A few days before the Hay Festival Forum arrives in Oak Cliff, Dallas’ literary community is gathering to explore the role of independent bookstores as third spaces.
The Wild Detectives, Oak Cliff’s bookstore and bar, is teaming up with The Dallas Morning News to host a community conversation about how local bookstores can foster creativity, civic dialogue and trust in an era of disconnection.
Arts Access editor Samantha Guzman will moderate a conversation with Deep Vellum bookstore manager Riley Rennhack, Interabang Books co-owner Lori Feathers, Whose Books owner Claudia Vega and The Wild Detectives owner Javier Garcia del Moral. All of the area’s independent bookstores are known for championing local authors and inclusive storytelling.
Rebecca Slezak
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The Dallas Morning News
The event comes a few days before the Hay Festival Forum, which features three days of conversations and performances from writers, bookstore owners, musicians and activists.
Attendees are invited to come ready to share their ideas for how bookstores can strengthen community ties, reflect on political and cultural changes in the city and connect with fellow book lovers.
For Garcia del Moral, the gathering is both a continuation of the store’s mission and a response to the mood he’s noticed among patrons.
“There’s so many changes happening in the city nowadays – well, in the country – that it seems almost impossible to just catch up with something and pick one particular thing to go about,” Garcia del Moral said.
He hopes the event will bring people together in a more supportive way. Bookstores, Garcia del Moral said, have long been spaces that nurture connection, something The Wild Detectives encourages through its bar and monthly events.
“Having spaces like this [where] you have people physically together, [where] they can talk or just stay there, I think is really what you need to start growing whatever comes after,” he said.
Details:
Oct. 15. 7 p.m. The Wild Detectives, 314 W. Eighth St, Dallas. Free with RSVP
Arts Access is an arts journalism collaboration powered by The Dallas Morning News and KERA.
This community-funded journalism initiative is funded by the Better Together Fund, Carol & Don Glendenning, City of Dallas OAC, The University of Texas at Dallas, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Eugene McDermott Foundation, James & Gayle Halperin Foundation, Jennifer & Peter Altabef and The Meadows Foundation. The News and KERA retain full editorial control of Arts Access’ journalism.