So despite giving away every third book, yesterday was the very BEST day in all the 9 years, 1 month, 1 week and 1 day in the history of Harris & Harris Books. So I thank you, dear readers, from the bottom of my weary but jubilated bookseller's heart."
Forum Books, Corbridge: "Yesterday #BookshopDay was IMMENSE!! HUGE thanks to everyone who visited despite the rain! And just as BIG thank you for shopping online too! You're keeping us going! Literally!!"
Round Table Books, London: "It's the day AFTER #BookshopDay... do we call today Bookshop Boxing Day? We're boxing up all those online orders that came in yesterday."
#LoveYourBookshopDay
Farrells Bookshop, Mornington: "Today is Love Your Bookshop Day. Normally, we'd have decorated the shop with some colorful balloons and fun activities planned, but this hasn't been a very normal year. We're very disappointed we can't welcome you all to celebrate LYBD in store this year, but we're not far off being able to see you all again, so we'll just be grateful and look forward to that. We've been so humbled by your love and support during these difficult times.... Enjoy, bookshop lovers--we'll see you all soon!!!"
Readings, Melbourne: "It's Love Your Bookshop Day and while we aren't yet able to welcome you back into our bookshops, we wanted to thank our customers for all their support, good cheer and appreciative comments in the past few months. To celebrate we're giving away five $50 Readings gift vouchers to keep you reading until we can open our doors again."
Matilda Bookshop, Adelaide: "A very earnest thank you from the bottom of our puffed hearts to everyone who came by yesterday and celebrated @loveyourbookshopday with us. It was lovely, to put it mildly, to share a special day with you all, to show you our deep appreciation for your support this year and to hear of your continuing love of our bookshop.... Very importantly, between our sales yesterday and the two auction items, we raised a significant sum for the @indigenousliteracyfoundation and this makes us happy."
Lindfield Bookshop, Lindfield: "Today is LOVE YOUR BOOKSHOP DAY. Please show your support for your local booksellers and the efforts they go to to stay in business in these challenging times to continue to bring you the best of books for your reading pleasure.... If you're not going out today, why not alternatively 'love your online bookshop?' "
Not Just Books, Burnie: "It has been a very interesting and difficult year with world events. This year for Love Your Bookshop Day, we want to say thank you to everyone for their continued support."
The Bookshop Darwin, Darwin: "Today! Love your Bookshop Day! If you're in the city, come and say hello! If you're at home, you can also show your love by shopping online."