A record number of bookshops take part in Independent Bookshop Week 2025
Independent Bookshop Week ran from 14 to 21 June 2025, with a record 751 independent bookshops taking part, according to The Bookseller.
Independent Bookshop Week 2025 ran from Saturday 14 to Saturday 21 June across the UK and Ireland. The campaign is run by the Booksellers Association, with Hachette UK as headline sponsor and support from Gardners and Nielsen BookData.
More than 700 shops had registered in advance. The Bookseller reported afterwards that a record 751 bookshops had taken part, hosting more than 150 events.
The week, launched in 2006, is intended to highlight the part independent bookshops play in their communities and to encourage readers to buy locally over the summer. Participating shops ran author events and signings, and publishers were invited to support them with signed and exclusive editions.
Independent shops are often where a new or small-press book gets its first real support: a handwritten recommendation, a place on the front table, an evening event. For authors, particularly those without a large marketing budget behind them, a good relationship with local booksellers can be worth more than many paid alternatives, and the campaign is a reasonable moment to start one.
Sources: Publishing Ireland: Independent Bookshop Week 2025; The Bookseller: Record number of bookshops take part in Independent Bookshop Week.