Poet, essayist, and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib has been named Indie Bookstore Ambassador for 2026 by the American Booksellers Association. ABA launched the Indie Bookstore Ambassador program in 2022 to highlight independent bookstores year-round.
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| Hanif Abdurraqib (photo: Kate Sweeney) |
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"At a time when access to books and meaningful literary engagement feel more important than ever, the Indie Bookstore Ambassador ignites indie booksellers around a shared purpose: fostering future generations of readers while championing the freedom to read, both central to indies and ABA's mission," the organization noted.
In accepting the invitation to be the ambassador, Abdurraqib said, "When I am traveling, the places I often go to first are the independent bookstores in a city, because independent booksellers often have a unique understanding of the place they are in and the responsibility they have to the people in the place, which means they can make a unique map of a city and the interests of people in it.... I am honored to serve in this role because I believe indie booksellers are masters of close attention, and the benefit of that close attention is the ability to place something in someone's hand that can be transportive, and life-altering."
Abdurraqib is the author of There's Always This Year, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award; A Little Devil in America, winner of the Carnegie Medal and a National Book Award finalist; The Crown Ain't Worth Much; They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us; Go Ahead in the Rain; and A Fortune for Your Disaster, winner of the Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize. He is also a recipient of the MacArthur Foundation "Genius Grant."
ABA senior marketing manager Courtney Wallace noted: "Like the best independent bookstores, Mr. Abdurraqib's work reminds us that literature isn't a luxury--it's a lifeline. Whether through poetry, criticism, or cultural commentary, he fosters the kind of thoughtful, empathetic, and deeply human conversations that indie bookstores create every day. As he prepares to publish a new poetry collection in 2027, we're honored to welcome Abdurraqib as an ambassador who celebrates the power of books, the importance of literary culture, and the essential role independent bookstores play in bringing communities together."