A Boston Bustling with Books

This past Saturday wasn’t just a day for book lovers; it was a day for everyone involved in writing, from avid fans to struggling writers. The third annual Boston Book Festival brought together a diverse community of bibliophiles, local writers, and publishers to showcase the thriving world of the written word and its continued influence on the fabric of Boston’s art scene.

Many different parts of the literary community—from fans waiting in line to get their books signed by their favorite author to the small New England Science Fiction Association publishing house trying to bring classics to a new generation—gathered in Copley Square in downtown Boston to find their passion. What distinguished this event from others of its kind was its interaction with the community; various panels, which ranged from discussions with authors on different topics in fiction, non-fiction, and poetry to readings by local poets and students from the Berklee College of Music, created an intimate connection between author and reader. The festival reflected both the intellectual curiosity and the deep-seated literary affection of the Boston public.

In the middle of the row of publishers’ tents sat the table for the Writers’ Room of Boston, a studio for writers to come and focus on their craft, showcasing a preserved old typewriter with an almost nonexistent ribbon sitting on a pedestal in front. Above it was a sign reading, “Come add a sentence or two to the story.” Throughout the day, people wandered by, stopped, and added their own part to the narrative. Yet it wasn’t just adults who were punching the keys; kids, from toddlers to teenagers, were drawn to the booth to interact with a piece of literary history. Maureen E. Rogers of the Writers’ Room said that the people at the festival fell into two distinct categories. “Are you a writer or a reader?” she asked. “Because that’s really why you’re here.” These participants were united by their communal admiration of literature. Despite the sudden downpours that interspersed the eight-hour day, fans endured, staying to listen to published authors and to expose themselves to local book vendors.

The Boston Book Festival also served as a way for lesser-known companies to introduce themselves into a vibrant market. Tom J. Devlin, creative director for Montreal-based publisher Drawn & Quarterly, said that the audience was often not familiar with the graphic novels his company produces. “We definitely have to explain what we do more than [at] a comic convention.” Small magazine publishers were also in attendance vying to grab some of the attention of passersby. “Your local base is your first base,” said Daniel E. Pritchard, marketing and promotions manager for the Boston Review, a local magazine. While the Boston Review draws on the local academic community in the greater Boston area, Pritchard said it is harder to maintain their unique flair now that most of the publishing world has left Boston. “We’re one of the last,” he said, in reference to his magazine’s dedication to both political and economic commentary and literary publication. According to him, other periodicals have strayed from their original intentions as they move away from Boston. “Magazines like The Atlantic lost some of that local perspective when they moved to Washington, D.C.,” he said.

The majority of mainstream publishers have quit Boston, leaving a dearth of major muscle in that arena in Boston by relocating to New York City to join companies like Random House and Harper Collins. This transition from original Boston headquarters along with The New York Times’ acquisition of the Boston Globe in 1993 indicate that publishing renown has shifted recently from Boston to New York City.

The focus of Saturday’s festival was not on such prominent booksellers, however; most of the publishers that arrived to sell their works were small, local companies. St. Johann Press—whose display comprised primarily of baseball literature on the Boston Red Sox—and David R. Godine, Publisher were two such participants. According to Godine’s representative at the festival, Carrie A. Dieringer, these businesses are getting increasingly rare. “Godine is one of the only independent trade publishers left in Boston. While there used to be a larger trade publishing market in Boston, today almost all publishing takes place in New York City and there are only a few publishers left in Boston that aren’t educational publishers like Houghton Mifflin.”

Despite all of the challenges that Boston faces, these same independent publishers have said that this was one of the best book festivals in Boston. “I wish there were more things like this,” said Pritchard, while Devlin cited the consistently large crowds as one of the festival’s successes. In the few years since its inception, the Boston Book Festival has grown tremendously, and hopefully that same trend will continue, inspiring children and reminding adults what made them fall in love with literature in the first place.