Derry's Little Acorns longlisted for Bookshop of the Year award

Jenni winning the Regional (Ulster) of the An Post Irish Bookshop of the Year 2021 in her premises at Foyle Street, Derry

Little Acorns Bookstore have been announced as a contender for the An Post Bookshop of the Year Award.

Jenni Doherty, who is originally from Greencastle, Co Donegal and now resides in Derry, set up Little Acorns Bookstore with 100 books at a weekend stall in 2011. With eight bookshop moves in twelve years, and over 60 thousand books (and 150 typewriters!) her latest move to 18 Great James Street in April this year, hopes to be her 'forever home'.

Jenni said: “I really am so chuffed to be longlisted in the An Post Bookshop of the Year 2023, with eleven other stellar bookshops from throughout the island of Ireland. This honour has arrived from the public vote only - and to get that seal of approval from the general public is really special, so huge thanks to all who voted for Little Acorns Bookstore! It is much appreciated and means a lot. Here's to making it to the next stage and doing it for both Derry and Donegal!”

Little Acorns is one of 12 bookshops across the country who have been longlisted for the ‘An Post Bookshop of the Year’ category at this year’s An Post Irish Book Awards. The ‘An Post Bookshop of the Year’ category is designed to acknowledge the significant role played by independent bookshops and local branches of bookshop chains in helping their local communities to find and savour the titles of their choice.

Kate Gunning from the Booksellers Association of UK and Ireland, Dawn Behan of Woodbine Books and Chair of Bookselling Ireland, Mayor of Derry, Councillor Patrica Logue and Jenni Doherty, Little Acorns Bookstore

The longlist of twelve bookshops around Ireland for 2023 are:

Bridge Books Dromore, Co. Down

Bridge Street Books, Wicklow

Castle Book & Card Centre, Castlebar, Mayo

Mayor of Derry, Councillor Patricia Logue with Jenni Doherty, Little Acorns Bookstore and Raymond Craig, Chair of Guildhall Press publishers

The Clifden Bookshop, Connemara, Galway

Halfway Up the Stairs, Greystones, Wicklow

Kerr’s Bookshop Clonakilty, Co. Cork

Liber, Sligo

Little Acorns Bookstore, Derry

Maynooth Bookshop, Kildare

O’Mahony’s Booksellers, Limerick

Tales for Tadpoles, Bray, Wicklow

Tertulia, Westport, Mayo

Customers were asked to vote for their favourite bookshops and to explain the reason for their choice. The bookshops that received the most votes were then longlisted and invited by the judges to enter a written submission. A mystery shopper will now visit Little Acorns and the other bookshops as part of the judging process to establish the shortlist of six bookshops. The shortlist will be officially announced on October 19. The overall winner of ‘An Post Bookshop of the Year’ will be presented with their trophy at the An Post Irish Book Awards event on 22nd November along with a prize worth €15,000 from An Post Commerce.

Little Acorns Bookstore was awarded the Regional (Ulster) Bookshop of the Year in An Post Bookshop of the Year 2021, and was a finalist for the Island of Ireland region in the British Book Awards Independent Bookshop of the Year 2022 and 2023. Other notable awards include the North West Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year 2022, the Families First N Ireland Best Business of the Year 2022, a finalist in the Derry Journal Business Person on the Year 2022 and Jenni was chosen as one of two from Ireland in the Bookseller Magazine’s Bookshop Heroes in 2022.

For further information, visit www.anpostirishbookawards.ie