#EventSpotlight: Inside The Reading Nook’s Mini Book Fair in Los Baños, Laguna
Who doesn’t love a good book fair? There are many recurring book fairs in the Philippines, some with a national scope, some local, and some that even go beyond to the international scope. While these are fun and all, it can sometimes cause decision paralysis given the vast amount of choices that readers can purchase in those fairs.
The Reading Nook, a small cafe near UP Los Banos, celebrated its first anniversary last year. This small cafe is ran by Maxine Ramos, who is an alumni of the university. She took up AB Communication Arts with a major in Theatre, though she now prefers to write novels and run her small cafe.
Last September 27, which was the last day of the event, I went all the way from Malate, Manila to Los Banos—coincidentally, a majority of my relatives live near the area—to attend the said event and promote my own book, titled “One Original Milk Tea, please (No Pearls!), which coincidentally complemented the owner’s book titled “Boba Girl” which also had a milk tea theme.
The event itself actually ran for four days, though I was only able to go to the last day due to me being based in Manila.
I had met the owner before, during the recently-concluded Manila International Book Fair. She was enthusiastic about how both of us had milktea themed books, and we bonded over our love for books, milk tea, and coffee. Our books may follow different stories, but the shared theme—as well as our shared hometown—definitely brought us closer together.
The event was held in a rather small venue, but it was an event that I would call successful because of the overall happiness of the participants and stakeholders. I was also able to network with fellow authors as well as some of the other concessionaires and visitors of the event. Thanks to the diligence of the venue owner and her staff, the event really felt like home for those of us who really enjoy the “cozy bookshop” we usually only get to read in stories.
While there are certainly g=challenges that come with events in small venues, there are definitely ways to make it work—and work well—which Maxine Ramos managed to prove in this event.
Happy anniversary, The Reading Nook! Hoping for more years of reading, coffee, and community, in the midst of the hustle and bustle of daily life. Thank you for sharing your space with us authors and the other merchants that joined the event!