The 2019 Printer's Row Lit Fest will be held this weekend. It has been one of the premier book shows in the U. S. for decades. Since the Chicago Tribune newspaper bought the show 5+ years ago, it has dwindled in size and the map of the show that I saw online this morning is 1/8 its normal size. The Tribune has made many changes concerning what is allowed in the book fair and booksellers and publishers have been bowing out of the show in response to those changes. It is a shame.
This book fair was something Chicago could be proud of. Now it is so pathetic I may not even attend. For the first time the Mystery Writers of America will not be there so I see no reason to go. Most of the booksellers who have come in the past 20 years that I have been attending are not listed as exhibitors this year. I am shocked.
I noted in a blog post last year that the Tribune did not allow writers who personally published books to sell them. They also did not allow publishers of books of non-traditional political views to be sold. Likewise, the groups selling or giving away the Koran were absent. I found all these changes shocking. The Printer's Row Book Fair, as it was originally called, was a free speech event. None of the attendees cared what an exhibitor was selling. Everyone was polite to each other.
Half of the exhibitors shown on the lit fest website are advertisers that have nothing to do with books. I feel very disheartened. While there are some interesting author events, you cannot buy a ticket for them without being a newspaper subscriber. Most of these events are held far away from the lit fest.
The Tribune has ruined this book fair and since the newspaper may go out of business there might be hope of restoring this book fair to its glorious origins.
This book fair was something Chicago could be proud of. Now it is so pathetic I may not even attend. For the first time the Mystery Writers of America will not be there so I see no reason to go. Most of the booksellers who have come in the past 20 years that I have been attending are not listed as exhibitors this year. I am shocked.
I noted in a blog post last year that the Tribune did not allow writers who personally published books to sell them. They also did not allow publishers of books of non-traditional political views to be sold. Likewise, the groups selling or giving away the Koran were absent. I found all these changes shocking. The Printer's Row Book Fair, as it was originally called, was a free speech event. None of the attendees cared what an exhibitor was selling. Everyone was polite to each other.
Half of the exhibitors shown on the lit fest website are advertisers that have nothing to do with books. I feel very disheartened. While there are some interesting author events, you cannot buy a ticket for them without being a newspaper subscriber. Most of these events are held far away from the lit fest.
The Tribune has ruined this book fair and since the newspaper may go out of business there might be hope of restoring this book fair to its glorious origins.
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