A convergence of beautiful June weather and a bounty of books attracted a record-breaking crowd, estimated at nearly 85,000 people, to Chicago's 18th annual Printer's Row Book Fair, one of the largest outdoor literary festivals in the country. The fair, which covered five blocks in downtown Chicago, featured 170 booksellers, dozens of readings on six stages, food, music and more than 80 programs, panel discussions and free events.
"This year's fair went off without a hitch," program coordinator Emily Cook told PW. "Attendance was at an all-time high, the weather was blissful, and our vendors experienced some of the most profitable sales in years."
As is traditional, the fair kicked off with the Near South Planning Board's annual Harold Washington Literary Award dinner at the Union League Club, featuring this year's honoree, Grace Paley. Paley, acclaimed for her short fiction (including 1994's Collected Stories, nominated for the National Book Award), essays and lifelong political activism, participated in a lively exchange with 90-year-old Chicago institution Studs Terkel, himself a past Harold Washington Literary Award winner.
Highlights of the two-day Printer's Row Fair included readings by Ana Castillo (Peel My Love Like an Onion, Anchor), Elizabeth Berg (Open House, Ballantine), Pulitzer Prize—winning poet Mark Strand (Blizzard of One, Knopf) and William H. Gass (The Tunnel, Dalkey Archive).
"I love Printer's Row, and we always have such a great time," said Linda Bubon, co-owner of Chicago's Women and Children First bookstore. "It's a really wonderful event for an independent bookseller to participate in; it draws people from all over the place, so you get to see people from outside your neighborhood. We have a lot of street fairs throughout the summer—it's kind of a Chicago tradition—but Printer's Row kicks things off and brings out a really different crowd, including a lot of families. The sales at our booth were terrific. We're always surprised that we sell as many children's books as we do; I had to restock out kid's books after the first day. It's really just so wonderful to see so many thousands of people celebrating books."
"The Printer's Row Book Fair is unique in that it brings together the rich and varied literary community that makes up Chicago and the Midwest," Cook told PW. "This year we attracted fair-goers from all over the country. What could be better than a weekend celebration of books? In my opinion, nothing."
