A world of wonder – the magic of books

Bookshops are more than retail destinations. They are where people come and browse, where time slows down and a world of imagination takes hold – now they are even places to have a first date.

Irish Country Living speaks to three bookshops across the country in advance of World Book Day on Thursday, 6 March. World Book Day encourages children to find the fun in reading. This year there are two €1.50/£1 Irish-published World Book Day books.

One is in the Irish language, Ag Buzzáil sa Ghairdín written by Áine Ní Ghlinn and illustrated by Andrew Whitson (Mr Ando). The other is called Fox & Son Tailers written by Paddy Donnelly.

Both books are available in braille, large print and audio via Guide Dogs, Vision Ireland, RNIB and Calibre Audio.

Little Acorns Bookstore

“You can never have too many books,” says Jenni Doherty, owner of Little Acorns Bookstore in Co Derry, which was awarded An Post Bookshop of the Year 2024.

After years working in publishing and libraries, Jenni fulfilled her childhood dream of opening a bookshop.

“I love books and reading,” says Jenni, who is from Greencastle, Co Donegal. “I’m from a big family and I never got any peace so I used to escape away and read.”

Jenni opened her bookstore in December 2010 on a six-foot table at a market. She has come a long way since then, moving seven times and finding a permanent home in a three-storey building on Great James Street with views of the Derry walls.

Little Acorns Bookstore is a booklover’s dream. “A beautiful chaos,” says Jenni, laughing, as she climbs over stacks of books.

Her favourite room is the children’s and young adult room.

“I love reading children’s books, myths and legends, poetry. This was the room I wanted to do first because it’s a safe space and one of the most important,” says Jenni. “You are curating a space for an individual rather than the general public.”

Throughout the year, Jenni hosts readings, literary talks, launches and children’s events in the bookshop, but World Book Day is extra busy.

“Schools will do sessions here. I love seeing children choose a book and I’ll give them a sticker and a bookmark,” says Jenni. “This year, I’m doing an event with Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin [Irish language, arts and cultural centre in Derry] and 160 children from all the Irish language schools are coming over.”

For the past three years, World Book Day in Ireland has included an Irish language title. “Irish books are hitting it out of the park. Irish authors are brilliant – their books are clever, well-written and beautifully illustrated,” says Jenni.

“If an adult and a child comes in, I always ask the child first what they like. Kids now are more open about what they like to read. I give them a book that’s easier for them to read so it gets their confidence up. I love when a kid comes in and says, ‘I loved the last book, what’s the next one in the series?’

“My nickname in the town is ‘Jenni Books’. The children think I live in the bookshop and never leave,” she says, smiling, “One kid said to me, ‘your shop smells like Christmas’. Another said, ‘I want this shop to babysit me’. That’s what you’re providing.”

Halfway Up the Stairs

People travel from all corners of the country, often planning their holidays to include a visit to Halfway Up the Stairs, an independent bookshop in Greystones, Co Wicklow. It’s known for specialising in books for children, teenagers, and young adults.

“The shop is very much geared around the personal recommendation,” explains Trish Hennessy, owner and manager. “We want to find the right book for every child regardless of need or ability.”

The five-person team is constantly innovating to keep readers engaged. A standout initiative is their monthly subscription service, where a child receives

a personally selected book either

in-store or delivered to their home for a three-month, six-month, or 12-month period.

Each subscription is tailored to the child’s preferences and chosen by Amanda Dunne Fulmer, who was awarded Individual Bookseller of the Year at the British Book Awards 2024.

“It’s about building up a child’s library,” says Trish. “Amanda’s job is to choose the books for the subscription, write a note and wrap them. It’s a very personal service and so successful that we have a waiting list.”

One of the store’s booksellers and award-winning children’s writer Sarah Webb is also involved in a campaign called Discover Irish to promote Irish children’s books.

“Sarah noticed that while adult bestseller charts frequently feature Irish authors, children’s books rarely do. But change is happening, Children’s Books Ireland has now teamed up with Eason to highlight Irish children’s and teen books each month.”

Trish describes World Book Day as “a celebration of books”.

“For us, it’s a huge opportunity to bring people into the shop. Last year we dressed up as Chris Haughton books and wore the block colours.”

Halfway Up the Stairs have an extensive selection of graphic novels which are an important form of visual literacy, according to Trish. “Graphic novels and comics can be read and enjoyed on their own as a valid form of reading. It’s about short, sharp bursts of information.”

Many of these graphic novels appeal to teen boys, a demographic that often struggles to find books that resonate with them.

“In recent years, more books are emerging for teen boys, which is fantastic,” says Trish. “There was a real dearth of options before.”

Trish emphasises the importance of children seeing themselves reflected in books. “They need to recognise themselves and their own experiences in stories. The most important thing is that books engage young readers. If they don’t enjoy it, they won’t read.”

Red Books

Wally O’Neill, owner of Red Books, says that he always loved books but never thought it would be possible to open a bookshop. However, he has run the independent bookshop in Wexford town since 2019, stocking 250,000 books.

“I thought you needed to have major qualifications or have worked in the industry,” he says. “I became a courier after the recession and one of my jobs was moving books for an independent book supplier, that’s how I got into it.”

It is the people rather than the books that make the shop unique, according to Wally.

“We have regulars in every day, people calling in just to get a cup of tea and have a chat. People sleeping rough come and hang out so they don’t freeze,” says Wally. “They appreciate the place an awful lot.”

From a small suckler farm in south Wexford, Wally says that the ethos of the bookshop is connected to his heritage. “My grandparents would have had anyone into the farm for a cup of tea,” he says.

Red Books specialise in second-hand books and collectibles, with genres including sci-fi, history and politics, poetry, mindfulness, and religion. They also stock books that are no longer available online.

“A lot of people come in here and discover new stuff, that’s what they like about it,” Wally says. “We’re big on social media. We post 80 random books from the shop every day on Facebook.”

At the start of each week, Wally also posts a full list of what is happening in the shop. It could be anything from an Irish language group to a film screening, a book launch or a fundraiser. Permanent fixtures are knitting and crochet on Tuesday, a writers group on Wednesday and a poetry open mic once a month.

Another staple is the Wexford Youth Literacy Society that meets every Saturday.

“Two girls started it,” says Wally. “They have people from all the local schools now, including the boys school. We walk in and they could be discussing Angela Carter poetry or something really obscure.”

Students and school groups will also come into Red Books for World Book Day. “We accept the [World Book Day] tokens, it’s a great initiative,” says Wally.

World Book Day £1/€1.50 token are valid between 13 February and 23 March 2025. See worldbookday.com