Author gives $300K to 600 American bookstore employees to honor their efforts to keep book shops alive

Books don’t just fill bookshelves; they fill voids, provide solace, and act as vessels of knowledge. In a world often filled with challenges, books offer an escape, granting us a fresh perspective on life. Unfortunately, the younger generation is reading fewer books compared to past generations, and this trend needs to be reversed. Believing that books have the power to change lives, international best-selling author James Patterson is taking a genuine and heartfelt initiative to give employees of American booksellers a $ 500-holiday bonus this season.

To support the industry, Patterson’s total donations amounted to $300,000 this holiday season, benefiting 600 different bookstore employees. According to the American Booksellers Association, workers either applied for the bonus themselves or were nominated by colleagues, friends or even authors. "Booksellers save lives. Period," Patterson said in a statement released through his publisher, Little, Brown and Company, reports PEOPLE. "I’m happy to be able to acknowledge them and all their hard work this holiday season."

Alabama’s Thank You Books, Iowa’s The Nook and San Francisco’s City Lights Books are just a few of the locations that have benefited from Patterson’s gifts. "We appreciate Mr. Patterson’s financial generosity as well as his generosity of spirit. We all continue to be awed by, and grateful for, Mr. Patterson’s continuing support of independent booksellers," said Allison Hill, CEO of the American Booksellers Association, in a statement. "It means everything to have him recognize and reward the valuable role booksellers play in the industry."

According to reports, these donations are just one of many large contributions Patterson has made to bookstores, totaling around $1.5 million of his personal wealth over the last 20 years. This includes a $500,000 donation during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic when independent bookstores were severely impacted across many states. "The White House is concerned about saving the airline industry and big businesses — I get that. But I’m concerned about the survival of independent bookstores, which are at the heart of main streets across the country," Patterson said at the time. "I believe that books are essential. They make us kinder, more empathetic human beings. And they have the power to take us away momentarily from feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and scared," he added. Many bookstores took to their social media to thank the generous author, including 'Literarity Book Shop,' which expressed their gratitude on X.

Back in 2014, Patterson donated $1 million to bookstores, which was distributed as $15,000 prizes for each store. Among the recipients was Andover Bookstore, "where a son and daughter wrote and their father hadn't had a raise since 1988." Patterson shared details of the initiative with NPR, expressing concern over the lack of support for the book-selling industry. "The government has stepped in to help banks, automobiles, anything where money is concerned, but nobody seems to care about books and our bookstores," he said. "And I'm telling you, American literature is in jeopardy," he added, emphasizing the importance of supporting independent bookstores and the literary world.