Celebrating creativity: The Detroit Festival of Books provides a feast of stories at Eastern Market
The Detroit Festival of Books 2025
I love everything about books. The way they look, the way they smell, and most importantly, the stories inside. Clearly, I’m far from alone with my feelings as the 8th annual Detroit Festival of Books was jam-packed with lovers of the written word browsing a bounty of books, comics, magazines, and other media. We were all enthralled with the creativity blasting “Read Me!” from every table and booth at Eastern Market in Detroit.
My oh my, how the Detroit Festival of Books has grown. When we stumbled upon the first festival in 2017, we thought, “Wow, this is huge”. Fast forward to today, and the festival is bursting at the seams, spilling out of the massive Shed 5 into the adjoining spaces. Inside, outside, and all around, the Detroit Festival of Books is happening.
Sadly, we couldn’t partake in the whole weekend, which featured author talks at the Detroit Public Library on Friday and a tour of over 75 independent bookstores in the metropolitan area on Saturday. However, we did manage to get down there for the main event on Sunday.
Meet The Authors
One of the unique attributes of the Detroit Festival of Books is the opportunity to meet the authors in person. We met Dr. Rick Ross, whose intriguing autobiography encompasses the drug trade, Iran-Contra, and much more.
We ran into Danni Little, who not only writes, but also makes her own books, zines, buttons, and more.
Ed McKenna was on hand with his Michigan-centric mystery novels, including Grand Secret, set on Mackinaw Island. We are familiar with Ed’s work, having interviewed him for our podcast earlier this year.
Children’s author Endeah Canty had copies of her Pencraft award-winning book, The Magical Shell, released by Hundredfold Publishing.
Bet you didn’t know that back in the ’70s, Tom Jones and Billy Preston were vampire hunters? Yep, the bloody details are in Dylan Dunbar’s new book, Sexbomb. By the way, this book is the perfect size to throw in your back pocket and whip it out on the bus, at the bar, or on the beach.
Book Makers, Sellers, and More
From new releases to first editions in any genre you can imagine, the tables at the Detroit Festival of Books were overflowing with treasure.
Brenda found a stack of cool zines and fun books at Book Suey (located in Hamtramck). She also picked up a handmade journal from Gryphon & Bacchus Bookbinding.
The Printing Stewards were on hand, sharing a wealth of information on their efforts to preserve printing machines (which are exceedingly rare) and demonstrating the art of printing.
The Art of the Album
Gig poster legend Carl Lundgren was on hand with his legendary posters.
Speaking of legendary, I spied Laura Grimshaw hanging with Richie Wohlfeil, where they had some of the fabulous art from the late Gary Grimshaw.
Finally, we made our way over to visit with Geoff and Jon’s Record Show, as well as Casey from Rock N Rummage. Both were slinging records at a brisk pace. I couldn’t resist getting a copy of the Detroit garage rock classic by Bogue.
Photos
There are plenty of photos from the Detroit Festival of Books 2025 in our gallery.
Become a Supporter!
We warmly invite you to join our Life In Michigan community. Your support is not just appreciated—it is essential. It enables us to continue sharing the unique and captivating stories that showcase Michigan in all its vibrant glory. Whether you buy us a beer, treat yourself to a snuggly warm hoodie, or provide ongoing support through Substack, every contribution helps enhance our mission.
If our content resonates with you, we encourage you to become ambassadors of our stories. Share our work on your social media or forward a link to someone who would appreciate it as much as you do. Your support, in any form, breathes life into our cause and keeps the spirit of Life in Michigan thriving.
Thank you for being a vital part of our community.
Stay Connected
We’d love it if you liked our Facebook page. Better yet, subscribe to our Sunday Sip newsletter through Substack. You can also find us on Instagram.
