LITERATURE LOVERS ARE being invited to pay homage to their favourite stores by nominating them for the ‘bookshop of the year’ prize as part of the An Post Irish Book Awards.

It’s the second year that book outlets are being acknowledged as part of the annual accolades with Kenny’s Bookshop in Galway landing the crown last year.

The organisers say the category is designed to acknowledge the significant role played by independent bookshops and local branches of bookshop chains in helping their local communities enjoy books.

People can now submit their nominations for the gong through a section of the An Post website. They will also have the option to explain the reason for their choice.

Readers can also enter by scanning the QR code in their preferred bookshop and following the instructions. Those who submit a nomination will be entered into a draw to win a €100 book voucher.

The deadline for entries is 2 September at 5pm.

The 12 book shops across Ireland that secure the most votes will then be longlisted and invited to enter a written submission.

Mystery shoppers will visit the 12 shops as part of the judging process. A shortlist of six shops will then be finalised and announced on 20 October.

The overall winner will be revealed at the awards show on 23 November. The shop that lands the award will receive a trophy and a prize worth €5,000 from An Post Commerce.

John Treacy, Chairperson of the An Post Irish Book Awards, said the prize was created to acknowledge the role bookshops play in their communities’ cultural and social lives.

“The holy trinity of bookshops, writers and readers is a wonderful alliance we should all support, so I’d very much encourage everyone to support their local bookshop and vote for them in the An Post Bookshop of the Year category,” Treacy said.

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.