National Book Tokens
@nationalbooktokens.bsky.social
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A gift beyond words. National Book Tokens and Bookily gift cards can be spent in bookshops and online. https://www.nationalbooktokens.com
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Hi! We're National Book Tokens, the gift card that empowers readers to choose the books they want to read from the bookshops they love. 📖

For more than 90 years, our beloved gift cards have been sold and accepted in bookshops across the UK and Ireland.

nationalbooktokens.com

#booksky
A young girl on a pink background, surrounded by emojis. The text says "I might choose a space book or one about pants." and "National Book Tokens. A gift beyond worlds."
nationalbooktokens.bsky.social
At National Book Tokens, we love bookshops – and so do your favourite authors! Here are some of the best contributions to our popular #WeLoveBookshops feature to celebrate bookshops being best place to buy books. #BookshopDay
Why your favourite authors love high street bookshops
We Love Bookshops – where guest readers share why bookshops are so special to them, and which ones they love to visit – is a popular feature in our National Book Tokens Discover monthly newsletters.…
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Win a Bookshop Day bundle! 🛍️

This year’s #BookshopDay tote bag is designed by illustrator Ashwin Chacko (@whackochacko.bsky.social) – and we've got 10 to give away, each paired with a £20/€25 National Book Token to help you fill your new bag with books from your favourite bookshop. 👇
Win a Bookshop Day bundle
We're giving away ten bundles, including this year's tote bag and a £20/£25 National Book Tokens gift card to spend in your local bookshop.
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nationalbooktokens.bsky.social
Drumroll, please! 🥁

It's #BookshopDay, and there's no better time to announce our October Bookshop of the Month: @bookcornerhx.bsky.social

October is our busy month as they co-run a glorious grassroots festival of music & words with their local indie bar The Grayston Unity! 📚🎶

#ChooseBookshops
A yellow border frames an image of The Book Corner Halifax bookshop interior, with busy bookshelves and tables. Text reads: The Book Corner, Bookshop of the Month winner.
nationalbooktokens.bsky.social
Congratulations to:
📚 @childrensbooks.bsky.social
📚 @fiveleavesbooks.bsky.social
📚 Read. in Holmfirth
📚 @bookspacecardiff.bsky.social
📚 Night Owl Books
📚 @quinnsbookshop.bsky.social
📚 The Ivybridge Bookshop
📚 books on the walls
📚 Dulwich Books
📚 @bookcornerhx.bsky.social
nationalbooktokens.bsky.social
🎉 #BookshopDay is here 🎉

To kickstart the day, we're celebrating all our 2025 National Book Tokens Bookshop of the Month winners!

These brilliant bookshops span from Lothian to London, each offering a glorious range of events for their communities 🤗

Show your local bookshop some love today 📖✨
A collage of bookshop images. Bookshops featured include Norfolk Children's Book Centre, Five Leaves Bookshop, Read. in Holmfirth, Book Space Cardiff, Night Owl Books, Quinns Bookshop, The Ivybridge Bookshop, books on the walls, Dulwich Books, The Book Corner.
nationalbooktokens.bsky.social
Ahead of #BookshopDay tomorrow, Dawn joins us from @waterstones.bsky.social Sheffield to answer your burning questions. From stories about messy family dynamics to dino-tastic books for children, she's shared her top picks.📚
Ask a Bookseller: Waterstones Sheffield
Dawn from Waterstones Sheffield has joined us to answer your questions and share her favourite picks for Bookshop Day, with help from children's bookseller Alexa.
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nationalbooktokens.bsky.social
The Books Are My Bag #ReadersAwards are one of a kind. They're the only book awards with shortlists curated by bookshops, and winners voted for by readers, like you!

Vote for your favourite books for the chance to win a £100/€120 National Book Token.

Vote now: buff.ly/U5ylHv9
nationalbooktokens.bsky.social
We 🩵 bookshops: a place to experience sheer bliss...

