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RTÉ News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
10 of the best independent bookshops in Ireland
With the rise of virtual stores, mobile-friendly subscriptions and Kindles, these stalwarts maintain that the proof is in the pages. Ireland, for both tourists and locals alike, is something of a Book World. And despite the difficulties one might associate with trying to get people to read––attention spans chief among them––Irish people still love books; choosing them, buying them and reading them. Mercifully, we're at no loss for finding places where all of those things can be done at once. The vast majority of the best bookshops in this country are run by people who also love books. Which is to say that despite bigger book chains' discount prices and huge inventories, Ireland still shines with independents. Lucky enough to have one within walking distance? Consider it your duty to use it, or lose it. Here is a nationwide selection of Ireland's best indies. If we've missed your favourite, do get in touch... Books at One Where? 5 Ellis Workshops, Letterfrack, Connemara, Co Galway (also Louisburgh, Co Mayo) An indie bookshop and social enterprise supporting local artists and authors, Books at One allows the customer to consume excellent coffee and cake while perusing the latest titles, gifts and cards. With cosy indoor seating and a sunny garden-patio, Books at One is perhaps what the term "hidden gem" was made for. Located in a former Quaker workshop behind a Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (now a constituent of Atlantic Technological University) campus, Books at One's Letterfrack location is at the scenic base of the trail leading to Connemara National Park and Diamond Hill. Consider a stroll, if only to work up your appetite. Tertulia Where? 2 The Harbour Mill, The Quay, Westport, Co Mayo As described by the motto daubed onto the shop's walls, Tertulia is "a bookshop like no other," and is named for the act of gathering to discuss literature, arts or current affairs. Focused on community and fostering artistic spaces, Tertulia is a space to relax, listen to some vinyl and discuss films and books (most preferably in the cosy reading nook under the stairs). No Alibis Where? 83 Botanic Avenue, Belfast, Co Antrim No Alibis is a bookshop that is more than the sum of its parts. Though it specialises in crime fiction and American studies publications, its shelves are teeming with all genres, with the possibility of tea being offered at any stage of your perusal. Resplendent with coffee and a reading area, this hidden gem is just a minute's walk from Botanic station. Halfway Up The Stairs Where? La Touche Place, Greystones, Co Wicklow Named for the A.A. Milne poem "Halfway Down" featured in his classic When We Were Very Young, Halfway Up The Stairs is the kind of bookshop any book lover would dream of bringing a little one to. An award-winning children's bookshop with competitive prices, knowledgeable staff and a cosy vibe. Gutter Bookshop Where? Cow's Lane, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 (and 20 Railway Road Dalkey) Continuing with the trend of literary shop names––"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars" appears in Oscar Wilde's play, Lady Windermere's Fan ––Gutter Bookshop is proof that despite economic challenges, physical books will prevail. Opened in the downturn of 2009, Bob Johnston's entire business plan was centred around people's tendency to buy physical books if buying them was part of the pleasure of reading them. We're delighted to say he was exactly right. Charlie Byrne's Where? The Cornstore, Middle St, Galway Charlie Byrne's is one of the best-loved and most famous independent bookshops in Ireland, not to mention a Galway institution. Located in the heart of the city, it stocks over 70,000 pre-loved, new and bargain books on every imaginable subject. As per a recent TripAdvisor review: "I simply could not live in Galway without Charlie Byrne's. It's a labyrinth of bookworm delights, staffed by infinitely patient elves always happy to listen to our ramblings about books." Universal Books Where? Church Lane, Letterkenny, Co Donegal Universal Books sells a myriad; books, records, musical instruments, antiques and various other items, all at exceptionally good deals. Run by David Faughnan since 1996, the shop boasts the kind of genuine quirkiness that tourists dream of. Few stores like this exist anymore, fewer still with Faughnan's eye. The Celtic Bookshop Where? Rutland Street, Prior's Land, Limerick The Celtic Bookshop is a labour of love, curated over decades. Holding volumes on just about every topic you can imagine related to Ireland and other Celtic lands, it specialises in both new and out-of-print books, maps and prints. Located directly across from the Hunt Museum, this is a treasure trove you won't find elsewhere. Little Acorns Books Where? 