LEWISTON — By the end of the night on Feb. 16, more than 210 shoppers had filed into the Hilton Garden Inn Riverwatch for the first-ever Safe Voices Grown-Up Book Fair.

Held in the hotel’s ballroom, the event aimed to raise money for Safe Voices, the domestic abuse and sex trafficking resource center serving Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties.

The night included more than a dozen vendors selling book fair items such as sticky notes, bookmarks, stationery and pens, all with a slightly more sophisticated feel for the grown-up shoppers.

Two independent Maine bookstores, Lewiston’s Quiet City Books and Farmington’s Devaney, Doak & Garrett, supplied the books, while public libraries from Auburn, Lewiston and Turner held used book sales to benefit their general funds, according to a news release from Grace Kendall, director of development and engagement with Safe Voices.

Authors Lynn Steger Strong, Melody Paul and Lynne Schmidt sold signed copies of their work and chatted with attendees about books, writing, and their work as authors in Maine.

“Safe Voices works hard to be active members of the communities we serve,” said Kendall. “When a survivor needs to reach out to us, it’s easier for them to do that if they’ve seen us out in the community and maybe even already met some staff. So when an opportunity comes along to do an event like this, where we raise money for our work, do something good for our community and tell more people about Safe Voices, we get really excited.”

Next year’s Grown-Up Book Fair is scheduled for Feb. 1, 2024.

Check out other upcoming area events!