MADISON, Wis — Hundreds of bookworms flocked to a Madison venue for an afternoon of nostalgia.
The line wrapped around the block for more than an hour as people waited to get into The Sylvee on Saturday. The venue was hosting its first Grown-Up Book Fair, an effort to replicate the joy of book fairs in school.
“My friend, who I came with, sent [information about the event] to me,” said Meredith Busey. “[She asked] 'Should we go to this?' Yes! 100%!”
Busey has been a big reader all her life.
“My mom taught reading in elementary school as part of the Title I program,” she said. “So she always really worked to keep her kids reading … anytime I tell her what book I'm reading, she goes, ‘Oh, I just love that you're still reading!’ Of course I am!”
She’s in good company. Almost all the attendees were giddy to be surrounded by books, and others with whom to have literature-laced conversation.
It looked a lot like a school book fair. The venue was a little different, the lighting was far less harsh than the flourescents in most school libraries. Instead of racks on their own, all the books were sold by local independent booksellers: A Room Of One’s Own, Leopold’s, Itty Bitty Bookstore, Mystery to Me and Kismet Books.
There were some key differences, however. Your childhood Scholastic Book Fair didn’t have a bar. And it definitely didn’t have “adult Capri Suns” available. Everyone asked said they were delicious.
Other than that, though, the goal is to create the nostalgia of school book fairs.
“[A book fair] was the place that I thrived,” said Amanda Smith. “I felt like if I ever spent money during my childhood, it was on book fairs.”
For this crowd, picking out a new read is a joyous experience. But even more than that, it gives bookworms a chance to connect face to face.
“Especially with COVID, we've been inside,” Busey said. “It’s winter in Wisconsin, this feels like something that’s a good reason to get outside.”
“It feels good to have a place to gather with other people who like what we like,” said Smith.