We’re delighted to have author Oyinkan Braithwaite join us to share what makes bookshops magical for her 📖✨

#ChooseBookshops 📚
A blue background featuring a text box. Oyinkan Braithwaite's author photo is featured in the top righthand corner, alongside an image of her latest novel, Cursed Daughters. Text reads:
"Only a fellow booklover can understand what it feels like to walk into a room filled, from floor to ceiling, with books. It is sheer bliss. Yet it can also stir up immense anxiety; especially if, like me, you are not bound to any single genre.

In my youth, I would gather three to five books and sit cross-legged on the floor of Waterstones, trying to narrow my choices down to the one or two I could afford. I am who I am today because I read voraciously. In many ways, I am a product of bookshops."
nationalbooktokens.bsky.social
It's #WorldAnimalDay 🐱 🐶 🐸 🐻 🐝 🐳

To celebrate, we're sharing just a few wild and wonderful fiction books that draw inspiration from the animal kingdom 📚 ✨

Which brilliant books about or influenced by animals would you recommend to a friend this World Animal Day?
A stack of books, arranged by colour, photographed in a bookshop. Each book is inspired by an animal. Books featured include: Dog by Rob Perry, The Bees by Laline Paull, Bear by Marian Engel, Super-Frog Saves Tokyo by Haruki Murakami,
Whale by Cheon Myeong-kwan and more.
nationalbooktokens.bsky.social
11 poetry books to read if you don't know where to start 📚💭

@holliemcnish.bsky.social is an award-winning poet and performer. This National Poetry Day, she joins us to recommend 11 exceptional poetry collections that welcome even the most novice poetry reader with open arms! 🫂

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An orange background with a collage of poetry books, such as The Cat Prince by Michael Pedersen, Aimless Love by Billy Collins, and The Essential June Jordan. Text reads: 11 poetry books to read if you don't know where to start.
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🎉✍ LET YOUR CREATIVITY FLOW THIS NATIONAL POETRY DAY AND WIN A £50/€60 NATIONAL BOOK TOKEN 🎉✍

It’s National Poetry Day – and the theme is play! 🎡🛝🪁

We’re inviting you to enter our writing competition, judged by 2026 Jhalak Poetry Prize judge Nikita Gill.

Terms & how to enter:
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A teal background with an illustration of a pink National Book Token, bursting with stars, colours, and a lightbulb with wings. Text reads: National Poetry Day 02.10.2025. Play.
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Celebrating the world's best fiction written in English and published in the UK and Ireland, @thebookerprizes.com revealed its 2025 shortlist – and you could win a complete set over on National Book Tokens Discover! 📚 #BookerPrize2025

Enter now: buff.ly/AnpxfOg
A photo of the shortlisted books on a pink chair:
Flashlight by Susan Choi
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai
Audition by Katie Kitamura
The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits
The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller
Flesh by David Szalay
nationalbooktokens.bsky.social
Ready, set, write! 🏃📝 🤩

The #BBC500Words competition is OPEN for entries 🎉

For kids aged 5-11, this is their chance to unleash their imagination and share their stories with the world!

Competition closes 9pm Friday 7 November 2025 📅

Details, terms and privacy notices ➡️ bbc.co.uk/500words
Reposted by National Book Tokens
cybillliberty.bsky.social
Perusing in an actual bookshop with an actual book token is actually lovely
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worldbookdayuk.bsky.social
✨ THE BIG REVEAL ✨
We are excited to share with you our brilliant 2026 £1/€1.50 books!

Children can choose their own book from 12 February 2026, FREE with a £1/€1.50 book token. 📚✨

Find out more on our website ➡️https://buff.ly/3VaLLAa

#WBD26 #WorldBookDay #readforfun
nationalbooktokens.bsky.social
🥳 Your 2026 World Book Day £1/€1.50 books are here 🥳

We are delighted to reveal this year's brilliant line-up of £1/€1.50 @worldbookdayuk.bsky.social books!

