“ I Believe In Book Fairies!”
How-to become a Book Fairy …
In March of 2017 an intriguing new nonprofit was founded by Londoner, Cordelia Oxley. While the concept may have become derailed somewhat three years later with social-distancing (due to the Covid-19 Pandemic), the heart of the matter remains.
Readers who finish a book and are seeking a unique opportunity to share and repurpose the book can become a Book Fairy.
That’s right, they’re called Book Fairies, with the initial hashtag being #IBelieveInBookFairies on social media.
(Find the Book Fairies on Twitter here or at their website here).
This hobby suited our family so well, as we’d grown up avid readers who loved to share books.
Then there’s the added fun of planning certain novels matched to certain location, such as when one of my sisters left a copy of Shakespeare's As You Like It when we went to go see the play at American Player’s Theatre in Spring Green, WI and …
we became Book Fairies.
Or if you’ve read my blog about my Self-Published work,
I moonlighted as a Book Fairy on a trip to New York City in 2019, and left a copy of my book at Bethesda Fountain, which was a location in my novel.
A person who spread the word initially — and acted as an Official Book Fairy themselves — was Emma Watson, perhaps best well-known for parts as the bookish Hermione Granger in Harry Potter movies, or the equally well-read character Belle in Disney’s live-action adaptation of Beauty & the Beast.
Emma Watson even collaborated for a “Little Women Book Fairy Campaign” while promoting Greta Gerwig’s Little Women film (2019)
And this is the best part about Book Fairies, is that really, anyone could be one!
Book Fairies need only acquire the old-timey book tags and affix them to the cover of their novel, then leave it in the place of their choice. You can find the Book Fairies Shop *here* to purchase Official Book Fairy Book Tags …
***Generally, retail stores and such don’t work as well, as you wouldn’t want there to be any confusion with well-meaning book-finders.***
As you leave the books, the hope is that someone will come across it and take it up as their own. While we didn’t go out often (covid-times, my friends), when we did, we made it a point to plan a “Book Fairy drop.”
My little sister was quite inventive with the locations she thought would suit. Some of her chosen favorites were Gigi’s Cupcakes, the cupcake specialty shop; we left a novel at a Christmastime production at the Overture Theatre in Madison, Wisconsin of The Nutcracker, and many more interesting locations.
Just as my experiences finding community within bookish institutions such as my local library have taught me so much, the Book Fairies also brought a new perspective.
It’s not often that we are presented with an opportunity to share something we enjoyed purely for the sake of sharing it, releasing it out into the world, not knowing who will actually pick them up.
Book Fairies operate on anonymity, but while Cordelia obviously couldn’t coordinate every drop from London, she created a network of Book Fairies that could work together to keep the dream alive.
While anyone can be a Book Fairy, there are designated Book Fairies for states and localities.
In the past, we had touched base with them, tagging them into the photos we posted with the location of the drop and a whimsical photo of the book, spreading the word on socials.
An interesting thing happened last year though, when my sister attempted to reach out to the Wisconsin Official Book Fairy.
After inquiries, she found they had become inactive, and she was asked to become the new Official WI Book Fairy. She took it, which certainly makes our family proud.
And what better combination of things could one hope for
when dedicating themselves to a good cause than
