Bookshop Day was celebrated last Saturday, October 10, in the U.K., New Zealand, and Australia (where it is called Love Your Bookshop Day). Among the highlights:
The U.K.
According to new YouGov polling commissioned by the the Booksellers Association of the U.K. & Ireland and released just ahead of Bookshop Day and World Mental Health Day (also October 10), 90% of respondents felt visiting a bookshop improved their mood in the moment, while 84% said it had a positive impact on their overall wellbeing, the Bookseller reported. The survey also showed that 78% said bookshops helped them switch off from social media and screen time, while 72% said visiting a bookshop or attending a bookshop event helped them feel better during difficult times.
"Bookshop Day is a celebration of brilliant bookshops and booksellers, and everything they bring to our lives. They make our high streets more vibrant, bring people together and inspire us to read--but their impact goes even further," said Emma Bradshaw, head of brand and consumer marketing at the BA. "These findings show just how much bookshops can mean to us personally: lifting our mood, supporting the wellbeing of our communities and giving us precious time away from our screens."
Griffin Books in Penarth, Wales, posted that a bookshop "is more than just a shop selling books, it is a portal to another place, another country, another time and even another world. The Tardis has nothing on us. It is a place of safety and understanding, somewhere to make new friends and connect with old ones.... Today isn't just #BookshopDay it is also #WorldMentalHealthDay which feels like the most perfect combination to us."
Portobello Books in Edinburgh, Scotland, noted that Bookshop Day "serves as a dedicated time each year to highlight all that bookshops do for their communities, and we couldn’t be prouder to be a part of such a wonderful bookselling scene here in Edinburgh. So, from our shop to yours, happy Bookshop Day!"
Later, Books Are My Bag posted: "As Bookshop Day 2026 comes to a close, here's just a little glimpse of everything that's been happening today... it's been wonderful to see bookshops across the U.K. and Ireland celebrating in so many creative ways. What a brilliant day!"
Australia
Love Your Bookshop Day 2026 "was huge," according to Australian Booksellers Association CEO Susannah Bowen, who told Books+Publishing that many bookshops had reported their best-ever foot traffic and sales, and that this year's theme, "Ask a bookseller. Shake up your shelf," resonated well with media and consumers. Community ambassadors Tough Guy Book Club and Birds of a Feather Book Club "came out to support"; and the Tough Guy Book Club's U.S. chapter in Denver, Colo., even visited its local bookshop, Black & Read.
"Personally, I was in Brisbane where I visited as many bookshops as I could," said Bowen, adding that it was "brilliant to see activities including cookies, book tent, maker's market, live music, sausage sizzle, free champagne, costumes and so much more!"
"What an INCREDIBLE day!!!" Avid Reader Bookshop in Brisbane posted. "We truly felt the love on #LYBD2026. Thank you to everyone who came by, and thank you to our remarkable vendors for joining us to celebrate! Here's to many more Love Your Bookshop Days to come"
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| Tough Guy Book Club members | |
"Have you spotted the #LYBD2026 campaign artwork in a bookshop near you?," asked the ABA. "This year’s artwork is by illustrator Bill Hope, whose wonderful illustrations capture the joy of finding your next great read and, in his words, 'show booksellers as a tour guide to your next literary adventure.' "
Collins Booksellers in Warrnambool captured the thoughts of many in thanking "the hundreds of people who came through our doors and celebrated Love Your Bookshop Day.... There has perhaps never been a time more critical for championing bookshops and all that they stand for, so witnessing people choose a bookseller over an algorithm, take a moment to sit in the sun and try a new read, be playful with stories and engage kids in literature.... These things fill our hearts. These things matter." 
New Zealand
As Bookshop Day New Zealand approached, Booksellers Aotearoa NZ reminded readers that "there has never been a better reason to get out and explore your local bookshops.... Booksellers are what make our book-buying experience so special. They are book experts, community champions, and matchmakers--the people who press the right book into your hands at exactly the right moment."
This year's Bookshop Day NZ tote was created by Coco Solid, "author, artist, and self-described standard-issue nerd," who shared "the story behind the artwork and what bookshops mean to her."
"As an author who had an incredible experience releasing my work in Aotearoa, there are now two groups of people I do not play about: librarians and booksellers," Coco Solid wrote. "My pukapuka, How to Loiter in a Turf War, was able to reach my intended audience fairly quickly (and beyond) because of the commitment, humor, creativity and white-knuckle support of bookshops, big and small.... I experienced a week of hype and Instagram stories, and I felt like releasing my book into the world was something I could transmit successfully because of the cultural labor that booksellers do. I will always be grateful for this relationship."
Unity Books in Auckland posted its own enthusiastic response to the artist: "How we spent @bookshopdaynz 2026 at Unity Books Auckland: Chatting with the amazingly talented author and artist @cocosolid."
Jess Segar-Young, manager of Timaru Booksellers in Wellington, summed up the spirit of Bookshop Days everywhere by telling the Press that bookstores are more than just retail spaces: "We are cultural powerhouses, that help keep our high streets alive, promote a positive sense of place, and enhance the literacy of our patrons by providing an abundant and diverse offering of print titles."