Canal Town Book Festival brings 60 authors to Dover High Oct. 4

Authors and readers will gather for the Canal Town Book Festival Saturday, Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Dover High School gymnasium. The event will feature more than 50 published authors hosting book signings and leading panel discussions on the craft. The festival is presented by the Dover Public Library in partnership with The Bibliophile in downtown Dover and has been offered by the library since 2019.

Event organizer Mallory Thompson said the festival draws writers from across Ohio and neighboring states, covering nearly every genre. “Attendees will be able to purchase physical copies of books and have them signed by the authors,” she said. “It is a great event for readers who want to meet and support local authors. There will be books for adults, teens and children, spanning multiple genres. And there will be author-led panels on writing and publishing for writers or the curious.” Admission is free, but Thompson encouraged visitors to “remember to bring money or a credit card to buy the books that catch your eye.”

The event continues to grow. “There are so many great authors in the community,” Thompson said. “We have 60 authors participating this year, and there were many more we were not able to accept due to space limitations.”

Raffle prizes will be available, with tickets earned through on-site book purchases. “We want to reward the community for supporting our local authors,” Thompson said. “We have 12 raffle baskets full of books by our participating authors, gift certificates from local businesses and other items. For every $5 attendees spend on books, they will receive a raffle ticket to put toward the prize they want to win.”

Participating author Ashley Willow, who has three romance novels in print, said her genre was a natural fit. “I’ve always been an avid romance reader, and even in school when I was on the creative writing team, my stories were going to have some sort of romantic theme or side story.” She credits a supportive network of indie authors: “The writing community as a whole has been very welcoming. I’ve been able to learn a lot from other indie authors and most of us try to help each other where we can.” Willow said ideas come from many places, including collaborations that sparked her “Boulder Ranch” series, now planned as six books with audiobooks underway.

True-crime author A. L. Hatcher said her fascination with forensics began decades ago and led her to earn bachelor’s degrees in forensic investigation and forensic pathology. “I publish my books myself. I hire professional editors, and my friend does my covers. All the rest is up to me — formatting, marketing, finding beta readers,” she said. “I like the control I have over my work as an indie author.” The nerves she felt releasing her debut, “The Blood Eagle,” have eased with her latest, “Hill of Bones.”

Science-fiction writer Evan Graham said he grew up on genre classics and aims for scientific plausibility. “I did a lot of research and tried to make sure everything I wrote was scientifically plausible,” he said of his novel “Tantalus Depths.” During editing, a particle physicist reviewed the manuscript for accuracy.

Learn more and meet the attending authors at canaltownbookfest.org. Dover High School is at 520 Walnut St. Use the Sixth Street entrance.