Independent Bookstore Day Virtual Events to Feature Tayari Jones, Gene Luen Yang, Lauren Groff, and More

More than 630 stores are planning to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day (IBD), which will be held on Saturday, August 29. Booksellers are invited to promote a range of virtual events taking place on August 29; event links and social media assets are available here.

Kids’ and YA events:

• 1:00 p.m. ET: Lisa Brown drawing class from Goldfish Ghost
• 1:30 p.m. ET: Gene Luen Yang (Dragon Hoops) graphic novel discussion and tips
• 2:00 p.m. ET: Middle Grade Fun with Renee Watson (Ways to Make Sunshine) and illustrator Nina Mata (I Promise) with moderator Isaac Fitzgerald (How to Be a Pirate)
• 3:00 p.m. ET: Feminist, Fantasy YA with Kat Cho (Wicked Fox and Vicious Spirits), Rena Barron (Kingdom of Souls and Reaper of Souls), and Rebecca Kim Wells (Shatter the Sky).

Adult events:

• 4:00 p.m. ET: Amor Towles reading and discussing his book You Have Arrived at Your Destination
• 5:00 p.m. ET: Writing the West with Reyna Grande (The Distance Between Us), Lauren Francis-Sharma (Book of the Little Axe) and Rishi Reddi (Passage West: A Novel)
• 6:00 p.m. ET: Telling the Stories of the Pandemic: All-star Author Panel from Alone Together: Stories of Love, Grief, and Comfort in the Time of COVID-19 (all profits from the book benefit the Book Industry Charitable Foundation)
• 8:00 p.m. ET: Bookstore Day Ambassador Showcase with Tayari Jones (An American Marriage), Lauren Groff (Fates & Furies and Florida) and Emma Straub (All Adults Here)

In celebration of IBD, between August 28 and August 31, Europa Editions is offering indie bookstore customers a free ebook of Elena Ferrante’s Frantumaglia when they pre-order The Lying Life of Adults. Europa will provide the ebook directly to customers who fill out an online form. Booksellers can visit the ABA Pre-Order Calendar to learn more and access marketing assets here.

On Friday, August 28, translator Ann Goldstein will be hosting an event to kick off Independent Bookstore Day. Watch the IBD website for more details.

Visit the Independent Bookstore Day website to learn more about the annual event. Watch Bookselling This Week in the coming weeks for more information about Independent Bookstore Day, or sign up for the IBD newsletter.