Liber, the much-loved Sligo independent bookshop, has been named Bookshop of the Year at the annual Irish Independent Retail Awards 2019. Best-selling author Andrea Hayes, in presenting the awards, celebrated the dedication of all of the finalists to serving their communities. In the case of Liber, this is a commitment that goes back almost 100 years when the grandparents of current co-owner, Brian Caliendo, opened the Ritz restaurant on the same site in 1930.
In 1999, their son Frank Caliendo and his wife Nuala launched Liber in its place, with a focus on the bookshop becoming an integral part of the cultural life of Sligo. In 2009, their son Brian and his wife Ailbhe took over the running of Liber and continued to build on this tradition, running writing workshops, storytelling sessions for children, supporting the Yeats International Summer School and promoting local authors.
It has been a philosophy which has served the bookshop and its customers well, with Liber being nominated for the Irish Times Best Irish Bookshop shortlist in 2014 and winning Best Retail Premises in the Sligo Business Awards of the same year.
In accepting the award, Brian and Ailbhe paid tribute to those who have made the bookshop a success. “We would like to thank our customers for their overwhelming support and encouragement and we look forward to seeing you in Liber again soon.”
For more information, or to pay a visit to the shop:http://liber.ie/
Liber Books, 35 O’Connell St., Sligo
Email: info@liber.ie
Call: 071 9142219
