Bookfest 2009 may well be over (and we’ve finished our end notes series at last!), but that doesn’t mean the end of Oxfam book events, promotions and literary celebrations.

There are more than 700 Oxfam shops around the country that stock books, and thousands of volunteers and staff dedicated to the book biz. Shops and local Oxfam groups certainly keep busy organising events and all sorts of fun offerings throughout the year.

When it comes to events, a good ol’ book fair is always a popular pick. One local group of Oxfam supporters who would agree is the Oxford Oxfam Group (OOG). The group has about 60 members and a varied programme of events, including twice-yearly book fairs.

If you happen to be in Oxford tomorrow (Saturday 24th), the group is holding a book fair at Wesley Memorial Church Hall, New Inn Hall Street, from 9.30am to 5pm. Head down to bag a good book or three.

The last fair, held in April as part of The Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival, had a great range of books for sale, and for a good cause. With funds going towards Oxfam’s education project in Zambia, they raised a fantastic £2952.

A previous book fair raised money for an education project in Liberia, which has helped 164 teachers improve their teaching skills, three new libraries be established, 12 libraries re-stocked and Parent Teacher Associations put in place.

Events at the Oxfam Marylebone Bookshop in London have included poetry readings and collection launches (often hosted by poet Todd Swift), and food and wine tasting sessions. Oxfam Hertford Bookshop hosted author and illustrator James Mayhew a few months ago.

The Oxfam Byres Road Bookshop in Glasgow keeps everyone updated on what’s happening via their blog and Twitter account. The Oxfam Bookshop in Newcastle Upon Tyne also Tweets about specials and events including raffles, while Oxfam Crouch End has an events section on its site.

To find out what’s happening in your area, get in touch with your local Oxfam shop.

Tags: Bookfest 2009, Oxfam book events, Oxfam shops and specialist book shops, Oxfam volunteers, Oxfam's work in Zambia, Oxfam's work with others to overcome poverty and suffering

This entry was posted on Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at 1:33 pm and is filed under Bookfest 2009, General, You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.