Bookworms, there’s a new way to crawl.
The Philadelphia Bookstore Crawl is set for Saturday, Aug. 23 with close to 50 venues participating around the region. Officially, readers aren’t put on a single set path. Instead, they are challenged to visit as many shops as they can to explore the different events and activations coinciding with the experience.
As a release puts it, some shops are hosting authors while others are running “epic sales.” While traveling around, readers have the chance to meet celebrated artists from the area, including New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors, and other avid readers along the way.
The now annual event launched in 2023, and people came from all over the country to explore the city’s literary scene. Two dozen Philly spots participated in the inaugural iteration, and in 2024, the list grew to include over 30 bookstores. This year has expanded even more. Stops will be anchored from Old City to Germantown, Fishtown through West Philadelphia, Elkins Park to Ardmore, and as far as Wayne, PA and Haddonfield, NJ. Participating bookstores span A Novel Idea, Binding Agents, Capricorn Books, Hilltop Books, Multiverse, Open Book, Uncle Bobbie’s, Garland of Letters, Making Worlds, Neighborhood Books, Wooden Shoe Books and more.
Featured local authors found along the literary path span M.L. Rio (New York Times bestselling author of ‘Graveyard Shift’), Tre Johnson (‘Black Genius’), R. Eric Thomas (Stonewall Honoree for ‘Kings of B’more’), Victoria Mier (‘Beyond the Aching Door’), Eshani Surya (‘Ravishing’, coming soon with Roxanne Gay Books), John Vercher (Edgar award nominee, ‘Devil Is Fine’) and more.
There are also a few event highlights to look out for this year. For one, the annual afterparty celebration at Main Point Books in Wayne will feature local author Jeff Bogle launching his debut, ‘Street Cats & Where to Find Them’, published by Philly’s own Running Press.
A “Freedom to Read” postcard party will also be hosted at Harriett’s Bookshop, where guests can grab postcards to send to representatives. Chestnut Hill is once again bringing back its Book Lovers Breakfast (featuring four bookstores and three cafes partnering to offer up early morning treats for avid readers.) Plus, Philadelphia Stories will be running a tour bus that will visit five shops participating in the Bookstore Crawl. They will pick up guests in Lancaster, PA and Wayne, PA for an afternoon of browsing, a release notes.
Some of the stops are not only new to the crawl, they’re also new additions to the scene. Several participating bookstores are brand-new shops that just opened over the last year, including Cupid’s Bookstore (Manayunk), The Broken Spine (Brewerytown), 50 Watts Books (Chestnut Hill), and Professor Readzalot’s Used Books (North Philly).
There’s also the Philadelphia Bookstore Crawl passport (available to print and pick up at participating bookstores.) The take-away is illustrated by acclaimed local creative, Gus Andrews.
For more information on the events, including an ongoing list of giveaways and signings, visit the official Philadelphia Bookstore Crawl website at phillybookstorecrawl.com or follow on social media @phillybookcrawl
