Canby Springs into Reading

On Saturday and Sunday, April 12 and 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Canby Chamber of Commerce invites one and all to join local authors for a weekend of books and conversation at the first-ever Spring into Reading Author Fair.

The extraordinary event will bring together more than 40 local authors to helm tables on both floors of Canby’s iconic venue, Warner Grange. In advance of the big day, event organizers Rachel Carter and Kimila Setzer took time out of their writing schedules to answer questions about this exciting upcoming event.

“Every kind of reader is invited,” says Carter, who writes under the name R. Lindsay Carter. She’s gained acclaim for her Familiar’s Legacy series of fantasy novels. “We invited authors who write children’s books. We have authors like Kimila that write dark and twisty fiction. We have nonfiction and fiction. It’s a strong showing from writers in all the different genres.”

“It’s exciting,” adds Kimila Setzer, better known to her fans as Kimila Kay. The veteran author is set to release Rattlesnake Ravine, the fifth in her Stoneybrook Mysteries series, in time for the event. “We get to support all these independent local authors that want to get their books in front of potential readers. They want to interact with those potential readers, and we’re giving them a showcase to do that.”

There should be plenty of reasons to stop by the Author’s Fair during its April dates, whether you’re a voracious reader yourself or you’re trying to introduce your kids to the joys of a good book.

“We’re trying to make this a very family friendly event,” says Carter. Take, for instance, the scavenger hunt, an idea designed to increase interaction between writers and the public. When they arrive, fairgoers will receive a sheet with scavenger hunt instructions. For example, one might read: “Find a book cover with a cat on it.” Kids and adults alike will be encouraged to seek a corresponding book cover and write down the author’s name and their book title once they’ve found it.

Meanwhile, you won’t need to be a young reader to be enticed by the Author Fair’s raffle. “Every author who’s participating donated one of their books,” says Setzer. “And Rachel, who’s really good at this, has organized them into around 14 individual raffle prizes divided by genre. Winners of each raffle will win a set of books in the specific genre they bid on.” Raffle entries will be free for all fair attendees.

Depending on the results of Spring Into Reading, Canby locals might see more Author Fairs in the future. As Setzer explains, “We had more interest than we can house. So we’re contemplating doing another one in September, which will probably be called ‘Fall Into Reading.’”

There’s never a bad time to add a few books to your collection or find a new author to follow. This April’s Author Fair feels like a perfect time to explore the world of books and support local artists.