The “Festival of Lights,” one of Judaism’s special events though not a biblical holiday, takes place in 2021 from sundown 11/28 – sundown 12/6. The eight-day celebration commemorates a Jewish victory in the second century B.C. over Greek-Syrian oppressors who sought to force the Jewish community to assimilate. It is NOT the “Jewish Christmas,” though there are some similarities. Both holidays celebrate light during a season of darkness, with symbolic candle lighting either from the branches of trees or from a menorah. Both Hanukkah and Christmas are shaped around messages of hope and miracles, a time of wonder meant to bring families together. 

For devoted music fan or pop culture buffs in bookstores, stock and promote the best backlist music books. Music books covering many genres (rock, K-pop, country, punk, hip-hop and more) and formats (from memoirs and biographies to cultural essays and songwriter guides), so there’s something for everyone.

So many opportunities for holiday-related promotions are around the corner. This title collection features general Christmas-related titles in the areas of Cooking, Baking, Reference, and Memoir. The titles are top sellers annually and are perfect for promotions and shelves. 

White Elephant and Secret Santa gift exchanges have become more popular, and certain books and merch from PRH see massive sales increases during the fourth quarter as a result. Titles on this list outsell Q1 – 3 by as much as 16 times in Q4. Tis the season to sell backlist! 

In May, Americans pay tribute to generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America’s history and are instrumental in its future success. At no time have these Americans needed to see the country acknowledge and celebrate the rich heritages thousands of years old and the people who have shaped United States history. 

Asian-Americans are the nation’s fastest-growing racial group, and for the last year have suffered considerably in an ever-present racist atmosphere. Encourage booksellers to show their support more than ever with a variety of ideas for promotion during this holiday.

“On June 19, 1865, Union Army Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, and told slaves of their emancipation. That day came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. While the holiday was informally commemorated in later years, Texas became the first state to make it a state holiday in 1980. Last year, numerous states, cities and colleges across the US moved to recognize it as an official holiday.” (CNN)

As more companies designate Juneteenth an official work holiday, and the work of racial reckoning is at the forefront of our national priorities, Juneteenth becomes a more recognized historical celebration. Help booksellers help their customers understand this holiday with fiction and non-fiction that shines a light on the past and present.

Illustration: news.crunchbase.com

As soon as the pandemic and stay at home orders began in March of last year, sales of cookbooks jumped, including in the Baking category. Sales of Baking titles ended the year up 60% over prior year. Bread, cake, cookies and more – PRH and our distributed clients have the top-selling titles.

Although many think of St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) as a day of parading and imbibing, St Patrick’s Day is a global celebration of Irish culture. It particularly remembers St Patrick, one of Ireland’s patron saints, who ministered Christianity in Ireland during the fifth century. To commemorate this holiday, bookstores and libraries may choose to focus on the wealth of exceptional writing by Irish writers, or books set in the country. 

Hispanic Heritage Month—also called Latinx Heritage Month to recognize a broader spectrum of identities relating to gender, language, and origin—will be celebrated in the US from September 15th through October 15th. Celebrate by helping accounts stock up on top-selling fiction and nonfiction titles that focus on Latinx stories, including Spanish-language titles.

Personal growth is a constant and crucial individual journey that looks and feels different for everyone. Luckily, PRH has a wide variety of books in the category that continue to perform well and keep selling, including titles from category several leaders—such as Brené Brown, Jordan B. Peterson, Eckhart Tolle, Jen Sincero, Moorea Seal, and more.

Cookbooks are truly the gift that keeps on giving all year. Help your accounts become a busy shopper’s ultimate destination by stocking their shelves with PRH’s most-gifted backlist cookbooks—featuring celebrity chefs, the latest kitchen trends and gadgets, new perspectives on culinary classics, and much more.

The literary equivalent of the Christmas sweater is getting more and more popular each holiday season! Whether they’re stocking stuffers, gifts for funny gift exchanges, or simply a silly addition to the gift pile, here are PRH’s bestselling backlist titles for the occasion.