Three Sparrows Books, Mosman’s only independent bookstore, has been shortlisted for the 2026 Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) Bookseller of the Year Award.
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Owner Julia Cahill said the nomination was completely unexpected, describing the shop as feeling like “the little bookshop that could.”
The Military Road shop is one of four finalists selected from across the country, competing against Ink Bookshop (Mansfield, Victoria), Booktique (Albury, NSW), and Avid Reader (West End, Queensland).
Three Sparrows Books opened in October 2022 at 836 Military Rd, after Mosman was left without an independent bookstore. The shop operates from 49 square metres, situated less than 100 metres from Harry Hartog, a national chain bookseller.
Cahill, who lives in Mosman, has said that her knowledge of the local community informs how she runs the store. Knowing customers by name and understanding local reading preferences, she has said, is something a chain store cannot replicate.
The shop stocks Australian authors and runs a dedicated children’s section. It also maintains charity partnerships, with gift-wrapping profits directed to ReLove and an ongoing arrangement with Head High Skills. The store’s name, “Three Sparrows” references Cahill’s three sons, William, Sam, and Edward.
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About the Award
The ABA Text Publishing Bookseller of the Year Award is presented annually by the Australian Booksellers Association. It recognises outstanding individual achievement in bookselling over the preceding 12 months. The award acknowledges bookshops that have demonstrated high standards in retail bookselling while making a broader contribution to the book industry and their local communities.
The ABA Conference Gala Dinner, where the winner will be announced, is scheduled for Sunday 14 June in Canberra.
Published 6-June-2026
