When Books-A-Million abruptly closed in May of 2020, leaving Columbus without a bookstore, it wasn’t just the exodus of another Leigh Mall business. It was also a blow to book lovers and an embarrassment for the city where Tennessee Williams was born and Eudora Welty studied.
Columbus without a bookstore was like Omaha without a steakhouse: Unthinkable.
Williams and Welty are central figures in the city’s proud literary history, yet there is another name that may someday be considered just as important for preserving the city’s literary tradition.
Six months after Books-A-Million closed, Emily Liner, an MSMS graduate, returned to Columbus to open a bookstore in a small storefront on Fifth Street North that she named Friendly City Books.
Thanks to Liner, Columbus again had a bookstore.
That would have been no small contribution in itself. But Liner wasn’t merely building a business, she was building a community of readers across The Golden Triangle. She set about forming relationships with groups and organizations revolving around a common interest in reading.
The greatest manifestation of Liner’s vision came Saturday with the inaugural Possumtown Book Festival. The festival, held at the Rosenzweig Arts Center and the book store was an all-day free event that included a book bazaar, a local author showcase and panel discussions during the day. The event also included children’s activities and readings, which is consistent with the special attention Liner has devoted to childhood literacy since her return to the city.
An estimated 1,000 people attended the festival, which featured 25 visiting authors from across the state as well as 28 local authors. For book lovers, the opportunity to meet and listen to authors discuss their craft was a special thrill. It was also a chance for readers to compare notes and make recommendations of books. It proved to be great exposure for the authors, especially local authors whose works weren’t well-known.
The logistics and planning required to stage an event of this scale requires a lot of volunteers. While the book festival was produced by the Friendly City Books Community Connection, a special project of the CREATE Foundation, there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the beating heart of the festival was Liner. It is hard to imagine this festival would have happened without her.
Although there is no certainty that the Possumtown Book Festival will return next year, we strongly believe it should. We encourage residents and organizations to make every effort to ensure the Possumtown Book Festival becomes an annual event.
Together with MUW’s annual Eudora Welty Writers Symposium in October, the two events attract dozens of authors in every imaginable genre, attracting large gatherings of book lovers and solidifying the city’s literary reputation in a way few Mississippi cities can match.
Who could have guessed that the closing of the city’s last bookstore four years ago would signal a rebirth of not just of a bookstore, but of a community of readers?
We applaud Liner for her vision and leadership as well as all those volunteers and organizations whose contributions made the Possumtown Book Festival a rousing success.
Williams and Welty would be proud.
To support the book store’s nonprofit arm, visit friendlycitybooks.com/nonprofit.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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