Words by Smiley Team
Bookshop, the ethically conscious book-buying platform on a mission to support independent bookshops, and The Booksellers Association are launching a new initiative called New Futures.
The New Futures project has been launched to encourage and inspire the opening of new bookshops to serve underrepresented communities, creating new routes for books to reach the hands of more diverse readers.
It will encourage applicants from underrepresented communities, including individuals who identify as Black and other marginalised ethnicities, LGBTQIA+, working class, physically disabled, neurodiverse, sufferers of mental health issues and those with learning disabilities amongst others, who feel they have the potential to build viable bookselling businesses.
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Through a shortlisting, mentoring, and judging process, the selected winner(s) will receive hands-on support from industry partners in retail, technology, and the book trade – including The Booksellers Association, Gardners, The Bookseller and Midas – through a programme of education and support toward building their business plan for a multichannel bookshop.
Successful applicants will be given all the tools they need to launch a bookshop that creates new and sustainable routes for diverse books to get into the hands of more readers and contribute to increased vibrancy and resilience in British communities.
It will be judged by author Nikesh Shukla, founder and CEO of Beautystack and The Stack World Sharmadean Reid; founder of Dialogue Books and Bookshop.org board member Sharmaine Lovegrove; HarperCollins’s Talent and Audience Development Manager Nancy Adimora; The Bookseller Editor Philip Jones; and indie bookseller at Sevenoaks Bookshop Fleur Sinclair.
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And Nicole Vanderbilt, managing director of Bookshop.org, said: “The New Future initiative is much more than a search for a new bookseller from an underrepresented background. It’s a practical statement from Bookshop.org and The Booksellers Association of our core mission: to support the publishing and book world by helping independent booksellers thrive.
"We believe in a world where independent bookshops are an essential part of literary culture, and we are launching this exciting new programme to do our bit in ensuring diverse books meet the diverse audiences they deserve. We are looking forward to receiving applications from a wide range of candidates.”
The application process, along with further information about the New Futures programme, can be found here, and queries should be directed to [email protected]. The deadline for entries is 23.59 on Friday 12th November, with the shortlist announced on Friday 21st January 2022.
