Nearly 1,000 indie bookstores to join Indies First on Nov. 28

Independent bookstores across the U.S. will mark the 14th annual Indies First event on Nov. 28, timed with Small Business Saturday to drive holiday shopping. The campaign adds a new nationwide event map and features poet Hanif Abdurraqib as this year’s Indie Bookstore Ambassador.

Why it matters: - Indies First is designed to steer holiday spending toward independent bookstores, which the American Booksellers Association says create jobs, support local economies and preserve neighborhood character. - The event also gives readers a centralized way to find bookstore events nationwide through a new Indies First Map. - The timing on Small Business Saturday puts indie bookstores in the middle of the holiday shopping kickoff.

What happened: - The 14th annual Indies First will take place on Nov. 28, 2026, with nearly 1,000 independent bookstores participating across the United States. - The event is built around activities and events hosted by independent bookstores to launch the holiday shopping season. - The American Booksellers Association introduced the new Indies First Map as a guide to hundreds of events and experiences happening nationwide. - Hanif Abdurraqib is this year’s Indie Bookstore Ambassador. - ABA has also partnered with the American Independent Business Alliance for the Shop Indie Local Holiday Campaign, which extends Indies First through the holiday weekend after Thanksgiving.

The details: - Indies First is a collaborative effort among authors, publishers, retailers and readers. - The campaign dates to 2013. - Past authors and celebrities who have helped lead the campaign include Roxane Gay, Jason Reynolds, Dan Rather, Kate DiCamillo, Cheryl Strayed and Lena Dunham. - Past official ambassadors include Celeste Ng in 2022, Amanda Gorman in 2023, Trevor Noah in 2024 and LeVar Burton in 2025. - Abdurraqib is a poet, essayist and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio, and a graduate of Beechcroft High School. - Abdurraqib received a MacArthur Foundation “Genius Grant.” - Abdurraqib is the author of There's Always This Year, a New York Times bestseller and National Book Critics Circle Award winner; A Little Devil in America, a Carnegie Medal winner and National Book Award finalist; The Crown Ain't Worth Much; They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us; Go Ahead in the Rain; and A Fortune for Your Disaster, which won the Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize. - On the lead up to Indies First, Abdurraqib said the indie bookstore acts as “a kind of beacon and guide” for what a community loves, needs and desires. - Libro.fm is running its annual Shop Small Sale on hundreds of audiobooks, including bestsellers and bookseller picks, and is offering two free audiobooks with a new membership. - Inquiries about Indies First can be directed to indiesfirst@bookweb.org. - The American Booksellers Association says it supports over 3,200 independent bookstores. - The association provides members with education, networking opportunities, advocacy, resources and technology. - ABA says its member stores support local schools through book fairs, donations and author visits; promote literacy; act as inclusive community centers; connect readers and books; add character to neighborhoods; and champion diverse and new voices.

Between the lines: - The new map signals a push to make Indies First easier to navigate and more visible to shoppers beyond local store regulars. - Pairing the campaign with Small Business Saturday and the broader holiday weekend gives independent bookstores a built-in marketing window against chains and online sellers. - The ambassador program continues to blend literary credibility with consumer-facing promotion.

What's next: - Shoppers can use the Indies First Map to plan bookstore visits on Nov. 28 and throughout the holiday weekend. - ABA’s holiday campaign with AMIBA is set to keep the focus on independent businesses after Thanksgiving. - Bookstores, authors and readers are expected to keep promoting events through the campaign’s official channels and participating stores.