Henry's Books will open later this year in downtown Spearfish, S.Dak. The Rapid City Journal reported that co-owners Lizzie and Dylan Mattson are hosting a Writers Night fundraiser April 7 at Matthews Opera House. The event will feature original songs, readings and poetry, along with raffles of literary-themed goods, specialty items from local businesses, and signed books by a range of authors.
During the past few months, Lizzie Mattson ran several pop-ups at local businesses, where she could meet and talk with community members: "It was the most outstanding way to validate the need and the desire for this to come into town. We got to learn exactly what people are interested in and what they're reading right now.... We were able to make so many wonderful connections with community members and business owners."
The upcoming Writers Night, which is going to feature local writers, poets and songwriters, "is a continuation of our crowdfunding efforts--we hope to elevate local talent and give the community the opportunity to support this unique project. During our first phase of crowdfunding efforts, we learned just how impactful it can be to simply ask someone 'What are you reading right now?' With each conversation we have, the more we solidify the overwhelming need for a bookstore here in Spearfish."
The Mattsons have had a $45,000 fundraising goal to help launch Henry's Books, and Writers Night will be the final phase of their crowdfunding. "We're hoping to get really close to our original goal of $45,000. No matter what happens, we are going to continue to move forward with the bookstore," she said, noting that ideally the store will be open by this summer.
The co-owners believe 2024 is the right time for Spearfish to gain an independent bookstore, and there is plenty of community interest in it. "We can't do this without the community, so the only way this happens is by the community and for the community," Lizzie Mattson said. "We really want to see as many people sponsor as much of the store as possible for the sake of having community involvement in every element of the store.... Our greatest hope for these sponsorship options is that you would choose something that is meaningful to you in one way or another."
She added that through the recent book pop-ups and getting to know people in the community, she sees that many people have a desire to connect and build relationships, often through the shared love of reading: "A lot of people are wanting to get back to the simple pleasure of enjoying a book."