Are you an overdue book? ’Cause you have fine written all over you. And if that pick-up line doesn’t make you want to check out your nearest library, I don’t know what will. Seriously, that’s the only pick-up line I have left in circulation. Maybe, I should just let Memphis Public Libraries (MPL) speak for themselves; the competition is really stacked against me when it comes to them. Take for instance their motto for this year’s Bookstock festival: Come Back Stronger. With a line like that, you just know they’re ready to impress.
And impress, they will. For its 10th anniversary, the family-friendly festival will feature 60 local authors for book-signings and meet-and-greets. New York Times bestselling author Richard Grant will be a keynote speaker and will talk about The Deepest South of All, a part-history and part-travelogue about Natchez, Mississippi. Additionally, University of Memphis professors Susan O’Donovan and Beverly Bond will speak about their book Remembering the Memphis Massacre. For teens and kids, two local authors will facilitate presentations and Q&As: Erica Martin, who wrote And We Rise, a collection of poems about the Civil Rights Movement, and Ali Manning, founder of Food Science 4 Kids and author of the children’s book Can I Play With My Food?
But the day will have even more than just books, says Wang-Ying Glasgow, MPL adult services coordinator. That’s not to minimize the importance of books, of course — after all, books immerse readers in different times, places, and points of view. Hence, Bookstock will showcase different cultures with Latino music, Mongolian and Tibetan dances, a Japan outreach initiative, and a “Memphis in May Salutes Ghana” exhibit, which will include books all about Ghana and even a few giveaways.
In addition to the cultural groups, some Memphis cosplayers will dress up in different period costumes, but, Glasgow adds, “We encourage everybody to dress up in costumes, too, as their favorite book characters.”
The day will also have food trucks, Cloud 901 tours, a poetry workshop and creation stations for teens, and a balloon artist and storytime for kids. “There’s something for everyone.”
At the end of the day, Glasgow hopes that Bookstock attendees can leave inspired — inspired to read and learn, and maybe even inspired to write. As an anecdote, Glasgow mentions a woman who went to Bookstock one year and became inspired to finally finish her novel. “The next year she came back as one of the exhibiting authors,” Glasgow says. “We say everybody has a story and everybody can write a book to share their story.”
For a full schedule of the day’s happenings and a list of exhibiting authors, visit memphislibrary.org/bookstock.
Bookstock: Memphis Area Authors’ Festival, Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, Saturday, May 7, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., free.