Families across South East Queensland have a new excuse to explore their local bookshops this autumn, with the region joining the international Global Book Crawl for the first time.
Running from 20–26 April 2026, the Global Book Crawl invites book lovers of all ages to turn reading into a week-long adventure, hopping between participating bookshops, collecting stamps, discovering new titles and celebrating the joy of books.
Think of it like a pub crawl – but with stories, picture books and literary treasures instead.
The event brings together independent bookshops around the world with a simple idea: encourage people to explore their local bookstores, support small businesses and reconnect with the magic of browsing real shelves.
For families, it’s also a wonderful way to turn a simple bookshop visit into a mini outing. Children can collect stamps in their Global Book Crawl Passport at each store they visit, while parents browse for their next great read. Some shops will also host special activities for kids, families and young readers, and there may even be opportunities to meet local authors.
The book crawl encourages participants to map out their own route, visiting as many stores as they like throughout the week.
A number of beloved local bookshops are taking part across South East Queensland, including favourites in West End, Bulimba, Wynnum, Ascot, Manly, Red Hill, Montville and Ipswich, as well as several in Brisbane’s CBD.
Queensland stores participating in the Global Book Crawl include:
- Avid Reader Bookshop (West End)
- Books @ Stones (Stones Corner)
- Bright and Early Books (Ascot)
- Cursive Knives (Fortitude Valley)
- Dymocks Brisbane City
- Forever Fables (Montville)
- Harry Hartog (Westfield Carindale)
- Little Gnome Bookshop (Wynnum)
- Pulp Fiction Books (Brisbane City)
- Quick Brown Fox Bookshop (Grange)
- Riverbend Books (Bulimba)
- Scrumptious Reads (Red Hill)
- The Book Bouquet (Ipswich)
- The Mad Hatters Bookshop (Manly)
- Where the Wild Things Are (West End)
See the full list of Australian participants here.
Global Book Crawl organiser Mark Rubbo says the inaugural event was a huge success.
“The inaugural Global Book Crawl was so much fun. Thousands of Australian readers spent the week discovering the joys of their local bookshops,” he said.
“For 2026 we’ve added many more bookshops and states, and again will be joining bookshops around the world to celebrate.”
Families keen to take part can simply visit a participating bookshop in April to pick up a Global Book Crawl Passport, then start planning their literary adventure.
Whether it’s discovering a new picture book, finding a hidden second-hand gem or introducing children to the magic of independent bookshops, the Global Book Crawl offers a lovely reminder that some of the best family adventures start with a good book.
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