The Booksellers Association of the United Kingdom & Ireland Limited
Indie Book of the Month logo - Orange illustration of four upright books with stars above, next to the text “Indie Book of the Month” on a white background.
Indie Book of the Month is designed to showcase independent bookshops’ power to drive sales as a sector. It aims to demonstrate the impact independent booksellers can make by working together to build readerships for the books they love.

Throughout 2026, we are fully integrating our Indie Book of the Month and Indie Book of the Month (Children’s) campaigns with Bookshop.org. Aligning our Book of the Month campaigns with Bookshop.org for the entire National Year of Reading will give bookshops more visibility, support reader discovery and spotlight exceptional books – all within the context of bookshops being at the epicentre of expert curation, community value and the promotion of reading for pleasure.

Titles are submitted by publishers, reviewed by the Bookshop.org and Booksellers Association teams, and then voted for by participating booksellers on Edelweiss, and finally passed to a selection panel of booksellers to review and make the final decision for which title to select. If you would like to be on a panel to help select future titles, please contact [email protected].

The BA and respective publishers create free point of sale items and offer signed copies, author events and social media assets to help members hand sell the titles. Participating members are encouraged to order a minimum of six copies from their usual supplier, create in-store displays and support the titles on social media. It is free for booksellers to participate in the Indie Book of the Month initiative and you can sign up at any point in the year. Members can participate in the Indie Book of the Month and/or Indie Book of the Month (Children’s) campaign.

If you are a publisher and would like to submit for the campaign, submissions for April-June are now open and will close on 23rd of January 2026.  Please contact [email protected] if you would like to submit or sign up to receive notifications of future submission periods.

 

Indie Book of the Month: January 2026 

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Indie Book of the Month: Good Girl by Aria Aber
Indie Book of the Month (Children's): The Domesday Cows by Iszi Lawrence

Independent bookshops across the UK and Ireland will be promoting Good Girl andThe Domesday Cows throughout January both in-store, online via Bookshop.org and across social media. The Booksellers Association will also support the Indie Books of the Month campaign with dedicated Books Are My Bag and Bookshop.org-branded social media activity and promotional material.

Good Girl by Aria Aber is a striking and timely debut novel following Nila, a young artist navigating identity, desire and belonging in Berlin. With lyrical prose and emotional depth, Aber explores friendship, migration and the pull of art, music and literature in a city shaped by history and reinvention.

Aria Aber, author of Good Girl, said: “Indie bookstores are some of my favorite places to spend time in –– the booksellers foster a community around the love and importance of literature and supporting them is crucial. It feels magical to have my novel Good Girl, which is so much about yearning to escape through art and music and literature, chosen as Indie Book of the Month.”

The Domesday Cows by Iszi Lawrence is a lively and humorous historical adventure for children, following a group of unlikely heroes determined to save their village’s cattle from the Domesday Book. Packed with wit, warmth and historical detail, it brings the Norman Conquest vividly to life for young readers.

Iszi Lawrence, author of The Domesday Cows, said: “When you visit a new town, find its independent bookshop. It's often tucked between the big chains or hidden down a twisty alleyway. No two are ever alike. From the events they host to the teas they brew, every detail reflects their community. Chat to the booksellers; there’s always a story behind the shop’s name, a reason that book’s in the window and a unique recommendation. When they come together, they are an unstoppable force, driving curiosity and inspiring readers of all ages. I’m delighted The Domesday Cows is Indie Book of the Month (Children’s)!”

The Indie Book of the Month and Indie Book of the Month (Children’s) titles are selected by panels of independent bookshops from publisher submissions.

Adult panel:
• Red Lion Books
• Maldon Books
• The Kew Bookshop

Children’s panel:
• Kenilworth Bookshop
• Children’s Bookshop, Muswell Hill
• Red Lion Books

Join in with the Indie Book of the Month campaign on social media:
Instagram
Facebook
#IndieBookoftheMonth

Resources
-2026 Monthly Social Media Assets
Logo
- Poster
- Sticker

Previous Indie Book of the Month titles 
Indie Book of the Month
Indie Book of the Month (Children's)