What began in 1970 in Dayton, Ohio, as a grassroots campaign by local women to raise money for reproductive rights by selling used books has transformed into a multifaceted nonprofit, now with its own literary award boasting a prize of $15,000. From its humble roots, the Dayton Book Fair has grown to be a pillar in the community, supporting three local nonprofits annually with grants of up to $10,000 each; a brick-and-mortar used bookstore in downtown Dayton, voted best bookstore two years running; an actual book fair selling 50 tons of books annually; and coming in 2026 a literary award, the Curious Medal for Literary Endeavor.
All of this giving back is supported by sales of secondhand books. “We’ve long felt that writers did not get their due from the multi-billion-dollar industry that is the sale of secondhand books,” says Larkin Vonalt, the executive director of the Book Fair Foundation, the umbrella organization for the book fair.
The U.S. market for used books commands upward of $3 billion per year. While the average used book sells for just a few dollars, special items like first and limited editions, first printings, and signed copies can sell for thousands of dollars, Vonalt says, but writers receive no compensation or recognition for sales of used books. The Curious Medal helps remedy that.
At a time when free expression is under threat, Vonalt says the foundation decided to launch this new award to support artists and nonconformists and recognize the lasting impact of writers’ work, well past the initial release. “I think artists in all disciplines are finding themselves deeply challenged to continue to create in such a grim tableau,” Vonalt says. “Lifting up writers for celebration, while worthy at all times, seems especially essential now.”
The Curious Medal celebrates creativity and imagination much like the foundation’s whimsical secondhand bookstore, Rabbit Hole Books, which features overstuffed, purple armchairs and off-kilter rabbits along with thousands of used books. Both are a nod to Lewis Carroll, whose work celebrated these essential qualities despite the rigidity of Victorian society.
“We are looking for works of fiction in which imagination is an essential component,” Vonalt says. “One might think fantasy or science fiction right off the bat, but historically there have been novelists whose books had a little quirk, a streak of liveliness that sets them apart from the grind of some literary fiction.”
The winner and five finalists will each receive a medal—in sterling silver or bronze, respectively—designed by a local artist that features a Carroll-inspired rabbit wearing a jacket and cravat. The finalists will receive $1,000 each. An awards ceremony and a reception are planned for March 2026, in Dayton, and the foundation will cover travel expenses for the winning author. “We’re very good at celebrations, and we would be delighted to bring the winning writer to visit Dayton as our guest,” Vonalt says.
To enter the first annual Curious Medal for Literary Endeavor, publishers of fictional works released in the last three years can complete the entry form on the foundation’s website. The prize is open to YA and adult books, which must be submitted along with a $65 reading fee between March 31 and June 2.
While the book fair has a strong focus on supporting community organizations in need of funding—from environmental groups to roller derby squads—it’s spreading its good will across the state, the nation, and even the world. The inaugural award is open to authors across the U.S., and in 2027 the book fair plans to take the prize internationally. This broad reach and overflow of generosity is not new. In the past, the book fair has donated pallets of books to a children’s library in Africa and to the Ohio chapter of Reading Is Fundamental. It routinely sends books to public school classrooms and Little Free Libraries, and every Monday during the summer, the bookstore offers free books to children. Vonalt says locals in need can also stop by Rabbit Hole Books and leave with a book at no cost year-round.
The welcoming, fanciful, and philanthropic spirit of the book fair is palpable in the bookstore, says Vonalt, who notes many patrons visit the shop, where books are just a dollar, for a “dopamine fix.”
Vonalt couldn’t be more delighted, as part of the foundation’s mission is to provide the community with a meaningful place to donate their used books, often amid challenging life changes such as the death of a loved one, divorce, or relocation. “Some are quite emotional about their donations depending on the circumstance, but the overwhelming sense we get is that of relief,” Vonalt says. “They know that they are handing over these books to people who understand their intrinsic value.”
