(Authors, publishers and booksellers gather at Paulina Springs Books for the PNBA pop-up | Photo courtesy of Paulina Springs Books)
Authors, publishers and bookstore owners gathered in Bend and Sisters for a pop-up event presented by the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA).
“It’s important that our industry meets in person,” said Cassie Clemans, owner of Roundabout Books in Northwest Crossing. “Booksellers and authors are naturally an introverted bunch. We are perfectly happy to work in our little bookstores and not talk a lot. But when you do get us together, suddenly these introverted booksellers can get very talkative!”
Evan Leikam, author of Anji Kills a King (Tor Books), said the industry relies on “homogenized texts and lots of short, terse emails. People mean well, but it kinda all gets lost in the sauce.”
Events ranged from author readings and educational presentations to open-ended opportunities for conversation. Bookstores closed their doors for a few hours to host PNBA authors, who sat at tables signing and giving their books to industry professionals.
Portland-based Leikam, who grew up in Bend, loved the pop-up. “Having people who are involved with the industry coming in and seeing authors face-to-face is just fantastic, especially when there are so many different ways to publish now.”
PNBA is a nonprofit trade association of booksellers hosting a large annual trade show that’s well-known among Northwest authors and bookstores, along with representatives from national publishers.
A new series of smaller pop-ups brings PNBA to less well-known areas like Central Oregon. Executive director Brian Juenemann sees the pop-up as “a kind of destination, work-vacation event for members who might want to go see another part of the region… Crazily, bookstore owners love visiting other bookstores, all the time.”
Lane Jacobson, owner of Paulina Springs Books in Sisters, has been involved in planning the pop-up series. “This was the first one that we did off of the I-5 corridor,” he said. Organizers weren’t sure whether PNBA members from states like Alaska and Montana would make the trip, or even folks from Portland and the Valley.
Attendance was higher at the Central Oregon pop-up than all the others, Jacobson said. “It definitely energizes the booksellers who attend.”
Attendees lifted local economies with catering, organized dinners, shopping and off-the-agenda meals. About 100 stayed at the Best Western Ponderosa Lodge in Sisters, famous for its roving herd of alpacas. They held meetings outdoors in the sunshine, sitting on the grass, enjoying the pine forest.
Many had never been to Central Oregon before, not realizing the area isn’t difficult to get to, according to Clemans. “People left thinking it’s a great place to come back to. It’s worth another visit.”
Events at Roundabout and Paulina Springs Books were rounded out by a tour of downtown Bend and a visit to Dudley’s Bookshop Cafe.
Clemans appreciated the chance to “celebrate and get excited about books together, with sales reps bringing in their new books. It’s refreshing and inspiring to come together and problem-solve.” PNBA’s larger fall trade show will take place in Spokane, Washington.
