Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association kicks off their Fall Trade Show in Spokane on Saturday, September 27, with an author’s event at the downtown library and a reception at Auntie’s Bookstore. Attendees can enjoy wine, beer, desserts, and discounts on purchases.
Sunday kicks off with a membership meeting, presentations about fall’s big books from publishers representatives, and the opening of the exhibition floor. The PNBA Fall Trade Show continues through Tuesday, September 30. Check the PNBA.org page for full schedule at: https://www.pnba.org/fall-tradeshow.html
Seattle’s list of independent bookstores grew in 2025, with the addition of two “pop-ups” devoted to genre fiction. Both Haunted Burrow Books on Capitol Hill and Lovestruck in Lake City opened this summer in temporary locations.
Haunted BurrowBooks, 430 15th Ave E., specializes in horror, dark fantasy, sci-fi, and occult books. The temporary store is located near the Punk Rock Flea Market’s ongoing Quality Flea Center (aka the QFC slated for demolition) and should be there through the end of the year. Owner Roxanne Guiney is a member of the Northwest Editor’s Guild and Horror Writers of America. Along with selling new books, the shop offers “Blind Dates” with books wrapped up and sold with a bag of tea. The outer wrapping gives some clues as to the “tropes” of the story, such as “dark academia” or “vampires.” These surprise packages are also available online at https://hauntedburrowbooks.com/.
Lovestruck in Seattle at 12315 Lake City Way NE is a romance book store, open through October with the support of Seattle Restored. The Seattle Restored program works to place local entrepreneurs, pop-ups, and art installations in empty storefronts. McKenna Rain, the artist behind Palm Creative, has mixed her love of romance with her own products to stock Lovestruck. Her retail efforts can be seen at https://palmcreativeshop.com/. Fans of the pink store can also follow it on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/lovestruckinseattle/ to find out about special events and drawings.
The Alaska Center for the Book selected authors Michael Engelhard and Debbie Miller to represent the state at the 2025 National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. on September 6.
Engelhard’s Arctic Traverse, A Thousand-Mile Summer of Trekking the Brooks Range was published by Seattle’s Mountaineers Books in April 2024. The author released three books last year, the memoir Arctic Traverse (Mountaineers); an essay collected What the River Knows (Hancock House); and No Walk In The Park:Seeking Thrills, Eco-Wisdom, And Legacies In The Grand Canyon under his own imprint Corax Books. For more about how this author juggled three books in one year, see our June 2024 interview with him. Photo below provided of the author at book signings for his 2024 titles:
The environmental picture book Glaciers are Alive by Debbie Miller was illustrated by Jon Van Zyle. The book introduces young readers to the wonders of glaciers and was published by Charlesbridge in May 2023.
The National Center for the Book’s 2025 Great Reads from Great Places program features books and authors representing the unique literary heritage of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and Northern Marianas. Since 2002, each Affiliate Center for the Book has selected a book written for children or young adults that reflects local literary talent and topics. In 2022, a selection for adult readers was added to the program.
“We are thrilled to showcase these two captivating books that highlight Alaska’s amazing natural wonders at this year’s National Book Festival,” said Patience Frederiksen, president of the Alaska Center for the Book, in her announcement of the 2025 selections
Representatives from the 56 affiliates of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress will staff tables promoting their book selections and state programs at the 2025 National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. on September 6. Great Reads selections will be sold at the festival and placed on the permanent list of honored titles on the Library of Congress’s Great Reads from Great Places webpage.
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Literary Arts’ Oregon Book Awards (OBA) program is now accepting submissions. These awards honor Oregon writers who work in genres of poetry, fiction, graphic literature, drama, literary nonfiction, and literature for young readers.
To be eligible, books must be published between September 1, 2024 and August 31, 2025. Work may be submitted by the author, publisher, producer, or any member of the public. Any book submitted must have an ISBN. Complete rules are available on the Literary Arts website.
The award for Graphic Literature is biennial and applications are now being accepted for the 2026 Graphic Literature award as well. Eligible submissions for Graphic Literature must have been published between between September 1, 2023 and August 31, 2025.
