Bookworms, get out your favorite tote bag and wipe the smudges from your reading glasses because the first annual Portland Book Week is nearly upon us.
The event, intended to celebrate the community’s passion for the literary arts and support local businesses, begins Monday, June 10. Fifty-one independent bookstores across the Portland metro area — including Vancouver — are participating in the festivities, which include author events, a bookstore crawl, games, raffles, giveaways, and discounts.
Writers Melissa Febos, Kimberly King Parsons, Jules Ohman, and Caitlin Delohery will kick off Portland Book Week with the “Big Gay Reading” on Monday, June 10 at Bishop & Wilde.
Some other events include:
- Blind Date Book Swap | Monday, June 10-Friday, June 14 | 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. | Jan’s, 12320 SW First St., Beaverton | Free | Bring a book from home or buy one in-store, leave your contact info if you wish, wrap it up, and leave it for someone else.
- Trivia Night | Wednesday, June 12 | 7:30-9:30 p.m. | Rose City Book Pub, 1329 NE Fremont St., Portland | Free | You’re in for a night of wine, beer, books, and a little friendly competition.
- Reading: Rene Denefeld and Liz Scott | Thursday, June 13 | 7 p.m. | Annie Bloom’s Books, 7834 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland | Free | Hear from the respective authors of “Sleeping Giants” and “This Never Happened.”
- BwPCon | Saturday, June 15 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | Books with Pictures, 1401 SE Division St., Portland | Free | Participate in a cosplay contest, witness a live drawing battle, browse 50+ comics and art vendors, and more.
- Rose City Book & Paper Fair | Friday, June 14-Saturday, June 15 | DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Portland, 1000 NE Multnomah St., Portland | $5 | Shop for used, rare, and collectible items, from quirky vintage photo albums to signed first editions.
Portland Book Week runs through Sunday, June 16. See a map of participating bookstores.