Twelve bookshops across Ireland 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, and good news for Philip’s Bookshop in Mallow is that it has been named in the top 12.
The ‘An Post Bookshop of the Year’ category was introduced last year 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. Kenny’s Bookshop in Galway was crowned the overall winner in 2021.
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 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 20th October. The overall winner of the ‘An Post Bookshop of the Year’ category will then be announced at the An Post Irish Book Awards event on November 23rd. The winner will receive a trophy, along with a prize worth €5,000 from An Post Commerce.
The annual An Post Irish Book Awards bring together a huge community passionate about books including readers, authors, booksellers, publishers and librarians. Celebrating and recognising the very best of new and established Irish writing talent on offer. Other categories in the An Post Irish Book Awards include Novel of the Year, Children’s (Junior and Senior), Cookery, Crime Fiction, Popular Fiction, Non-fiction, Sports, Short Story, Poetry, Teen and Young Adult and Irish Language.
The shortlist for all categories will be announced on Thursday, 20th October, while the winners will be announced on Wednesday, 23rd November. A television programme will be broadcast on RTÉ One television in December and will culminate in one of the 2022 winning titles being announced as the ‘An Post Irish Book of the Year 2022’.
An Post is also continuing with their hugely successful #ReadersWanted campaign, celebrating the value and joy of reading and encouraging everyone to pick up more books, more often. Simply search for the hashtag online to get involved.