Oregon Literary Fellowship Applications Close August 8
Literary Arts also awards the Oregon Literary Fellowship. These awards support Oregon writers and independent publishers. Fellowships can be used to initiate, develop, or complete literary projects. Applications must be received August 8.
Literary Arts scheduled two sessions on Zoom to help potential applicants learn more about the fellowships. Sign up for the Wednesday, June 25 session from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. or the Wednesday, July 16 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on the website. They are also offering drop-in session for those who prefer to do this in person on July 30, 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. To sign up for these events, see https://literary-arts.org/events/category/oregon-book-awards-fellowships/oregon-literary-fellowships/
The American Booksellers Association recently presented their 2024 Annual Report to their membership. The leading organization for independent bookstores had some good news to share. “The vitality of independent bookstores was undeniable in 2024. ABA’s membership grew by 18%, and 323 new brick-and-mortar, pop-up, and mobile stores opened across the US. This marks the fourth consecutive year with more than 200 new store openings,” wrote Allison K. Hill, ABA’s CEO, in her opening letter.
The challenges of running a small business were also acknowledged during the May meeting. Tegan Tigani, the outgoing ABA Board President and children’s book buyer for the Queen Anne Book Company in Seattle, noted many stores are still recovering from the shutdowns of the pandemic years according to the Publisher Weekly‘s coverage of the annual meeting. Still only 37 bookstores closed in 2024, a drop in closures of approximately 60% according to ABA.
Book Publishers Northwest News is a volunteer-run website reporting on topics of interest to independent publishers, writers, and booksellers in the Pacific Northwest. We welcome story ideas. Please submit on the website form.
The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA) holds its 2025 Fall Tradeshow in Spokane, Washington. The tradeshow takes place September 28-30 at the Downtown Convention Center. Attended by bookseller and librarian members of PNBA, the three-day event offers two days of exhibition for publishers and other vendors.
The exhibitor experience kicks off on Sunday, September 28, with afternoon setup followed by “The Big Pitch Rep Picks” event. The show floor officially opens with an “Explore the Floor” reception in the evening. On Monday, September 29, features a morning setup window before the exhibit hall opens for the majority of the day, concluding with exhibitor tear-down. An evening event, “Reps Behind the Desk Spotlight Picks,” also takes place on Monday.
The event concludes on September 30, which is designated as an Education Day with no exhibits.
PNBA offers several opportunities for exhibiting companies to enhance their visibility. Each exhibitor will have a profile promoted on the official Tradeshow page. Additionally, exhibitors hosting authors in their space during the opening night reception will receive website and show program listings for those authors. Further details regarding “Authors on the Floor” and other promotional opportunities will be released in June.
Separate sign-ups will be announced for the “Rep Picks” and “Reps Behind the Desk” events. Participation in these spotlight sessions is exclusive to exhibiting companies, with priority given to formal sales representatives who are PNBA members. Remaining slots will be offered to member in-house sales and marketing personnel.
The Seattle Art Book Fair (SABF) returns May 10 and 11, 2025, to Washington Hall. This free festival features artists and their books, book design, and independent publishing. This year’s fair will include more than 85 exhibitors, classes and presentations, and book-inspired art on display.
SABF defines art books, also known as artist books, as creations which use the medium of publishing or manufacturing a book as an artistic practice. Volumes seen at SABF can be handmade, offset-printed, letterpressed, photocopied, screen printed, or risographed.
The event celebrates creativity on many levels, with artists and their books using narrative, poetry, photography, and illustration to convey their message. Talks, activities, and installations from members of the arts community will take place throughout the weekend. A “launch party” will be held on Friday, May 9. To learn more, check SABF’s website at https://www.seattleartbookfair.org/ (home page of website shown below).
SABF is held at Washington Hall, 153 14th Avenue, in Seattle.
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Eastern Washington’s biggest book event returns in April. Get Lit! is a four-day festival, Thursday through Sunday, which includes full days of readings, writing workshops, craft classes, panel discussions, literary happy hours, a book fair, and more.
