Bookselling Ireland (the Booksellers Association (BA) in Ireland), together with Publishing Ireland, have announced details for this year’s Irish Book Week campaign, which will run from Saturday, 17th October 2026 until Saturday, 24th October 2026.
Bookselling Ireland is also excited to reveal details of their 2026 campaign Ambassadors; Antrim born best-selling Irish children’s author and illustrator, Paddy Donnelly, Galway based author, Catherine Doyle, Dublin based children’s author, Shane Hegarty, Cork native, author, journalist and playwright, Carina McNally and Belfast based author and school principal, Séamus Ó Tuama.
Now in its 9th year, Irish Book Week is a nationwide celebration of Irish bookshops, Irish books, publishers, writers, illustrators, and poets. The campaign aims to encourage people from across Ireland to shop local & shop Irish by visiting their local bookshops to discover and enjoy a range of exciting and interesting events, readings, parties, displays and much more.
Irish Book Week is part of the Booksellers Association’s year-round Books Are My Bag campaign – which also includes Independent Bookshop Week, the Indie Book Awards and other initiatives – which celebrates bookshops of all shapes and sizes and the unique social, cultural and economic value they bring to readers, communities and shopping destinations.
Commenting on the campaign, children’s author, illustrator and Irish Book Week 2026 Ambassador, Paddy Donnelly, said, “I’m delighted to be an ambassador for Irish Book Week 2026. Bookshops are incredibly important to me and should be to all of us! They’re magical places of wonder and getting to create the artwork for this year’s campaign was such a treat. We are so lucky to have such a wealth of talent in Ireland, and our booksellers do such an amazing job at promoting Irish authors and illustrators.”
Author and Irish Book Week 2026 Ambassador, Catherine Doyle, also commented, “Storytelling has always been at the heart of Irish culture. It’s the essence of who we are and how we connect with one another. Our local bookshops play such a vital role in keeping that magic alive. They’re treasure troves of imagination and discovery; places that nurture not only readers but entire communities. To celebrate and support our bookshops is to champion a precious part of our cultural identity. I couldn’t be more honoured or delighted to do so.”
Speaking about the campaign, Peter McKay, President of Publishing Ireland, commented, “Partnering with Bookselling Ireland for Irish Book Week remains a top priority for Publishing Ireland. Bookshops are an essential element within the cultural ecosystem, serving as the vital link that connects authors and illustrators with their readers. Rather than merely selling books, bookshops cultivate vibrant communities of readers whilst nurturing the next generation of readers and writers. We also extend our thanks to this year’s Ambassadors, each of whom exemplifies the wonderful range and depth of our contemporary literary landscape.”
Chair of Bookselling Ireland, Cian Byrne, said, “Irish bookshops are among Ireland’s most accessible cultural spaces; every day connecting readers with ideas, championing Irish authors and publishers, and creating places where communities come together. Irish Book Week is an opportunity to recognise this and the enormous cultural contribution of the Irish book industry as a whole. This year, the ninth year of Irish Book Week, will be our biggest yet as bookshops all over the island look forward to welcoming authors, readers and entire communities to cross their thresholds and celebrate our books.”
For further information on Irish Book Week 2026 and the events that will be taking place throughout the country as part of this year’s campaign, follow Bookselling Ireland’s on Facebook and Instagram: @booksellingireland. The campaign hashtag is #IrishBookWeek.