California Bookstore Day Celebrations Set to Kick Off

This weekend, more than 90 bookstores in 80 zip codes will be celebrating California Bookstore Day, a statewide movement to recognize the power and importance of independent bookstores.

May 3 marks the commencement of events, including author readings, trivia contests, and specialty food and drink offerings, and customers visiting their local independents will be able to pick up any of 13 limited-edition literary items created especially for the celebration, from authors such as Neil Gaiman and George Saunders.

“I’m just so excited by the enthusiasm and momentum,” said Samantha Schoech, coordinator of the California Bookstore Day. “We asked bookstores to create a really special day and they are all really coming through with great events all day long.”

“There’s also been buzz from readers and customers on social media. It feels like it’s going to be a success — and that means very different things at different stores — but time will tell. We’ve built it, now we just need them to come,” said Schoech.

The events are varied in scale and depth, but it’s certain that literary parties will be in full swing on Saturday all over the state, from Arcata to San Diego.

Mrs. Dalloway’s Literary & Garden Arts in Berkeley, California, will be giving away free flowers with purchases in a play on the first line of the Virginia Woolf story that led to the store’s name: “Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.” The store will also be giving out a prize for the best literary costume and will serve cocktails created especially for Mrs. Dalloway’s. Storyteller Joel Ben Izzy will tell a tale and author Scott Hutchins will bravely take to the store’s front window to write live, before an audience. “It’s going to be lots of fun,” said Mrs. Dalloway’s Susan Peyrat. “We’ve had some people already ask about what the goods are going to be. I’m not sure if I’m going to have to set up a queue outside or not!”

In celebration of its 45^th anniversary, Pegasus Books, with locations in Berkeley and Oakland, is kicking off a week of events, activities, and sales, which it has dubbed “Pegapalooza.” Festivities will begin with a California Bookstore Day conversation between author Dave Eggers and Heydey Books publisher Malcolm Margolin and will continue with events each night of the week spread out over its three locations. Plans include literary trivia, a Flamenco guitar performance, adult storytime, and an evening with a local sports historian.

Skylight Books’ events coordinator Mary Williams said the Los Angeles store will be bringing attention to a creative outlet that often flies under the radar: zines. “What we’re trying to do is have a community-focused California Bookstore Day, so we’re inviting people from L.A. Zine Fest and [DIY punk rock fanzine] Razorcake to do an ‘Ask a Zinester’ table,” said Williams. Skylight’s customers wanting to learn more about zines, which are a popular item in the store, can approach the table to ask questions about what zines are, how they’re made, how to sell them, and other topics. Also in the store will be the Women’s Center for Creative Work, which will be displaying an array of independently published books by female artists, writers, photographers, and poets. “We are looking to emphasize the greater community and how that all relates to our store, and how we can be a portal for different ideas,” said Williams.

Ninety other indie stores will be hosting their own parties to celebrate their unique take on California Bookstore Day. Customers heading out to celebrate CBD will get to enjoy:

• One-of-a-kind doodles from illustrators Lisa Brown, Jane Mount, and Christian Robinson at Sparrow Bar, The Booksmith’s party spot
• Hand-printed, numbered, and signed broadsides featuring a previously-unpublished passage about Santa Cruz by Jonathan Franzen at Bookshop Santa Cruz
• Dramatic readings by a number of California authors of classic titles by Ray Bradbury, Dr. Seuss, and Raymond Chandler, plus a reading bear giveaway at Mysterious Galaxy’s San Diego store
• Grilled cheese and waffle sandwiches with tomato soup from a neighboring restaurant, local Napa wines, and live music at Napa Bookmine
• A kids’ haiku contest, milk and cereal breakfast bingo, a board game tournament, and Drag Queen Story Hour at Books Inc. stores
• Naturalists and nature writers at Chaucer’s Bookstore
• Special store scratch-off tickets uncovering prizes from Hicklebee’s Bookstore

Follow the California Bookstore Day action on Saturday on Facebook and Twitter and at #bookstoreday.