MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin book lovers have a new reason to hit the road in June. The Independent Bookshop Quest 2026 is a statewide celebration of independent bookstores, bringing together 35 participating shops in a monthlong “quest” designed to encourage readers to explore new communities, discover new authors — and support local businesses.
How the quest works
Maps will be available starting June 1 at participating bookstores across Wisconsin. Quest participants can bring the map from store to store and have it marked at each stop.
The goal is to give readers an easy way to explore the wide range of indie shops around the state.
“One of the great things about independent bookstores is how different they all are,” the organizer and Republic of Letters bookstore owner, Keith Burrows, said. “Each store has a small team or maybe just one person behind it — choosing the books, choosing what events they host, choosing how they fit into their community. We want to give people a chance to really go out and explore and find all the other bookstores that they will love.”…