Mayo bookshops and libraries join Global Book Crawl

FOR one week, hundreds of independent bookshops in over 50 cities around the world, ranging from Westport to Brooklyn, Stockholm, Malaga to Sydney and Mexico City, will distribute the Global Book Crawl Passport to book lovers.

From April 20 to 26, participants are invited to take their passport and embark on an adventure through the heart of a city, town or region’s indie bookshops, gathering stamps, discovering hidden cultural gems, availing of discount vouchers and connecting with other readers.

Each participating city and town is organising a unique book crawl, inviting the community to explore, discover, and support local bookshops.

The initiative is the brainchild of three bookshops; Tertulia bookshop, Westport, Federico Lang, Libreria Luces, Malaga, Spain, and Jessica Stockport, Greenlight Books, Brooklyn, New York, who realised the power of independent bookshops when they collaborate.

Nine outlets in Mayo are participating this year.

The Global Book Crawl is more than an event, it’s a movement. By participating, bookshops strengthen their community bonds with book lovers and through collaboration with other local indie bookshops. Together, they create a united front that celebrates and supports the local book culture on the local and world stage.

Bríd Conroy of Tertulia Bookshop believes this is just the beginning: “We know the importance of bookshops as community and cultural spaces.

“This is our second Global Book Crawl. Last year we had 22 bookshops, this year we are up to 67 participants.”

Starting on April 20, thousands of passports will be distributed in Ireland. Those who complete a crawl will be entered for a prize draw on May 6.

The campaign is spreading on Instagram @globalbookcrawl #globalbookcrawl, building a global literary map, one bookshop and one post at a time.

Participating Irish bookstores below.

For more, see globalbookcrawl.org.