The Book Party hosts biggest-ever party for Halloween

The Book Party—an initiative bringing authors and book bloggers together at informal parties across the UK—held its biggest event to date this week and expects to have more than quadrupled its attendees by Christmas. 

The Halloween Book Party last weekend was attended by 250 book influencers who were joined by authors Clare Mackintosh, John Marrs, Gillian McAllister and T M Logan. 

The initiative was started by the author A J West and book blogger Victoria Hyde back in 2021 after the launch of the former’s début novel. 

West told The Bookseller: “At the launch of my début novel The Spirit Engineer, I chose to invite all the bloggers and authors who’d helped me with the stress and insecurity of being a new author [to the party]. We realised at my launch something special was happening. A magic mix of relaxed authors and readers sharing mutual respect and admiration. Authors met the bloggers who’d supported them for the first time. They were hugging and crying! Bloggers met their favourite writers without having to feel nervous approaching them."

West and Hyde, who is a blogger and also manages book tours, staged their first The Book Party event in London, with 90 guests. The second party took place in Blackpool with 150 attendees, followed by a Christmas party in Birmingham which welcomed 200.  

The Book Party founders anticipate their next Christmas event in Bristol will welcome 400 to 500 book bloggers and influencers, with 150 tickets having sold in the first four days. 

Hyde said: “As a book blogger myself, I know we often feel shy or excluded from author areas at festivals or find [ourselves] in long queues hoping to meet our literary heroes. At The Book Party, we remove those barriers and encourage people to mingle together and make connections freely. We’ve had writers and readers hugging each other in tears because it’s meant so much to meet each other. At The Book Party, everyone is a special guest, whether you’re a busy parent finding friendship and escaping through your books—as I was only four years ago—or a jet-setting, number-one bestseller.” 

West said: “Nobody knew how successful The Book Party would be when we launched our first event in 2021 and I think it’s fair to say there was a little eyebrow raising from the publishing establishment. Nothing quite like The Book Party has existed before, where authors and readers mingle and dance and celebrate together on the same level.”