Calling all Canberra bookworms: Love Your Bookshop Day is coming this weekend

Posted on 7 October, 2026

If your idea of a perfect day is wandering through a bookshop and leaving with a book you didn’t plan to buy, you’ll want to know about this one.

Put down the phone, step away from the algorithm and ask a bookseller what you should read next because Love Your Bookshop Day is returning to Canberra on Saturday 10 October, with 23 local bookshops joining the celebrations.

From author events and children’s activities to special offers and community celebrations, there’ll be plenty happening across the city, so consider this your sign to finally pick up that book that you’ve had on your list forever

This year’s theme is ‘Ask a bookseller. Shake up your shelf.’ This amazing theme encourages readers to ditch the endless scrolling and ask a bookseller what they think you should read next.

Why? Because sometimes you don’t need another algorithm telling you what everyone else is reading. You need someone to hear your very specific “I want something funny but also kind of sad but not too sad” request and somehow know exactly what you mean.

And honestly, who better to ask?

Australian Booksellers Association’s CEO Susannah Bowen said Love Your Bookshop Day is all about the conversations and connections that happen in local bookshops.

“Bookshops have always been more than places to buy books. As Australians increasingly seek meaningful ways to connect offline, they are places where conversations begin, recommendations are shared, and communities grow,” says Bowen.

“Love Your Bookshop Day celebrates the unique role booksellers play in helping readers discover not only their next favourite book, but the people and conversations that come with it.”

As Bowen says, a bookseller can help you find exactly the right book at exactly the right time.

“You can search for the ‘most popular books’ in your favourite genre, but booksellers do something completely different. They ask questions, they listen, and they recommend books based on the person standing in front of them,” she explains.

“And every dollar spent in a local bookshop stays in the community, paying local wages, local rent and supporting Australian stories.”

Time for a bookshop hop

The Canberra Bookshop Trail officially launches on Love Your Bookshop Day, with a physical trail map available for visitors to discover participating bookshops around Canberra and the region.

There are more than 20 stops to check out, including bookshops at the national institutions like The Curatoreum at the National Arboretum and the National Portrait Gallery, the NLA Bookshop, The Shop at Old Parliament House and the Botanical Bookshop.

For those looking for independent bookstores, Paperchain Bookstore, The Book Cow, Book Lovers’ Lane (Lifeline Canberra), Astoria Canberra, Canty’s Bookshop, Bookrunner, Impact Comics Book Lore, Asia Bookroom, Book Passion, Bookface Gungahlin, Pulp Book Cafe and The Yass Bookstore are all listed on the map.

And of course, you can’t forget the bigger book chains like Collins Booksellers Queanbeyan, Harry Hartog Bookseller Tuggeranong, Harry Hartog Bookseller Woden, Dymocks Canberra Centre and Belconnen. You can easily pick up a physical trail map and start making your way around the participating stores. And yes, we FULLY support the idea of starting with “I’m just going to have a quick peek” and seeing where the day takes you.

So, whether you’re looking for your next page-turner, hunting for a gift or just want an excuse to spend your Saturday browsing the shelves, there’s plenty to explore.

Want to join in? Visit loveyourbookshop.org.au to find out more or check in with your local bookshop to see what’s happening nearby.

Feature image: Paperchain Manuka. Credit: Pew Pew Studio.