Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

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Booksellers embrace Valentine’s Day

A number of booksellers across the country are gearing up for Valentine’s Day on 14 February by showcasing books that appeal to the heart, with many turning to social media to offer Valentine’s Day recommendations—and to have a bit of fun.

Shearer’s Bookshop in Sydney is running a Valentine’s Day social media campaign around ‘book pick-up lines’. A recent Facebook post, inspired by the classic novel Moby Dick, features the line: ‘Some people call me Ishmael, but you can call me tonight’. There’s also a Hemingway-inspired ‘Hey girl, the sun isn’t the only thing that rises’. Bookseller Antonia Hayes describes the promotion as ‘a bit of fun’, saying that the pick-up lines have been retweeted and shared on Facebook. The store has also set up a Valentine’s Day table with a range of Penguin classics, some collections of love poetry, and kids’ books about love.

Melbourne bookshop Hill of Content has posted a photograph on its Facebook page of a pile of love-related books topped with red flowers, with the caption: ‘Beautiful books about love that would be perfect for Valentine’s Day gifts’. Hill of Content told Books+Publishing that popular Valentine’s Day titles have included The Picador Book of Love Poems (John Stammers, Picador) and Love: A History (Simon May, Yale University Press).

Also on Facebook, Warrnambool Books in Victoria recommends Finding Mr Darcy by Amanda Hooton (Pan Macmillan) for Valentine’s Day and said: ‘All the single ladies! This witty guide to finding not just Mr Right, but (the ultimate) Mr Darcy, is the perfect present to give to yourself this Valentine’s Day!’

The Little Bookroom in Melbourne announced its favourite Valentine’s Day books for young people in a blog post. The books include: The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams (Egmont Books), Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney (Walker Books), The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear (Walker Books) and Winnie-the-Pooh by A A Milne (Egmont Books).

Booktopia launched a Valentine’s Day-inspired poll on its blog last week, asking customers to vote on ‘the greatest love story ever told’. The poll closed on Sunday and the online bookshop will be counting down the top 50 in the lead-up to Valentine’s Day. Booktopia also announced on its blog that it has ‘declared February our month of love, with huge discounts on some of the greatest titles ever written.’

Bookworld’s website is displaying a banner that reads: ‘Surprise your loved one with some thoughtful gifts this Valentine’s Day!’ and links to a selection of titles sorted into categories such as ‘For lovers’ and ‘You always remember your first love’. The bookstore also showcased the Valentine’s Day titles in a recent email to customers, highlighted titles such as The Rosie Project (Graeme Simsion, Text) and Married Love (Marie Stopes, Scribe).

Dymocks has emailed its booklover customers with a selection of its favourite love stories. The selection includes: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Atonement by Ian McEwan (Vintage), The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks (Sphere) and The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (Text).

Collins Booksellers’ website has a banner that reads: ‘Say I love you … with a book’. The website showcases popular picture books Guess How Much I Love You (Sara Luck, Walker) and I Love You Too (Stephen Michael King, Scholastic), as well as linking to a selection of love-themed books.

Collins Booksellers in Mt Gambier reminded customers on Facebook that ‘not only is February 14th Valentine’s Day but it is also International Book Giving Day’. The bookstore is offering complimentary gift wrapping on the day and suggests customers: ‘give a book to a loved one; leave a book in a waiting room or lobby; and donate a book—especially valuable to some of the schools and libraries in fire and flood ravaged towns around Australia.’

 

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Category: Local news