Mark Your Calendar: Canadian Independent Bookstore Day celebrates all things indie

by Kristi Alexandra on March 12th, 2024 at 12:11 PM

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Good news, bookworms! April 27 marks Canadian Independent Bookstore Day (CIBD). Organized by the Canadian Independent Booksellers Association (CIBA), the celebration features contests, giveaways, and special releases at indie bookstores.

The annual event pays homage to the contributions indie bookstores make to their communities—being hubs of culture, art, and inclusion.

“Canadian Independent Bookstore Day is the perfect day to show your local bookstore some love. It’s a day to celebrate with other readers, to bask in the joy of browsing expertly curated shelves, and to treat yourself to your next favourite book,” says Laura Carter, executive director of CIBA, in a release. “Independent booksellers have been stalwarts over the past few years. CIBD is an opportunity to show them how grateful we are.”

This year’s occasion includes a Contest for Book Lovers, in which five book buyers will snag gift cards to their favourite indie shops—including a grand prize worth $1,000; Author Love Notes from esteemed writers such as Catherine Hernandez, Deepa Rajagopalan, and Dallas Hunt; and publisher giveaways like poetry notebooks, tea blends, and signed Rupi Kaur poem prints.

Canada has more than 300 indie bookstores. Here are the participating Vancouver ones: