Insights from the Booksellers Association research into the Cultural and Community Value of Bookshops across the UK and Ireland

It has long been the contention of the Booksellers Association (UK and Ireland) that its members – chains and indies – play an outsize role in enriching the cultural lives of their communities. Starting in 2024, research has been undertaken to determine the extent to which and in what ways bookshops enrich their communities, whilst identifying enablers and barriers so that this contribution can be sustained and strengthened. Consequently, a series of research reports has been produced covering England (September 2024), Ireland (excl. Northern Ireland: November 2024), Scotland (November 2025), and Wales (scheduled for January 2026). Howard will outline the insights arising from this body of research, similarities and contrasts between the four nations, and the key policy recommendations that have emerged.

Howard Davies has a background in Public Affairs and Public Policy. Howard is a self-confessed bookshop enthusiast. He has previously worked for the Booksellers Association of UK and Ireland as (maternity cover) Head of Policy and Public Affairs. Howard authored the 2024 research reports on the Cultural Role and Value of England’s Independent Bookshops  (funded by Arts Council England and supported by the BA), and on the Cultural Role and Value of Bookshops in Ireland (funded by the BA), and the November 2025 BA research report into the Cultural and Community role of Scotland’s Bookshops, and the January 2026 research report into the Cultural and Community role of Wales’s Bookshops.