Bouncing Back in Northern California

Much like in 2009, this year’s Northern California Independent Booksellers Association annual trade show held in Oakland October 14-16 picked up momentum as the event built. "The show does seem busier this year," said Antonia Squire of Kepler’s Books. "There's a more vibrant layout to the exhibit space, and we're giving orders to reps, who we always love to see."

Bouchercon by the Bay

The annual Bouchercon World Mystery Convention returned to San Francisco for the first time since 1985, drawing a crowd of nearly 1,400 pre-registered attendees this weekend. The event featured a tribute to bookstore manager, publisher and stalwart of the mystery community David Thompson who died on September 13; during Sunday's Anthony Awards brunch,the Bouchercon Standing Committee announced that the David Thompson Special Services Award had been created in his honor.

PAP&RS Launches New Literary Organization in Los Angeles

PAP&RS, a Los Angeles-based book organization that hopes to unite local publishers, authors, publicists, book reps, critics, and booksellers under one community umbrella, held its inaugural event last night at the historic Culver Hotel in Culver City with George Slowik, Jr., president of Publishers Weekly, on hand from New York to give the keynote address to nearly 100 guests.

GLiBA: Great Vibes at Great Lakes

"I know I'm biased, but [GLiBA's] children's programming just rocked this year," said Great Lakes independent Booksellers Association president Cynthia Compton, owner of 4 Kids Books & Toys in Indianapolis and Fishers, Ind. "I am continually encouraged by the amount of programming, conversation, and buzz that children's lit creates at our bookseller events."

Fan Fun with Geoff Johns at NYCC

Of all the sights, sounds and events at this past weekend’s New York Comic Con at the Jacob Javits Center, the Friday panel featuring critically acclaimed, best-selling Green Lantern scribe Geoff Johns was of particular interest to the fans. The affable Johns, now also chief creative officer at DC Comics, dispensed with any trace of formality and sat down at the lecture hall’s onstage table.

Kids' Comics Everywhere at New York Comic Con

While sales of graphic novels are down, comics for children and teens seem to be a bright spot, and they were attracting plenty of attention at New York Comic Con last weekend.

Despite Sales Drops, Manga Makes News at New York Comic Con

The merging of New York Comic Con and New York Anime Festival has turned the Anime Festival into an underground party. Programming for the NYAF and the NYAF Artists Alley was held on the lower level of the Javits Center and the area was jammed with young fans attending cosplay contests, concerts and other on-stage events.

Fans Wild for New York Comic Con 2010

Roaring back after a 20 month hiatus, the New York Comic Con returned to the Javits Center with a new fall date but no drop in enthusiasm from fans or exhibitors. ReedPop group v-p Lance Fensterman said preliminary attendance figures for this year's show were around 95,000 visitors over the three days--allowing for the fact that not all passes had been counted yet--up 23% from the 77,000 that attended the show in 2009.

Photo Mania: New York Comic Con 2010

PW Comics Week staked out the Jacob Javits Center this weekend to bring back lots of photos of the artists, events, crowds of fans and cool stuff at this year's New York Comic Con and New York Anime Festival.

New York Comic Con Returns to Javits Center With Big Crowds

After a switch from spring to fall, the 5th annual New York Comic Con returned to the Jacob Javits Convention Center in combination with a much-reduced New York Anime Festival, taking over the entire building--and they needed it. Although official figures have yet to be released, most veteran observers of the three-day show expect attendance will likely exceed 90,000 fans after drawing 77,000 in 2009

NEIBA and NECBA: Slimmer but Still Vital

The 37th annual New England Booksellers Independent Booksellers Association conference, held in Providence, R.I., from September 30 to October 2, was like the YA version of a bestselling adult title. All the important elements were there; it's just that they had been slimmed down, along with the show's footprint, which fit on a single floor of the Rhode Island Convention Center for the first time.

Children's Books and Authors Sparkle at MBA

For children's booksellers, the two highlights of this year's Midwest Booksellers Association's trade show, held in St. Paul, Minn., on October 1 and 2, were a panel of three children's booksellers pitching their favorite fall releases to a room of about 75 of their colleagues, and the annual children's book and author breakfast.

Quiet But Productive MBA

A speech by former Vice President Walter Mondale, on hand to promote his new autobiography, The Good Fight, was one of the highlights of the just concluded Midwest Booksellers Association trade show. Despite the show being smaller and quieter than in previous years, all agreed that the quality of interactions between booksellers and publishers was as high as ever.

Ferlinghetti Honored at Litquake Kick-off

Now in its 11th year, San Francisco's week-long literary celebration known as Litquake kicked off on Saturday with a star-studded event to honor Lawrence Ferlinghetti as the 2010 recipient of its Barbary Coast Award for a lifetime achievement in letters.

McCain-Palin Campaign Advisor Launches Novel at Soho House

With election day around the corner, Nicolle Wallace, the political commentator who recently served as senior advisor on the McCain-Palin campaign, and news anchor Katie Couric hosted a breakfast discussion at New York's Soho House to launch Wallace's upcoming novel, Eighteen Acres (Atria).

Regional Trade Shows 2010

Comic-Con Will Stay in San Diego

After a long and much delayed process that featured aggressive campaigns by Los Angeles and Anaheim to attract the show, Comic-con International: San Diego is going to stay at the San Diego Convention Center for the foreseeable future. Organizers of the giant comics and pop culture show have voted to stay in the city where Comic-con was launched in 1970.

Atlanta's Restaurant Eugene Celebrates Inaugural Authors Dinner

On Tuesday night, popular Atlanta fine-dining destination Restaurant Eugene hosted local novelist Susan Rebecca White and a nearly-full house--more than 55 guests--for the inauguration of its Eugene Author Dinners, a quarterly event designed by chef Linton Hopkins and director of hospitality Judith Winfrey to illuminate the common space shared by literature and cuisine, while expanding the reach of both.

Getting in Bed with SIBA

One of the central images of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance’s 35th annual trade show, held from Sept. 23-25 at the Plaza Resort & Spa and Plaza Ocean Club Hotel in Daytona Beach, was a double bed placed near the registration booth. If after walking past the bed there were any doubt that the SIBA board and executive director Wanda Jewell are convinced that bookselling’s future depends on social networking, a nearby monitor displayed live tweets throughout the show.

YA and Children's Book Authors Rock MPiBA

Even though only six of the 22 authors on the speakers roster at this year’s Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association trade show in Denver were children’s and YA book authors, the buzz created by three of them among the 150+ booksellers almost surpassed the amount of buzz about the new adult releases.