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The Booksellers Association has seen an “amazing response” to James Patterson’s pledge to give away £250,000 in grants to indie bookshops so far.
The American author first pledged to give away the sum to bookshops in the UK and Ireland in June, with the deadline for entries approaching this Thursday (31st July).
Alan Staton, head of marketing at the Booksellers Association, said: “Since James Patterson announced his plan to give £250,000 in grants to bookshops in UK and Ireland, we’ve had an amazing response from booksellers. We’re getting ready to send the first batch of applications over to James and I want to remind any bookshops out there who have been ruminating on what grant to apply for, to get their proposal over before the end of the month so it can be considered for the first round of grants. “
He added: “We know bookshops are great at thinking creatively to engage with readers of all ages so this is a great opportunity for booksellers to try something different, I can’t wait to see which proposals Jim chooses.”
The writer of the Alex Cross series wants the money to be used to encourage children to read and only bookshops with a dedicated children’s book section can apply for a grant of between £250 and £5,000.
Patterson said: “Far too many children are in danger of living their lives without books. This runs the risk of living in a world run by the shortsighted, by the empathy-challenged, and by the glib. Bookshops are the most viable bulwark against this and I need to be part of the fight to ensure their survival.”
Eligible bookshops will be sent a grant application form by the Booksellers Association, which they should complete and return to james.patterson@booksellers.org.uk. More information can be found on the website.