20 independent bookshops to launch Singapore's first Indie Bookshop Day from Oct 2
Twenty independent bookshops across Singapore will hold the inaugural Singapore Indie Bookshop Day from Oct 2 to 4, featuring storytelling sessions, author visits, a stamp rally and other community events. The event is jointly organised by the participating shops and the Singapore Book Publishers As
Twenty independent bookshops across Singapore will come together for the inaugural Singapore Indie Bookshop Day (SGIBD) 2026, taking place from Oct 2 to 4. The main day of activities is Oct 3, with programmes starting on Oct 2 and running until Oct 4.
The event is jointly organised by the participating independent bookshops and the Singapore Book Publishers Association, and is supported by the National Arts Council and international publisher Hachette Book Group. It takes inspiration from similar bookseller- and reader-centric events in other countries, including Independent Booksellers Week in the UK and Independent Bookstore Day in the US.
Instead of gathering at a single venue, SGIBD will take place across the individual shops, giving each bookseller the freedom to design their own programme. “SGIBD is not a fair just to sell books, but to celebrate the spaces of our bookstores and bring more people into our worlds,” said Ibrahim Tahir, founder and principal bookseller of Wardah Books, a bookshop in Kampong Glam.
The programme lineup includes President Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s book recommendations at Book Bar, a blind book swap at Epigram Books, and a “Batik Librarian” consultation at Wardah Books. Other activities include live sketching demonstrations at Basheer Graphic Books, storytelling sessions at Eliko Picture Books & Things, a bookselling workshop at Closetful of Books, and a zine workshop at City Book Room.
Visitors can also explore the 20 participating bookshops through the SGIBD Passport, which doubles as a directory and stamp rally. Each shop will have its own customised stamp, and participants who collect stamps from at least half of the shops qualify for a lucky draw with prizes including book vouchers and a curated gift set of books. Limited-edition SGIBD bookmarks will also be available at participating bookshops while stocks last.
The organisers said the event aims to highlight the communities, conversations and encounters that already take place in and around Singapore’s bookshops. “If a bookshop closes, you're not only losing an avenue for the purchase of books,” Ibrahim said. “You're losing community, you're losing conversations, you're losing encounters, you're losing so much more than an avenue to buy books.”
More information on the programmes, participating bookshops and registration details will be available on SGIBD's official Instagram page.
