Do you have book festivals where you live?
I feel like book festivals are such a sign of healthy community. Long lines to check out independent manga. Local bookstores sponsoring stages where authors answer questions. People walking by dressed as Harry Potter and wearing "The book was better" T-shirts. And, of course, just the energy that comes from thousands and thousands of readers walking around carrying bags full of books. And the air pulsating with thousands of people all talking about books at the same time...
For the past 34 years -- minus a few years off for covid -- the incredible Word On The Street book festival has taken place in downtown Toronto. A giant, rapturous IRL love affair with the written word featuring all kinds of indie publisher and indie bookstore booths, the smell of churros in the air, and many intimate stages under big umbrellas in front of plastic chairs -- where people line up to meet, ask questions, and get a book signed from their favorite local author (check out the wonderfully wild lineup!)
Anyway, I was so pumped Word On the Street was back up and running this year! Taking over Queen's Park -- the giant, oval, grassy park right in the middle of downtown Toronto -- to celebrate books is my kind of Sunday. I was flattered to be invited and was hosted by the lovely accountant-by-day-raucous-DJ-by-night Anime (check her out / hire her at @walkwithanime).
It was sweltering outside and despite my Peak Heat stage time 2:30pm on Sunday I was thrilled a couple of hundred fellow book lovers came by. Book festivals have such a unique buzz of fun, egalitarian, anything-goes energy and I love the community and lotsa-strangers-together vibe.
So grab a churro, find a plastic lawn chair in the shade, and let's hang out.
