A celebration of literature and creativity took center stage on October 8 and 9, 2023, at Mackinaw Valley Vineyard as the Get Lit! Literature Faire. Liz Stein ‘25, the founder of Oak Paw Publishing, started the event to help the authors connect with a brand new audience.
Get Lit! was a cooperation of Oak Paw Publishing house and Mackinaw Valley Winery where Stein has been a bartender for the last seven years. The fair stemmed from the desire to create a unique book fair for adults. The owner of the winery, Diane Hahn, the owner of Mackinaw Valley Winery and a former magazine publisher herself, readily embraced the idea and gave the green light for its execution.
The journey to bringing Get Lit! to life was no small feat, but the results were nothing short of successful. “We were able to pull together just the most fun over the two days,” Stein said.
The event showcased independent authors searching for a welcoming platform to connect with diverse audiences.
“I had found over a dozen indie publishers based in Illinois, including Sourcebooks, which is run by IWU alums,” Stein said, “Unfortunately, they were unavailable this year, but we’re hoping to make it work for next year.”
Tate Lewis Carroll, an IWU alum, also participated in Get Lit!
By the end of the first day of the fair, all but two Oak Paw Publishing’s authors had sold out of at least one title that they brought.
“I was just absolutely terrified there wasn’t enough traffic and people weren’t buying books,” Stein said, “It turns out one of the authors who I thought didn’t sell any copies just kept putting more out. She told me that she made more sales on Sunday than she had at three farmers markets and a family day event at Wrigley Field in Chicago.”
Inspired by the popular Scholastic Book Fairs, Get Lit! was a grown-up adaptation of this tradition. Although Oak Paw Publishing didn’t have finished books to display, they sold embroidered canvas bags and handcrafted beaded pens, almost selling out on the very first day.
Stein, initially plagued by imposter syndrome, can now look back with pride on a tremendously successful weekend that saw dreams fulfilled, authors’ works appreciated.
“It gave me a tremendous confidence boost. On the early part of Sunday, I was having the worst imposter syndrome,” Stein said. “Nobody expected it to be as good as it was because of it being a first year event. The results are absolutely rewarding.”
Get Lit! has widened the literary landscape of Mackinaw Valley Vineyard, leaving attendees anticipating what this event will bring in the years to come. “The authors all said that it was a highly successful weekend,” Stein said.
