Last month, Heywood Hill celebrated its 80th anniversary and the bookstore launched a contest: the Library of a Lifetime award the lucky winner of who will receive "one newly published and hand-picked hardback book per month, for life, delivered anywhere in the world".

Who wouldn't want to never have to buy a book again? If you love to read and you like buying books then this is one contest you wouldn't want to miss.

Heywood Hill was founded by George Heywood Hill on August 3, 1936 together with Anne Gathorne-Hardy. It was originally known as the Mayfair Shop. The shop sold a mix of new, old and antiquarian titles.

The contest was inspired by the bookstore's subscription program, A Year in Books. In the program, subscribers get a reading consultation with a Heywood Hill's associate to get their reading preferences, then every month or two, a personally hand-picked paperback or hardcover book is sent to them in a neat package.

To enter the contest, just nominate a book that means most to you and the winner will be chosen at a random draw. The contest is open to anyone around the world. Make sure that your chosen title should have been published in English or translated to English after 1936 - the year Heywood Hill was founded.

"For the winner it will be an intellectual adventure of a lifetime ... Every reader in the world will want to know about this life-changing prize. Whoever wins the first prize will never have to buy a book again. Instead they can look forward to a lifelong relationship with our bookshop and our booksellers." According to Karin Scherer, a senior bookseller in the bookstore.

There will be a grand prize winner as well as second and third prizes. The second prize is a one-year subscription to A Year in Books and the third prize winner will receive a hardcover book every month for one year. The contest closes on October 31.

Tags Books, Reading