The Edmonton Indie Bookstore Extravaganza is back for a third year on April 25 and 26. The participants reflect the civic spirit of Edmonton, said Céline Chuang, the extravaganza's coordinator and co-owner of Paper Birch Books. "Edmonton is a very scrappy, creative city," she told Taproot. "That kind of shows in the arts scene, and that includes the bookstores." Community book retailers are important supports for artists, she added. "Indie bookstores breed and curate and boost and uplift independent or marginal writers, authors, publishers — much like independent music labels," she said. "Those books and those writers probably won't get as much attention in readership if indie bookstores aren't championing them."
Aside from Paper Birch, the vendors are Ascendant Books, Audreys Books, The Book Boudoir, Daisy Chain Book Co., Magpie Books, The Prints and the Paper, Variant Edition, Wee Book Inn, The Edmonton Book Store, Porch Light Books, Bailey Books, Mythic Comics, and The Sherwood Park Bookworm. Plus, Alphabet Soup Books and The Book Archive are running pop-ups at Felice Cafe. Shoppers can pick up a passport at any participating location for a chance to win prizes.
Chuang has advice if you want to take on the vast number of bookstores over the weekend, which she expects to draw thousands of people. "Prepare yourself for crowds and take a water bottle," she said. "Plan your snack and food stops beforehand … It's best done in a group, or at least with a buddy." The event is easy to access without a car, as the Edmonton Transit Service is sponsoring a shuttle on Saturday between most of them, with members of Edmonton Transit Riders as hosts. Plus, Paths for People has built a cycling-focused map that includes both bookshops and bike-repair businesses — just in case.
Correction: This file has been updated to more accurately reflect the sponsor of a shuttle between bookstores.