Turning pages and bringing people together: The Twin Cities Book Festival
By Amirah Idris
There is something special about being surrounded by people who share a love for stories. Whether they are the ones writing them, reading them or simply discovering their next favorite book, literature has a way of bringing strangers together.
The Twin Cities Book Festival on Nov. 7 was a perfect example of that.
Despite the large number of visitors, the festival maintained a surprisingly calm and welcoming atmosphere. Tables filled with books, authors eager to share their work and readers browsing their next literary adventure created an environment that felt both comforting and inspiring. And, of course, a little coffee never hurts when you're surrounded by books.
Visitors had the opportunity to purchase books, collect tote bags, meet authors and even receive personalized signatures. But what made the experience particularly memorable was the opportunity to connect with the people behind the stories.
One author who stood out was Staci Andrea, author of “Missing in Lincoln Park.” Andrea shared an interesting collaborative writing project involving several authors who contributed different portions of a story. One writer would begin the narrative, another would continue it and another would build upon what came before.
It was a creative demonstration of how storytelling does not always have to be an individual pursuit. Sometimes, the most interesting stories come from people working together.
My conversation with Andrea, however, went beyond books.
After learning about my aspirations to become a criminal psychologist, Andrea expressed an unexpected amount of confidence in my future. She even suggested we take a picture together so that, if I became famous someday, she could say she met me before it happened.
It was a small gesture, but a meaningful one. Here was someone I had only just met, showing genuine excitement about a future I was still working toward.
Before I left, Andrea signed my book with a message that initially caught me off guard: "We all have ghosts."
Admittedly, I thought it was a rather dark message to leave in someone's book. But after noticing the words on her business card, "Perfection is just an illusion. We all have ghosts," I began to appreciate the sentiment differently. Sometimes, a few words from a stranger can carry more meaning than we initially realize.
Another memorable encounter was with Joseph Levalley, author of “Performing Murder,” a Tony Harrington novel.
As a writer of mysteries and thrillers, Levalley naturally caught my attention, especially given my interest in criminal psychology. After complimenting my name, he unexpectedly asked whether I would like to be the next serial killer in one of his books.
Without hesitation, I said yes.
In my defense, all I heard was that I might get to be in a book. It took me a moment to realize that I had enthusiastically agreed to become a fictional serial killer.
Whether he was serious or simply having a little fun with the idea, I couldn't help but laugh at the interaction. And quite frankly, I would still be honored to have my name appear in a book, even if my fictional counterpart happened to have a rather questionable criminal record.
Levalley also invited me to email him my thoughts after finishing “Performing Murder,” showing that conversations between authors and readers don't necessarily end when the book is signed.
Beyond these individual interactions, one of the most encouraging sights was the excitement among younger readers.
While it is easy to assume that children would rather spend their time doing anything other than reading, the festival suggested otherwise. Children eagerly explored tables filled with colorful, educational and entertaining books. Their excitement was especially noticeable when authors introduced their stories and spoke with them directly.
Watching young readers light up while meeting the people responsible for creating their favorite kinds of stories was a reminder that the love of reading is far from disappearing.
The festival was not simply a marketplace for books. It was a space where established authors, aspiring writers, families and readers of all ages could share their enthusiasm for storytelling.
For me, that sense of community made the experience particularly meaningful.
Over the past few weeks, I had found myself becoming less interested in something that once brought me so much joy: writing. Between academic responsibilities and the challenges of everyday life, reading and writing had slowly begun to feel less like passions and more like obligations.
But walking through the festival and speaking with authors who were so proud of their work reminded me of something I had almost forgotten.
Writing was one of my first loves.
It was never supposed to be something I forced myself to do. It was something I genuinely enjoyed, something that allowed me to be creative and something I once imagined turning into a book of my own.
Seeing authors standing proudly behind their published work reminded me that those ambitions did not have to remain distant ideas.
I arrived at the Twin Cities Book Festival expecting to discover new books. Instead, I discovered a renewed appreciation for the stories I might someday tell.
And perhaps that’s what makes events like this so special. They remind us that stories do more than fill pages. They create conversations, inspire dreams and bring people together.
Sometimes, all it takes is turning a page to remember why you started writing in the first place.
