Nearly 300 people filled Fabled Bookshop & Cafe on Thursday night for its fifth annual Local Author Book Faire — an event organizers say is about more than selling books.
Walking through the stacks, it was difficult not to feel the squeeze as readers moved from table to table to meet 18 local authors showcasing their work.
“Even in the first hour, I was like, ‘Oh, all of Waco is here,’” said Kai Jackson, communications manager for Fabled who oversees the Author Book Faire.
Jackson said the event grew out of a desire to create space for local writers who began reaching out shortly after the bookstore opened.
“Most authors tend to be introverts. It’s something that they’re at home, in their office at one in the morning tapping at a computer,” Jackson said. “So to have a space not just to celebrate their work, but also connect with the other authors … just know that they’re not alone in the work.”
This year’s event included three child authors, among them siblings Tabitha and Clayton Buttner, who co-authored a short story collection.
For 12-year-old Tabitha, the highlight wasn’t just selling books, though they sold out halfway through the event. It was the people.
“We got to see our friends and just meeting new people,” she said.
After selling out, Tabitha spent time visiting other authors’ tables.
“I can kind of see what my future could be like,” she said.
For Alison Sloan, helping young writers imagine that future is part of the mission. Sloan, in her second year at the fair, displayed her illustrated children’s books “Dilly-Dally Allie” and “Never-Late Nate.”
“We all have a story to tell,” Sloan said. “If you have a story in your mind, someone out there in the world needs to hear it.”
In addition to writing, Sloan teaches English online and works with authors to write and edit their manuscripts, including many young writers.
“I find it such an honor and privilege to be able to do that for younger authors,” she said.
The sense of connection extended beyond the writers’ tables.
“Even if it’s just for a moment or so with the authors themselves — hearing about their experience and how they came to writing,” said Chase Cohagan, who attended the fair with his girlfriend, Alyssa Rogers. The pair drove from Temple for the event.
“We don’t feel like where we live has a place quite like this,” Cohagan said.
“Definitely nothing like this,” Rogers added.
For Jackson, that community response is the goal.
“We want to be a home for a vibrant, not just reading community, but also writing community,” she said.
As long as local authors keep writing, Jackson said, Fabled plans to keep opening its doors.
Got a tip? Email Molly-Jo Tilton at Molly-jo_tilton@baylor.edu.
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