Iconic designer, Orla Kiely, has been revealed as the designer of this year’s Collectors’ Edition Books Are My Bag tote bag. The Orla Kiely BAMB tote has been created by Kiely in her signature retro print style and will be available in bookshops across the country from 7 October.  The BA has worked with Orla Kiely and her team at Conran Octopus to develop this year’s stunning design.  A new edition of Orla Kiely’s book, Pattern, will be published by Conran Octopus on 7 September at £20.

“I am so happy to have collaborated with the Bookseller’s Association, on a special edition print of Books Are My Bag. As a great lover of books and bookshops, nothing gives me more pleasure than discovering a new book, whether it’s a beautiful edition on a new favourite photographer, a great novel or a rare out of print edition. There is nothing more relaxing, inspiring or stimulating than reading and losing oneself in another world. We should all take time to read and importantly, to encourage our children to love books.” - ​​Orla Kiely Award-winning Gruffalo children’s illustrator, Axel Scheffler, has been announced as this year’s children’s bag designer, and booksellers will receive tote bags featuring his popular Pip and Posy characters as part of their POS Kits, thanks to the generous sponsorship of Nosy Crow, who are producing the tote bags in support of the 2017 campaign. A new title in Axel Scheffler’s Pip and Posy series, The Christmas Tree, will be released on 5 October at £8.99.

“I am delighted to be part of this year's Books Are My Bag campaign. My Pip and Posy design celebrates a love of books that will hopefully resonate with young and old alike – and I hope encourages people to take a trip to their local bookshop.” - Axel Scheffler

Bookshop Day, which launched in 2016 and led to one of the UK’s biggest weeks of bookshop sales of the year, will return on Saturday 7 October. Bookshops across the UK & Ireland will host author talks, book signings, special events and much more, with details to be announced later in the year. The Books Are My Bag Readers Awards, the first book award curated by bookshops and voted for by book lovers, which launched in 2016, will return. Bookshops will again curate a shortlist of books across a range of genres, with public voting opening on Bookshop Day and the winners announced at a ceremony at Foyles on 21 November.

“Last year’s Books Are My Bag campaign was our most successful yet, and we’re looking forward to making the fifth year bigger and better than ever. The UK & Ireland’s first Bookshop Day in 2016 saw the public really getting behind their local bookshop, while the Books Are My Bag Readers Awards, the first book award curated by bookshops and voted for by booksellers, struck such a strong and emotional chord with authors, publishers, booksellers and the reading public.” - Alan Staton, Head of Marketing & Communications, Booksellers Association

Now in its fifth year, the Books Are My Bag campaign highlights and celebrates the vital role of high street and campus bookshops. Over the last four years, hundreds of thousands of people have worn a Books Are My Bag canvas bag in support of the campaign.

Full details of the Books Are My Bag 2017 campaign will be unveiled later this year.