Children can choose their own book from 12 February 2026, FREE with a £1/€1.50 book token 📚✨

Find out more ⬇️
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nationalbooktokens.bsky.social
Ahead of this year's #BBC500Words opening for entries, young writers and story lovers can discover writing tips and advice from some of their favourite authors, including Maz Evans, Jacqueline Wilson, and Jasbinder Bilan. ✏️

Read now: buff.ly/bLmrk0e
A collage of books featured in the article on an orange background. Text says: Top children's authors share their story writing tips.
nationalbooktokens.bsky.social
Drumroll, please! 🥁

Our September Bookshop of the Month is the brilliant Dulwich Books ✨

Dulwich Books is an award-winning, much-loved bookshop, which has been serving their local community in South London for over 40 years 📚

Check out their upcoming events:
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#ChooseBookshops
A yellow border frames an image of Dulwich Books' bookshop interior, featuring colourful bookshelves and a bunch of tulips. Text reads: Bookshop of the Month winner, Dulwich Books!
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National Book Tokens can be spent on *any* book. 📖 ✨

That's why we’re giving you the chance to win one of five £250/€250 National Book Tokens to surprise a student – the perfect gift to spend on books of their choice, whether for study or simply for fun (or both!).

Enter now: buff.ly/gKkWF7d
Illustrations of books on a blue background next to two National Book Tokens gift cards. Text says: Win one of five £250 National Book Tokens!
nationalbooktokens.bsky.social
Shoot for the stars with our cosmic quiz 🌠

We're inviting children to put their star knowledge to the test.

One player will win three stellar books – Wish Upon a Star, Over the Rainbow, and Into the Volcano – along with a NASA telescope. 🔭

Play now: buff.ly/ELjRQkB
The prizes on a colourful cosmic background: books and telescope.
nationalbooktokens.bsky.social
National Book Tokens empower students to choose exactly the books they need to write their next chapter in life.

That's why we’re giving you the chance to win a £250/€250 National Book Token to surprise a student – the perfect gift to spend on books of their choice. 📚 ✨ 👇

buff.ly/ucd5xnb
Illustration of students on a blue background. Text says: Help them write their next chapter.
nationalbooktokens.bsky.social
We're giving away five #ReadyEddieGo book bundles – each including the full series and a Ready Eddie Go! tote bag and mug – to support and celebrate young autistic readers.

Enter now: buff.ly/uSnPTrY
nationalbooktokens.bsky.social
It’s #InternationalLiteracyDay 📚🙌

We believe that everyone should have access to the books they want and need.

That's why we're proud to work with life-affirming literacy charities like @worldbookdayuk.bsky.social, @readforgood.bsky.social and @bookaidint.bsky.social

Learn more ⬇️
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Two young girls laugh joyfully in a cafe, reading books whilst sharing a cake. Photo credits to Read For Good. A girl stands holding a maths textbook in front of a sign which reads Library Now Open. Photo credits to Book Aid International. Two booksellers smile in a bookshop, accepting a book token from a child on World Book Day. The bookshop features colourful displays and wrapping paper. Photo credits to World Book Day. A young person in a hospital room, visited by staff from Read For Good. A vibrant orange display of books is visible in the hospital room, with a variety of books to choose from. Photo credits to Read For Good.
nationalbooktokens.bsky.social
We 💚 bookshops: beautiful, quiet spaces in a busy world...

We’re delighted to have author @rashmiwriting.bsky.social join us to share what makes bookshops magical for her 📖✨

#ChooseBookshops 📚
A pale green background with a quote bubble and a photograph of author Rashmi Sirdeshpande. Text reads: Bookshops are the beating hearts of local communities. They curate inclusive collections of books that can offer comfort, inspire, excite and spark curiosity, connecting readers with stories (real and imagined). You only have to take a few steps into a bookshop to feel it. They are warm and welcoming spaces where children and grownups can discover the books that pull them in. And one discovery may lead to another and another and another. They are a sanctuary – beautiful, quiet spaces in a busy world. And they’re also community hubs, building bridges with schools and local groups, nurturing a lifelong love of reading, something that we know can be truly transformative.
nationalbooktokens.bsky.social
6 brilliant books about the human body 👂

As young readers begin a new year of biology, author Emma Young joins us to recommend six of the best books for children about the human body. 👃

Read now: buff.ly/sNzZ1GR
A collage of books featured in the article on an orange background. Text says: 6 brilliant children's books about the human body.