COLUMBUS — Readers can officially stop playing possum and get ready to share their love of books once again this summer, with the return of the Possumtown Book Fest.
Friendly City Books Community Connection, a special project of the CREATE Foundation, is preparing to produce the festival on Aug. 16. Bookstore owner and nonprofit founder Emily Liner said after the overwhelming success of the first festival, which drew about 1,000 attendees downtown, she knew the event had to make a comeback.
“We are so excited to do the Possumtown Book Fest again,” Liner said. “We were overwhelmed by the positive response we got last year. And the first thing everybody asked us as soon as it was over was if we would do it again. So, of course, we’re going to do it.”
The festival will be free and open to the public, with the majority of activities held throughout the day in the Columbus Arts Council’s Rosenzweig Arts Center. Liner said this will include a book bazaar and author panels all day, a local author showcase in the morning, craft activities in the afternoon and more.
Columbus Arts Council Executive Director Quan Walker said the nonprofit is “absolutely honored” to have the book fest return to its space, as a fun and inspiring event that brings the community together to enjoy literature, storytelling, imagination and creativity.
“Every book is a blend of talents, from the writer’s words, the illustrator’s art, even the cover design. It’s all creative expression,” Walker wrote in a text message to The Dispatch. “This festival is a beautiful reminder of what we can achieve when we work together.”
The festival will include a morning storytime and children’s author discussion at the new location of Friendly City Books just down Main Street, Liner said.
But this year, Liner said, she has a few changes in mind for the festival based on feedback from last year. That includes featuring new genres on the author panels, she said, though she only hinted at all that may entail.
“I think people are going to be really excited to see what kind of books we’ll be highlighting at the festival,” Liner said. “We want the festival program to reflect what people are reading and discussing.”
Besides featuring new genres, Liner said she hopes this year’s festival also features more food options. Liner and other organizers are inviting food trucks to come downtown, she said, giving attendees more options for eating between activities.
Liner also said she hopes to bring back the same number of authors, if not more, than last year. The inaugural event featured 25 visiting authors and 28 local authors.
“One thing that’s really fun about the book festival is that it brings authors directly to the readers,” Liner said. “One of my favorite moments from last year was when an attendee brought her dog, who is named after Ace Atkins, to meet the author Ace Atkins because he was one of our speakers. What are the chances that something like that might happen? But those are the kinds of things that make this event so fun and special.”
This year’s festival is also set to take place a little more than a month in advance of the Mississippi Book Festival on Sept. 13 in Jackson, giving readers a chance to meet authors without having to travel and potentially building their excitement to attend the statewide festival, Liner said.
“I’d love to see book festivals all over the state of Mississippi all year long that kind of build up to the excitement of the Mississippi Book Festival at the capital,” Liner said.
Mayor Keith Gaskin said he is proud of Liner and her team and excited for the festival to return to the city, as it fosters relationships between groups with interest in reading, solidifies the city’s literary reputation and complements other literary events in the city.
“Besides having a very cool name, the festival provides a platform for local authors and artists to showcase their work,” Gaskin said in a text message to The Dispatch. “By bringing together authors and book lovers from across the state and beyond, the festival attracts tourists to Columbus. The festival creates a space for people to connect and discuss literature.”
Liner said she is currently looking for sponsors who want to help support the festival. Applications for local authors who want to join the showcase also open this weekend, she said, an opportunity that is completely free for selected authors, though space is limited.
For more information or to apply as a featured local author, visit possumtownbookfest.com or friendlycitybooks.com.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
