Today you can find us going around to visit our favourite local bookstores for #CIBD2023! We asked some of our staff about their favourite indies and why - check out their responses below!
Don’t forget to shop local as often as you can throughout the year. Our indie booksellers are vital to communities and writers, and you just honestly won’t find a better curated book experience anywhere else! Find your local bookstore through the Canadian Independent Booksellers Association website, and remember - if your local store doesn’t have a book in stock, they can easily order a book in for you!
📖 A Different Booklist because they're a beacon for Black Canadians.
— Kwame Scot Fraser, President & Publisher
📖 TYPE Books (Junction) is a bright, beautiful space I love to spend time in. You can tell the employees have a genuine love of books, and they give great recommendations for my kids.
— Erin Pinksen, Project Editor
📖 Parry Sound Books has been a favourite of mine since I was kid, one of the first indie bookstores I went to regularly. I spent my summers up north and would make a special trip into town to visit. They have a great book and literary community!
— Alyssa Boyden, Publicist
📖 Ben McNally is amazing because it is absolutely beautiful, the first indie bookstore I ever went to in Toronto, and every recommendation feels really thoughtful and curated.
— Rajdeep Singh, Publicist
📖 Another Story Bookshop is an amazing local bookstore that promotes independent publishers and champions important social issues and causes.
— Laura Boyle, Art Director
📖 Book City, because I love their loyalty membership, and their stores are always packed with a great selection of new releases, CanLit, and their discount tables are updated regularly.
— Maria Zuppardi, Marketing Coordinatory
📖 Librairie Le Port de tête, especially since I found my Émile Nelligan collection there: perhaps one of my favourite poets, and definitely my favourite Canadian poet!
— Meghan Macdonald, Manager, Publishing Operations
📖 Queen Books is an incredible bookstore that is so beautiful and always has the best selection!
— Natasha Kempnich, Marketing & Publicity Intern
📖 She Said Boom on College St. is a recent favourite of mine. I would pop in after work and browse the second hand records and books. On one of my visits I found a copy of one of my top book-movie adaptations of all time, "This Is Where I Leave You" by Jonathon Tropper. To this day, seeing the colourful spine of that pre-loved book on my shelf makes me smile.
—Stephanie Reed, Editorial Intern