I do love being British!
The stress and bother of Black Friday has really shown humans up at their worst over the last couple of years. Fighting over television sets in a show of consumerist savagery really has shown those watching that the human race can be incredibly uncivilised! I’d love to say this is a foreign phenomenon, but here in the UK we’ve even seen our own Black Friday shame over the last couple of years.
However, being reserved and stoic is really what us Brits are known for, so I’m thrilled to announce that this year around one hundred British bookshops have signed up to what will be known as ‘Civilised Saturday’, surely showing that bookish people are a cut above!
The idea was initially propose by Tim Walker, the president of the Booksellers Association and the idea has been taken up with gusto by bookshops!
Black Friday is all about the bargains, fighting over that must have thing, and although it was traditionally a US phenomenon, taking place just after Thanksgiving and the chance to get some bargains for Christmas, I the last couple of years it’s hit the UK too.
Whether you use Civilised Saturday as an antidote to Black Friday, or whether you use it to recover from the craziness of Friday. Saturday 28th November will be the day to get involved. Bookshops who have signed up to the day will still be offering bargains, but in a more civilised way with reading sessions, mince pies, mulled win, art and singing. You might even be able to get a nice cup of tea, and what’s more British than that?
Although we sadly don’t have a list of book shops that are taking part, you can check the British bookshops in our Bookshop section and see what indie bookshops are near you!
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