Bring a Book for a Blind Date

We’re adding a little mystery to Stories by the Sea — and we’d love you to help create it.

A Blind Date with a Book is a wrapped book with the cover and title hidden, chosen by a short, spoiler-free teaser that gives readers a sense of its mood, themes or vibe.

For the Festival, we’re inviting you to choose a book you’ve enjoyed and would happily recommend to another reader, wrap it up and give someone the chance to discover it purely on its “vibe”.

How to prepare your book

1. Choose your book
Pick a good book you’ve read and genuinely enjoyed. Fiction, non-fiction, memoir, crime, romance — anything goes.

2. Write a teaser
Give your reader a few clues without revealing the title or author. Think mood, themes, tropes or a “if you like…” hint.

For example:

Secrets, second chances and a little seaside romance. Perfect for anyone who believes it’s never too late to start again.

3. Wrap it
Use kraft paper, plain wrapping paper, or anything opaque that completely hides the cover and title.

4. Attach your teaser
Put your short teaser on the front of the wrapped book so readers can choose based on the description alone.

5. Bring it to the Festival
Bring your wrapped book along to Stories by the Sea, where it will join our Blind Date collection.

The idea is simple: give away a good story, choose one based on a feeling, and discover something you might never have picked from the shelf.

Your challenge:

Which book would you recommend to a stranger — without telling them what it is?