3-5 Society Street, Derry The largest independent bookstore in the north west of Ireland, Little Acorns holds Irish fiction titles of all genres, as well as both new and used books. Owner Jenni Doherty founded it 15 years ago when all she had was a book stall and a dream. Today, she boasts 60,000 books in a three-storey building. A gem specialising in secondhand and some antiquarian books - and winner of Bookshop Of The Year at the 2025 An Post Irish Book Awards. "We're part of the fabric of their lives..." Congrats to @LittleAcornsBks for winning @Postvox Bookshop of the Year! Watch Jenni's acceptance as she highlights the importance of indie bookshops in our communities. #APIBA #StoriesMakeUs — An Post Irish Book Awards (@AnPostIBAS) January 7, 2025 21 Lavitts Quay, Cork Cork's oldest independent and family-run bookshop, Vibes and Scribes, has been making literary dreams come true for over 30 years now. And as Cork's last remaining independent bookstore, consider this your sign to visit. Artsy, family-run and full of both old and new, this is a space a little different to the rest. And as a regular stop-off for touring authors, you might even spot your favourite while browsing.
Daily Mirror
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Largest-ever cast for an audiobook brought together for exciting new project
Writer Wendy Erskine's The Benefactors is one of the most hotly anticipated books of the year for 2025. Audiobook fans are in for a treat, as a cast of more than 30 narrators record this debut novel Irish writer Wendy Erskine 's debut novel has been hotly anticipated since it was snapped up by Sceptre in 24-hour pre-empt in September 2024. Centring around a sexual assault, the novel explores pushing family connections to their breaking point, the implications of wealth and class in contemporary Belfast. All of life is here in the pages of Erskine's The Benefactors, and so, it is no surprise that a polyphonic array of voices from the city appear in the audiobook, too. The main narrative is spread over five points of view, three of which are mothers whose sons have sexually assaulted a schoolfriend, Misty. Misty and her own step-father, Boogie's narratives bring the reader close to the horrors of seeking justice. But while this is a novel about a traumatic event, Erskine's style is to fuse humour and heart throughout. Publisher of The Benefactors Hodder & Stoughton commissioned its largest-ever cast for the audiobook. More than 30 narrators contributed to the audiobook, making it the largest cast to date for the publishers' audiobook production. Open casting submission sought to find voice-talent, which was then chosen by Erskine for inclusion in the audio-recording. As in the audio editions of her two short story collections, Erskine herself narrates the majority of the book. But interspersed between this through-line story of sexual assault in modern Belfast are more than 30 narrators. One of which is David Torrens, the owner of Belfast-based independent bookshop No Alibis, a stalwart in supporting the Irish writing community. The Benefactors is refreshing for its expansive narrative net it casts around the city. No city is defined by one event, and so too is Erskine's Belfast not solely focused on a sexual assault case. These narratives range from a woman seeking her long-lost son, and it going horribly wrong, to life amongst the dead in funeral parlours. Erskine told The Bookseller: 'The experience of this book moving from the page to audio was – and this is no exaggeration – wonderful. Right from the beginning, the approach was innovative and predicated on giving listeners the most authentic experience of the book. 'I was there for the recording of many of the monologues, most of which were done by people with no previous experience of that kind of thing and wow, what they brought to my words was beyond what I could possibly have anticipated.' Erskine burst onto the literary scene with her short story collection Sweet Home, published by the Stinging Fly and Picador in 2018. Her follow-up collection Dance Move was a BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime. She has been listed for the Gordon Burn Prize, the Republic of Consciousness Prize, the Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award and the Edge Hill Prize. She was awarded the Butler Prize for Literature and the Edge Hill Readers' Prize. Taken as a whole, Erskine's works form a census of modern Belfast, taking in everything from conversations in hairdressers' salons to the aftermath of sexual assault.
