In September I went to Bouchercon, the Mystery Writers of America Convention.
Back in person for the first time in 3 years, the event was hosted in Minneapolis, and the geographic proximity made it impossible for us to ignore. So, prepared to host some panels and meet some authors, I drove down to the Twin Cities unsure exactly what to expect upon arrival.
What I came across was a wild collection of writers, readers, and book professionals from all across North America and further afield, thrown together in a hotel, each with their own sense of COVID safety, own sense of propriety, and own expectations on an event long delayed in person. Minneapolis too, in this post-pandemic, post-George Floyd reopening, is also figuring out what it is, an unexpected wrinkle that left the city around the hotel feeling empty, but not unwelcome. From our perspective, the conference went well, and several the events that we will be hosting in the coming weeks and months are a result of the meetings that took place in coffee lines, (or at bar tops) during the four days. We also learned, quite excitingly, that Calgary will be hosting the world for Bouchercon 2026, certainly something in which we hope we will have the opportunity be very involved.
Getting back to Winnipeg on the Sunday evening, on Monday I was off to Rossburn, Manitoba to help launch Valley of the Birdtail by Andrew Stobo Sniderman and Douglas Sanderson (Amo Binashii), [an event the latter author had to miss as his wife had tested positive for COVID prior to their flight]. This was quite a different event in tone from Bouchercon, an audience from the town and Waywayseecappo reservation coming together in a curling club to hear about how their communities managed to come together despite the barriers, historical and cultural, that all too commonly create tension between communities like theirs. To visit a place with both such pride in what they have accomplished to this point, and such a sense that there is still a long way to go towards an equal life for all, was fascinating to experience after the tumultuous and metropolitan clash of perspectives and lifestyles that was the conference, I had been part of only a day before.
I have, for most of the rest of this month, been trying to reconcile these two experiences in my own mind, to best reflect you, our customers, what they might mean to Whodunit? moving forward. Becoming not just the place where you buy your mysteries, but also indulge your interest in politics, or mushrooms, bubble tea, maps, or puzzles, has been an overwhelmingly positive force for us. To be the spot you stop for a children's birthday present, or a professional requirement, or a personal indulgence is something that creates the sense of community that we find is growing around us on Lilac Street, and something that we can only hope will continue to grow. We are thrilled to continue to be your crime fiction specialists, but we are also happy to sometimes be the store you buy a book about bicycles from because some guy carried a yellow velour sectional out onto the sidewalk for a street concert, and it caused you to stop.
As a result, as we aim to find a new equilibrium in what is a relatively unpredictable 3rd COVID winter. We are going to be moving back to having more events and welcoming more opportunities to go afield as they become available. Both actions are great for getting new and different authors to you in new and interesting ways. A relatively chance meeting with Meredith Hambrock, for example, has led us to learn that Brent Butt of television's "Corner Gas" fame will have a mystery book next year, and he is going to appear with Meredith at her Zoom event on Thursday, October 13th.
We hope to continue to be, not just in what we stock, but in how we act, a store that reflects the wants and needs of you, who put your trust in us. Whether it be for books that provide a thrill, or make you think, or make you laugh, or cry, or scream, we intend to do our best to provide them as best we can, whether it be in person, on Zoom, or, through a closed door. Please know we are smiling with every visit, even if you cannot see it through our masks.