Newcastle Global Book Crawl week-long tour

Newcastle’s Global Book Crawl is running this week, sending readers through five independent bookshops across the city and Port Stephens from April 20 to 26. (globalbookcrawl.org) The Newcastle region crawl asks visitors to pick up a passport at a participating shop and collect stamps between Monday, April 20, and Sunday, April 26. Shop hours vary by venue, and Newcastle Weekly lists the event on Thursday, April 23, as a free activity with times marked “varies.” (globalbookcrawl.org) (newcastleweekly.com.au) The five listed stops are Betty Loves Books on Scott Street in Newcastle, Cooks Hill Books on Darby Street, MacLean’s Booksellers and Q’s Books on Beaumont Street in Hamilton, and Readers Retreat in Salamander Bay. The Global Book Crawl site tells visitors to check each shop’s opening hours online before going. (globalbookcrawl.org) Readers who collect six stamps can claim a free audiobook from Libro.fm, the event’s audiobook partner. Families who complete the crawl can also get a copy of Andy Griffiths’ *Land of Lost Things* while stocks last. (globalbookcrawl.org) The Newcastle route is part of a wider Global Book Crawl that runs in participating cities from April 20 to 26, 2026. Organisers describe the format as a self-guided route through local independent bookshops rather than a single-ticket festival or one-venue fair. (globalbookcrawl.org) (booksandpublishing.com.au) Australian booksellers are treating the crawl as a retail and community event after the first national edition in 2025. Books+Publishing reported that 63 Australian bookstores took part last year, with many stores reporting sales gains of 12% to 24%, and one reporting a 300% increase. (booksandpublishing.com.au) Newcastle was already on the board in 2025, though on a smaller scale. Books+Publishing said regional crawls including Newcastle reported between five and 50 participants in the inaugural year. (booksandpublishing.com.au) Visit Newcastle’s event listing says the crawl is staged across various venues and notes disabled access is available, with details through the operator. The same listing frames the week as a way to connect readers, authors, publishers and local shops in one shared event. (visitnewcastle.com.au) For readers in Newcastle, the mechanics are simple: grab a passport, move from shop to shop, and get stamped before Sunday, April 26. The week ends with the same pitch it starts with — more foot traffic through local bookstores, one stop at a time. (globalbookcrawl.org)