Readings, signings and (sometimes) songs at Bookery
If grabbing a copy of the latest in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series were a reader’s only objective, going online or to a big box store might suffice. The Bookery in Manchester, however, is much more than a place to shop. It’s a gathering space, for customers to meet authors, hear about new offerings, even create on their own — or just relax among like minds.
It exists as a buffer zone for those who go to work or school, and then head home while staring at phones.
“We don’t have a lot of what people call third spaces,” Alex Pellerin, Bookery Event Coordinator, said in a recent Zoom interview. “With the advancement of technology … the need for human interaction has been in some ways removed.”
The Bookery offers a bevy of ways to address that modern conundrum.
Word Search, an open mic with poetry, writing, music and performance, happens the second Wednesday of every month. Hosted by the NAV Arts collective, it begins with a featured poet, then hands the room over to its audience. Not everyone steps up with a poem, Pellerin noted.
“It’s for anything,” she said. “Poetry, a short story … we’ve had people come play a song they wrote, things like that.”
Music will take center stage on the Bookery’s busiest shopping day of the year. On Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28, the NH Ukeladies, an all-female ukulele troupe, will play later in the day. Local authors staff tables throughout, and the event will include giveaways and holiday discounts.
In the near term, at 11:30 a.m. on the Saturday before Veterans Day, Londonderry author and retired Army sergeant first class William Graser will host a signing. Graser’s books include Veterans’ Reflections: History Preserved, a collection of veterans’ stories, and his more recent Smell the Gunpowder: The Land of the Morning Calm.
At the same hour, the store’s weekly Saturday story time features a staff reading of Ellen L. Ramsey’s A Book for Bear, followed by a craft activity. At 6 p.m., poet and scholar A.P. Walton will read from and discuss Letters of a Poet Dying: The Selected Correspondence of Frank Stanford. Stanford, a cult figure among poets, took his own life in 1978 at age 29.
Pellerin was a longtime customer — “I feel like I’ve been with Bookery for life,” she said — before joining the staff last year; she took over events in March. Her previous work as a residence hall director at both UNH and University of Maine was focused on a lot of community-building, which made her a good fit for the new role.
An early high point came when she helped stage the launch of Celia Botto’s children’s book The Ostrich Needs a Lift, and drew about 80 people. A Dungeon Crawler Carl-themed event during Granite State Comic Con weekend pairing in-store games with a bar crawl along Elm Street was another success, and the Bookery hopes to make it a yearly tradition.
Gathering at the Elm Street store doesn’t depend on the calendar. There are regulars who come in every day, to talk about what they’re reading, recommend a book, or just get help working through a problem.
“Everything we do here is a lot more intentional,” Pellerin said. “It’s kind of going beyond just making a sale.”
That personal touch shows up all over the store.
Staff hand-draw the wrappers for Blind Date With a Book and write the teaser blurbs. There is a staff picks wall, and a suggestion box for customers’ own recommendations. The monthly book club polls members on what to read next, and writers’ groups meet in the space. A romance and romantasy book club run by a staff member starts next year.
The poetry side keeps growing, too. Beyond the NAV Arts open mic, Pellerin is working with local poets and the Slam Free or Die crew to bring in more readings, and she’s planning monthly drop-in art sessions for the new year.
“We have some really exciting ideas,” she said, adding that details are developing.
Finally, a new café is due to open in mid-November to replace Critical Mass, which operated as a separate business, with an effort run by Bookery staff. It will focus on grab-and-go items like salads, sandwiches and soups, along with coffee and some vegan options. “I heard rumblings about a soft-serve machine,” Pellerin said. “So who’s to say?”
Upcoming events at the Bookery, 844 Elm St., Manchester
When: Saturday, Nov. 7
What: Storytime reading of Ellen L. Ramsey’s A Book for Bear, 11:30 a.m.; book signing with William Graser (Smell the Gunpowder: The Land of the Morning Calm, 11:30 a.m.; A.P. Walton reads and discusses Letters of a Poet Dying, 6 p.m.
Tickets: RSVP at eventbrite.com
More info: Full calendar at bookerymht.com/our-events
Featured photo: Photo courtesy of the Bookery.