Provided by Katie Bernet
Audio By Carbonatix
This Saturday, the flagship Half Price Books in Dallas transforms into a living library, where 20 writers behind the books stand right beside them. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the second annual Local Author Crawl returns, and it’s the kind of afternoon that reminds you good stories are being written just down the road.
The event is a partnership between Half Price Books and the DFW Writers’ Workshop, a nonprofit with deep North Texas roots. The Workshop began in 1977 as a small circle of aspiring writers and has since grown to nearly 200 members. Every Wednesday, they gather at the Grapevine Convention Center to read their work aloud and offer one another honest, generous critique. That weekly ritual is the engine behind so many of the books you’ll find at the crawl.
Here’s how it works: Tables line the store and fill the community room, each one belonging to a different author. There’s no set path and no pressure. You can wander to the writer whose cover catches your eye, chat about their work and walk away with a signed copy. Authors sell and sign their books independently, first come, first served, so the early birds get the best pickings. Many hand out free swag, too.
It’s cliché, but the range on display can genuinely be described as offering something for everyone. Picture books are included for the little ones, while adventurous reads lend themselves to the middle grades, and young adult novels keep teens up past bedtime. Then there’s mystery, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, romance and upmarket fiction for the grown-ups.
Consider the lineup. Russell C. Connor brings 17 novels of horror to the table. Katie Bernet makes her debut with “Beth Is Dead,” a New York Times bestselling mystery/thriller that reimagines “Little Women” as a whodunit. Sarah Mensinga has illustrated many books and has a graphic novel on the way from Abrams Books. Shawn Warner is a bestselling young adult author whose own life reads like an adventure novel. C.C.S. Jones crafts award-winning fantasy with fierce heroines at its heart. A. Lee Martinez has 13 traditionally published novels, one of which became a film now streaming on Netflix. Matthew Rollins, the Workshop’s vice president of programs, writes award-winning fantasy for readers young and seasoned. And that’s just a handful of the 20 names showing up.
Families, take note — the community room doubles as a kid-friendly craft zone, so younger readers have plenty to keep their hands busy while you browse. And everyone can join the scavenger hunt at the author tables for a chance to win a Half Price Books gift card, because a day spent discovering new books should end with the promise of more.
The Local Author Crawl takes place on Saturday, Aug. 22, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Half Price Books’ flagship location (5803 E. Northwest Highway). Admission is free, and books are sold independently by the authors while supplies last.
