BOARDMAN, Ohio – More than 70 authors, bookstores, publishers and literary vendors are expected to participate in the inaugural Mahoning Valley Book Bazaar on Nov. 7.
The one-day event will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Holiday Inn, 7410 South Ave., and will feature vendors from northeastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania and other areas.
The six founding members of the Mahoning Valley Book Bazaar planning committee met through the literary nonprofit Lit Youngstown. They include Julie Cancio Harper, Craig Duster, RW Franklin, Eric Harper, Delaney Mathew and Eliza Osborn.
“We had all enjoyed literary events hosted by Lit Youngstown, and we had collaborated as staff and vendors at their Fall Literary Festival. Then we saw an opportunity to create a one-day book market with a broader appeal,” said Duster, who also owns POP! Art Books Culture.
“We are thrilled by the number of author and vendor applications that have been coming in, and we look forward to receiving more as the word gets out,” Osborn said. “It’s a testament to the love of books in the area.”
Acceptance notifications began in June. Book genre categories represented so far include romance, fantasy, sci-fi, thriller, mystery, young adult, children’s, history and literary fiction.
“Imagine a bookstore crawl, but all in one convention center, where the booksellers come to the people,” Harper said. “It will be a fun day for readers of all ages.”
Author and vendor applications are available at MVBookBazaar.com. Anyone interested in volunteering or sponsoring the event can email hello@mvbookbazaar.com.
Buy one, get one tickets are on sale for a limited time through the MVBB website. Advance tickets can also be purchased in person at POP! Art Books Culture, 6949 Market St. General admission at the door will be $10 per person.