The Booksellers Association has today announced The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff, as Fiction Book of the Month for March, while Bear and Bird: The Picnic and Other Stories by Jarvis is Children’s Book of the Month.
 
Independent bookshops around the UK and Ireland will be promoting The Bandit Queens and Bear and Bird: The Picnic and Other Stories throughout March on social media and in-store. The Booksellers Association will be supporting the promotion of the Indie Books of the Month through social media and promotional material.

The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff is a sharply observed tragicomedy revolving around an isolated women falsely accused of killing her vanished husband, who becomes sought after to help other aspiring windows. The Bandit Queens is set in a small village in India.
 
Geeta hasn’t wasted too much time trying to correct the record, because as a single woman her new reputation has been the one thing keeping her safe all these years. Still, she's paid a price. She's an outcast in her town, estranged from her childhood best friend, Saloni, and from the rest of the women in her microloan group. But that all changes when another member of the group approaches Geeta with a problem of her own. Farah's husband, Samir, is an abusive drunk and she's ready to be rid of him, so she asks Geeta for help, appealing to her expertise. Not wanting to reveal the truth, Geeta reluctantly agrees, but this one small murderous favour sets in motion a chain of events that will change everything - and not just for Geeta, but for Saloni, and Farah, and all the women in their village. The Bandit Queens is published by Allen & Unwin on 2 March 2023 and is available to pre-order now.
 
Parini Shroff said: “It is no secret that independent bookstores and small businesses are beneficial for the economy and the environment, but they also serve a vital role in fostering community and a personalized experience in engaging with books. Whenever I travel, those with me know we will be making an immediate beeline to explore local bookshops! These stores have an invaluable impact in encouraging diversity in literature, and new voices to be heard.”
 
Bear and Bird: The Picnic and Other Stories by Jarvis is about the day-to-day adventures of two best friends, Bear and Bird. And while they don’t always understand each other, they both agree: all they want is to make the other happy. So, when Bear forgets to pack for a picnic (but pretends otherwise), Bird doesn’t let on that she knew all along. And when Bird discovers that Bear has more of a certain talent than she does, well, Bear finds a touching way to make her feel… Full of funny mix-ups, genuine warmth and sweet messages about being a good friend, these classic stories with a retro feel will be treasured by families for years to come. Bear and Bird: The Picnic and Other Stories is published by Walker Books on 2 March 2023 and is available to pre-order now.
 
Jarvis said: “Independent bookshops are brilliant. If I go to a new town, they’re the first place I head to. And every month I get a little delivery of handpicked picture books from my favourite indie. It’s my favourite day seeing what they picked out for me. Long live indie bookshops!”
 
The Indie Book of the Month titles are selected by panels of booksellers from publisher submissions. The Fiction panel for March comprised booksellers from DRAKE – The Bookshop; Beverley Bookshop; Far From the Madding Crowd and Four Bears Books. The Children’s panel for March comprised booksellers from Little Ripon Bookshop; Booka Bookshop and Norfolk Children’s Book Centre.
 
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