Around Indies

Plot Twist Bookstore Opens in Iowa

On Monday, April 11, Plot Twist Bookstore opened its doors in Ankeny, Iowa, reported the Des Moines Register.

The 1,400-square-foot store offers a selection of about 4,000 titles, including mainstream bestsellers and independently published books, as well as children’s books and a section for young adults. There is also an open space for socializing or for book club meetings or readings.

“You can come into this space and nothing is expected of you other than to hang out and relax and be a part of it,” said owner Mary Rork-Watson. “It’s my goal to be a part of the community, to give back, to be involved, to bring in interesting people and local authors.”

A grand opening celebration featuring local authors, storytelling, and refreshments will be held on April 30, in conjunction with Independent Bookstore Day.

Sunrise Books Coming to North Carolina

High Point, North Carolina, will welcome the new indie bookstore Sunrise Books, which is set to open on April 30, Independent Bookstore Day, under the ownership of Angel Schroeder, reported Triad City Beat. In preparation for the store’s opening, Schroeder attended Winter Institute 2015 in Asheville as well as a Paz & Associates bookstore training workshop.

Located in an up-and-coming neighborhood, Sunrise Books is across the street from a new and popular brewpub that will hopefully drive some foot traffic to the store, noted Schroeder. The 600-square-foot shop will feature 1,500 titles, mainly bestsellers and children’s books but also art and furniture design books. It will host children’s reading hours and book club meetings.

Indie Bookstore Headed for Downtown Winston-Salem

Nonprofit literary arts organization Bookmarks is planning to open a bookstore in downtown Winston-Salem, North Carolina, within the next six months, reported the Winston-Salem Journal.

Bookmarks, which launched in 2004, produces Winton-Salem’s annual Festival of Books and Authors, as well as an authors-in-schools program, author talks, and a summer reading program. The group is looking to raise $400,000 to start the bookstore.

“This dedicated retail space will help us draw more award-winning and best-selling authors to Winston-Salem and the Triad area,” said Bookmarks Executive Director Ginger Hendricks. “We see literary-arts programming continuing to grow its role in our community — connecting, challenging, informing and entertaining us.”

Proceeds from the bookstore will support Bookmarks’ programming and mission. In 2013, Bookmarks began selling books at its events and out of its main offices under the supervision of Operations Director Jamie Rogers Southern, formerly the manager of the Alabama Booksmith and education coordinator for ABA.

Politics & Prose Walking Tours Showcase Historic D.C.

This May, Washington D.C.’s Politics & Prose is hosting two events that invite readers to rediscover the historic Shaw neighborhood through educational walking tours.

On May 21, local architect Suzane Reatig, a fellow of the American Institute of Architects, will take customers on a tour of six recent projects around the neighborhood and discuss the transformation such architectural projects can have on an area as part of the Transforming Shaw tour.

Local author and historian Garrett Peck will lead the May 22 Jazz History Tour, which will take customers to historical and unusual sites along the U Street corridor, where jazz and prohibition collided in the 1920s.