For the 2025 festival, April 10 through 13, the festivities kick off on Thursday with readings throughout the Spokane area including the popular 21+ and over event, Pie & Whiskey, at The Washington Cracker Building. At Pie & Whiskey, A limited number of chapbooks containing work from the readers, including Spokane’s Mayor, will be sold. Designed by Lost Horse Press, printed by Gray Dog Press, and hand-stitched by EWU students and alumni, the chapbooks are a small press celebration of the event.
Friday and Saturday brings more readings and writing workshops. The Book Fair on Saturday will be held at the Montvale Event Center. The Book Fair features 20+ local and regional booksellers, small presses, non-profits, and other organizations including Girl Noise Press, Talking River Review, Makeout Creek Books, Melanie Hewitt AKA LibroBuch, Washington Center for the Book, Books to Prisoners, Latah Books, Willow Springs Magazine, Willow Springs Books, Rock & Sling, Spokane Print and Publishing Center, Lost Horse Press, Lynx House Press, Western Colorado University, Fugue, Spark Central, Spokane Arts, SpokAnimal, Page 42 Bookstore, Spokane Public Radio, Jupiter’s Eye Book Cafe, Foray for the Arts, Gray Dog Press, and Wishing Tree Books.
All events on Sunday are virtual and can be watched on the Get Lit! YouTube channel.
Bainbridge Island Museum of Art’s (BIMA) popular DogEar Festival returns to the island on April 4-6, 2025. Celebrating all things related to the unique art forms of Artists’ Books and printmaking, this immersive three-day event brings together artists, community, curators, scholars, and creatives for lectures, hands-on printmaking, a whimsical Edible Book “Chompetition,” a pop-up print market, a concert with the Bushwick Book Club, and more.
Alongside this year’s festival, BIMA’s current Artists’ Books exhibition, Power of the Presses, examines the creative potency of printing as a hallowed art form.
Events at DogEar include a lecture on Lushootseed alphabet. Power of the Presses offers more events at the museum before and after DogEar Festival.
DogEar festivalgoers can try hands-on art projects, enjoy live music, learn more about bookmaking as an art, and take home broadsides, posters, and zines by talented regional artists and printmakers.
The DogEar Festival is held at BIMA, located at 550 Winslow Way E, Bainbridge Island, WA. The festival starts at 5 pm to 8 pm on Friday, April 4, and runs 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday, April 5 and 6. DogEar offers a variety of activities for all ages. With the exception of the concert on Friday night, all activities, exhibitions, and presentations are free. Learn more at www.biartmuseum.org/events/dogear-festival-2025/.
Visitors can print their own memorabilia or visit Saint Rita’s traveling bookstore during the DogEar Festival.
The BRAVA Awards from the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA) return in 2025. The biennial BRAVA (BIMA Recognizes Achievement in the Visual Arts) honor outstanding contemporary artists, craftspeople, and makers.
Two categories related to the Pacific Northwest book scene are Artist’s Books Artists Award, which recognizes contemporary visual artists and craftspeople working in the genre of Artists’ Books, and 2025 Special Choice Award: Children’s Book Illustrator Award, which supports the work of contemporary visual artists from the Puget Sound region who specialize in children’s book illustration. For the Children’s Book Illustrator Award, an independent jury will consider original illustrations created for books aimed at readers 16 years or younger. This can encompass book covers, interior illustrations, and complete book designs, including but not limited to graphic novels, e-books, interactive books, picture books, chapter books, works of fiction and non-fiction, zines, reference books, artist books, and pop-up books.
BRAVA awardees will receive an unrestricted award of $15,000. In addition to the cash prize, the recipient of each award receives:
Recognition in BIMA media, including website, print and online publications, and social media, and provided a template press release to distribute to their media outlets;
Participation in an online or live event featuring the awardees;
A short video to be produced about the recipient;
Invitation to participate in an Award Ceremony, likely held at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art on September 20, 2025
Invitation to serve as one of the jurors on the review panel of the next biennial award process.
For complete information on all award categories, including application requirements, visit BIMA’s website at https://www.biartmuseum.org/the-brava-awards/. Applications open in April.
The recipients of the first-ever BRAVA Awards in 2023 were Kamari Bright (Emerging Artist), Julie Chen (Artists’ Books Artist), Julie Paschkis (Children’s Book Illustrator), and Betty Pasco (Native American and First Nations Artist).
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