Boothbay Railway Village was filled with mystery, adventure and humor July 27 as 35 Maine authors gathered to discuss their latest books. Writers and readers alike packed the Boothbay Town Hall at the village, to share their love for literature. 

Laurie Chandler of Bremen wrote “Upwards” in 2015. It is how she became the first woman to solo thru-paddle New England’s Northern Forest Canoe Trail. She was relatively new to wilderness paddling but navigated 740 miles from New York’s Adirondack Mountains to Maine’s Allagash Wilderness Waterway. She was one of 35 Maine authors at the annual event. Leanne Pander of Boothbay was one of several local readers who discussed books with their authors. Pander heard from Chandler how she battled the Allagash River and wrote about her novel. “I’m an avid reader and this is great. This is the first one I’ve been to and I’ve enjoyed talking to the authors about their books,” she said.

In 2004, the event began as “Books in Bloom” at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library has organized the event each year. As it grew, a large venue was needed. A move ensued to BRV, which  accommodates up to 40 Maine authors each year. The third sponsor is Sherman’s Books in Boothbay Harbor. The partnership provides literature enthusiasts a format for authors to discuss their books and sell to eager readers all under one roof. The three partners make money, but profit isn’t the main motive.

“Proceeds are shared between the library, Sherman’s and railway village, but this isn’t about the money. It’s always been about promoting Maine authors, and bringing literature to the peninsula,” said BHML volunteer and trustee Sharon Pulkkinen.

In the event’s early years, organizers recruited local Boothbay region and nearby Maine authors to participate. But now a different process is used. BHML no longer recruits. It seeks applications from interested authors and limits the field to around 40. “The response became so overwhelming we had to limit the number of authors. Each year, we receive about 60 applications and we can only handle about 40. So it has grown substantially over the years,” said BHML executive director Joanna Breen.

As the 2019 event ends, plans for 2020 are already underway. Breen reported the application will soon be available on the library’s website as plans get underway for next year’s event.