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Indies First: What's happening at a bookstore near you?

Indies First, in which authors appear at independent bookstores and sometimes work as booksellers, will be happening again this year on Small Business Saturday. Take a look at who's signed up.

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Alfredo Sosa
Providence, R.I.'s Books on the Square is one of the indie bookstores signed up to participate in Indies First on Small Business Saturday.
  • By Molly Driscoll Staff Writer

Indies First is back for 2014’s Small Business Saturday.

Last year, “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” writer Sherman Alexie proposed that writers work as booksellers at independent bookstores on Small Business Saturday (the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend where consumers are encouraged to patronize their local stores). More than 400 bookstores were estimated to have participated, with more than 1,000 writers participating.

The idea spread, followed by Indies First Storytime Day, in which authors and illustrators came to indie stores and read books this past May, and then Upstream, an effort spearheaded by “A Series of Unfortunate Events” writer Daniel Handler to have authors bring signed copies of their books to independent bookstores, born later on.

This year, according to The New York Times, more than 400 stores are participating so far and more than 1,200 writers will be part of the event (the NYT noted that this counts authors who are signing books and saying hello to patrons as well as those who will work as booksellers that day).

According to IndieBound, participants will include Alexie, “Outlander” writer Diana Gabaldon, “Some Luck” writer Jane Smiley, and married couple Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer (Palmer just released a book titled “The Art of Asking”), among many others. Check out this IndieBound list to see what’s happening at a store near you.

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