The Maryville Public Library will host its annual Pop-Up Bookstore this weekend, bringing together more than a dozen authors from across the region for a celebration of local literature.
Now in its sixth year, the event serves as a local author fair, giving regional writers an opportunity to share their latest work. Library Director Stephanie Patterson said many of the participants are returning favorites.
“We do have a core group and most of them are from Maryville, and they come out with new books every year,” Patterson said. “So they always have something fresh to bring to the table, especially Amy Houts and Jason Offutt. But we usually get some fresh faces from the Kansas City area as well.”
Several authors will speak about their work at the start of the event before attendees are invited to visit each writer’s table. Patterson said this year’s gathering is taking on an international theme, with multiple works drawing inspiration from around the globe.
The library is branding the fair as a “Pop-Up Bookstore” as a nod to a new addition — Plot Twist Café, a bookseller preparing to open nearby.
“We saw that we were getting a new bookseller right here in Maryville,” Patterson said. “Some of us who grew up in the 1900s remember having bookstores in a lot of places, so we decided to invite them and call this year’s event a ‘Pop-Up Bookstore.’”
Patterson said Maryville’s strong base of readers naturally helps foster a community of writers. Authors attending will also come from Elmo, Missouri, as well as Bedford and Clarinda, Iowa.
Several authors will be making short presentations. At 1:00 Ugandan-born Mordecai Muriisa will be presenting on his book “Odyssey of an Optimist: A Memoir of a Child Who Grew Wings in Uganda” Muriisa has a background in the online media industry and currently lives in Clarinda, Iowa.
Iranian-born Hadi Kiakojori will present his book “I Ran: The True Story of a Boy Who Escaped Terror and Found Hope in a New World” at 1:20. Kiakojori’s book is based on his experiences as a child fleeing Iran with his family in 1983 after the Iranian Revolution. Kiakojori lived in Maryville from 1983 to 1991 and currently resides in Independence.
At 1:45, Maryville Author Jason Offutt will present on his latest book, “Chasing North American Monsters: A guide to over 250 creatures from Greenland to Guatemala”.
At 2 p.m. Maryville Author Barbara Cochran will be presenting on her poetry books “My Heart in Rhyme” and “The Yesteryears”.
The afternoon includes books for children. Diane Goold of Wathena, Kansas will read from her children’s books, “Frolicking Farmyard Friends”. Usborne/Paper Pie Books Seller Dottie Biermann will be selling a variety of books for babies and young readers. Other authors present will be Gail Pennebaker of Elmo, Tracy Head of Bedford, Iowa; and Amy Houts, Virgina Ripple, Irene Alexander, and Christina Rice, all of Maryville.
The event runs from 1–3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, and will include crafts, a prize drawing and hot coffee in addition to the book fair.
