This old wooden building in our city centre is used for various activities and study circles etc organized by local associations. A few times they've also held book fairs, with focus on books and authors with local connection. I think the last time I attended one of these was back in 2019. (Link to a post of mine from back then.) After that the pandemic probably put a stop to this kind of event for a few years...
I wasn't aware that there was going to be one this year either; until last week I came across an ad announcing a combined Books and Crafts Fair, taking place today. They were also featuring an author, Maria Bouroncle, whose recently published new book I had intended to buy anyway. (Actually I bought her first one at that 2019 book fair.)
Maria was also going to speak about her books today at noon; so I decided to go and listen. I arrived a little bit early and had a look around some book stalls first (everything was indoors as it's still rather chilly here, and raining on and off). I found Maria's table, and there was no other customer there just then, so I got to chat a bit with her, bought her book, and also got it signed. I'm looking forward to reading it as it is about (or is at least inspired by) a relative of hers (back then a young woman) who emigrated to Chicago in 1921. My own grandmother had a sister who emigrated to Chicago in 1902; so I'm curious to see what Maria has made of her relative's story. (My own great-aunt I've blogged about now and then on my family history blog 'Greetings from the Past', while sorting out inherited photos and postcards.)
I also talked to (or rather, listened to) a couple of more authors selling their books, but I did not buy any more - excusing myself by saying I wanted to have a look around before deciding. The main reason, though, is that I find reading small print is increasingly tiring for my eyes. (There are still a few books that I feel worth buying, like if they're part of a series and I may want to be able to go back to them later and check things etc. But I try to avoid piling up too many new ones that may never get read at all...)
I then went across (a courtyard) to the café building, where I had a cup of tea and a piece of pie while listening to Maria (on the right in the photo) interviewed by a local representative about her books, on a small stage at one end of the café. I could only find a seat at the other end near the counter, though, where it was a bit noisy. But I heard most of it ok.
I also had a look at some "crafts" tables (Easter decorations and whatnot), but did not buy anything, as I didn't see anything that I felt immediately drawn to. (The best items had probably already been sold - most of those tables were rather empty by the time I got there.)
I felt quite pleased with my little outing though, as I haven't really been "anywhere special" this side of New Year. And before I went back home, I also made a detour to my favourite tea shop at the main square to stock up on a couple of favourite tea blends.
These are my three books by Maria Bouroncle, in Swedish. (Link to the author's website.) I learned today that the first book, on the left, which I bought back in 2019, has since been translated into English, Dutch and Finnish, and is currently used on a Scandinavian Crime Literature course at the University of California in Los Angeles. It's available for Kindle on Amazon, entitled: It Came to me on a Whim - The Story of Ingeborg Andersson, Child Murderess.
The second book is about to be published in Finnish as well - that one is about a little girl from Finland who came to stay in Sweden during WW2.
Hopefully the third book will also later be translated into English. (Chicago Dreams)
14 comments:
Wow, I'm thinking this may be a once in a lifetime event! So exciting!
I used to go to our annual book fair and always came back with some purchased book.
Since Covid, I've stopped doing that.
Glad you went, and thank you for letting us come along!
I can see how the book‘s parallels to your own family history make you particularly interested in it.
So happy to hear you were out and about despite the rain. a good thing you went and it might have been the rain keeping others away that allowed you one on one time with the author you like so much.
Ginny, well, I wouldn't say "once in a lifetime", as have actually been to similar events in the same place before, and even met this author before. But I did enjoy it! :-)
Duta, Covid did indeed change a lot of things, and even if now, with most people having had the vaccine, it does not get much public attention here any more, I too do still find myself thinking twice about events involving "crowds". This was not all that big an affair though, and had I felt too crowded I was free to leave at any time. (There was no entrance fee or anything like that.)
Meike, learning that her first book has been translated into English and is even used as course literature at an American university now made it feel worth while to include a few details here on my blog.
Sandra, it wasn't actually raining during the couple of hours that I was out - my foldable umbrella could stay in my backpack. Most of the visitors to the book/crafts fair seemed to be "seniors" like myself - well, no wonder I suppose, considering the focus on local history.
The Book Fair sounds like an interesting way to spend a few happy hours!
Carol, as book fairs go it was a very small one. I didn't keep checking my watch but I probably wasn't there for much longer than one hour. (Listening to Maria B on stage about half that time.)
"Bouroncle" does not sound like a Swedish surname. Did Maria acquire that name through marriage?
YP, it's certainly not a surname of old Swedish origin, but if she herself married a Bouroncle or if it goes further back in her family history, I don't know.
Surprisingly, the country with the largest concentration of people bearing the surname Bouroncle is Peru!
Yes, I found that as well. No introduction of Maria that I've read or heard so far goes into the origin of her surname, though. But she has also lived in other countries than Sweden, including the US; and has worked for many years with international aid projects.
Post a Comment