Around Indies

Books & Books to Celebrate 30th Anniversary

On Saturday, November 3, founder and owner Mitchell Kaplan will host a day of festivities at his flagship store in Coral Gables to mark Books & Books’ 30th anniversary.

The festivities, dedicated to thanking South Florida’s readers and writers for their support over the past three decades, will include a street party, children’s activities, live music, and a 30 percent off sale. The day will be capped by a showcase of Miami’s culinary authors, who will highlight their signature dishes at the party. Participating chefs include Allen Susser, Bernie Matz, Michelle Bernstein, Norman Van Aken, Douglas Rodriguez, Thomas Buckley, Abe Ng, Steve Haas, and Cindy Hutson.

Greenlight Launches Signed First Editions Club

Greenlight Bookstore in Brooklyn, New York, has announced the launch of a Signed First Editions Club, which offers six- and 12-month subscriptions for a signed first edition of a recent publication each month.

 “We hand-select from the best in quality fiction, selected non-fiction, and poetry,” Greenlight’s website explains. “A collection of signed first editions enhances any library and many signed first editions appreciate in value.”

Books of Wonder Kicks Off Fundraising Campaign

Books of Wonder, the iconic New York City bookstore, has launched an IndieGoGo fundraising campaign.

In a video on the campaign website, owner Peter Glassman explains that the bookstore has “strained [its] resources to the limit.” When Books of Wonder moved into its current location eight years ago, it partnered with Cupcake Cafe. Shortly thereafter, the cafe was forced to close, leaving the bookstore with the burden of the rent.

Now that Books of Wonder has secured a new cafe subtenant, the store is “determined, with your help, to make sure this isn’t our last chapter.”

Many authors and artists have offered gifts as incentives for donating.

Busboys and Poets Opens Bookstore in Hyattsville

This weekend, a bookstore is scheduled to open at the Busboys and Poets in Hyattsville, Maryland. Busboys and Poets’ fourth location opened in July 2011 in service to the four communities that make up the Prince George’s County Gateway Arts District of Maryland: Mount Rainier, Brentwood, North Brentwood and Hyattsville.

Bookstore manager Rodrigo Rioga has stocked the store with books about politics, LGBT, and African-American and Hispanic studies, as well as with titles by local authors from the Washington, D.C. area.

“We try to be more selective [by carrying] titles that the community can embrace,” Rioga told Hyattsville Patch. “In our type of store, every inch (of the shelves) counts, he added. “We make sure that with every single book, it’s a book that we feel fits our spirit.”

Bookin’ It’s Hansen Wins Poetry Awards

Laura Hansen, owner of Bookin’ It Bookstore in Little Falls, Minnesota, was recently honored at the League of Minnesota Poets Fall Conference. Hansen won four cash prizes and five awards of merit in the league’s 2012 poetry contest, which consisted of 18 categories covering different lengths and styles of poetry.

Poems entered into the competition had to be the author’s original work and not previously published. Hansen is also the author of two self-published poetry chapbooks, Diving the Drop-off and Why I Keep Rabbits, and her work has appeared in a number of regional literary journals and anthologies.

Hansen’s wins were recently featured in the Morrison County Record.