Salt Lake’s Local indie bookstore The King’s English Bookshop celebrated Independent Bookstore Day on April 30 with local vendors, a musical performance from local high school students and a host of bookish activities.

Independent Bookstore Day

Independent Bookstore Day is a national party held on the last Saturday of April. The event commemorates the bookstores and booksellers who bring independent recommendations, locally made items and new reading materials to voracious readers.

Calvin Crosby recently became the owner of TKE after working with the California Independent Booksellers Alliance.

The store was a fixture in Crosby’s life for many years and his passion is easily readable in the laughter and smiles that he freely gives while talking about books and their impact on readers. 

“You change lives if you put the right book in someone’s hands,” Crosby said. “Not only do you change their lives — you potentially change their families lives and their children’s lives and their grandchildren’s lives. It’s a lot of responsibility.” 

The store hosted many patrons, both familiar and new, on the day of the event. Events like these allow General Manager Anne Holman to make connections between patrons and exciting new reads.

“We had a couple of women come in earlier who have been customers since we opened,” Holman said. “They’re voracious readers — it’s hard to keep them in books. They came up here and I was able to find three books for each of them that they’d never read. Nothing makes me happier than that exchange.” 

The voices of Olympus High School students showcasing their own musical production based on Marissa Meyer’s young adult novel “Heartless” filled the back patio and resounded through the store. 

The store is undeniably a hub for the community on normal days. But Independent Bookstore Day allowed the space to truly come alive with moments of connection. 

For TKE it’s about Salt Lake coming together and showing support for the local farmers, booksellers, bakers and other talented local groups and businesses that provide experiences that can’t be obtained from larger retailers or companies. Independent Bookstore Day is all about community.

A Better Bookish Future

As a local bookstore, The King’s English bustled with life on Independent Bookstore Day. 

This incredible environment is not available in larger stores. Events like this reinforce the importance of showing support to and standing with the local booksellers and businesses that lend themselves to a unique and vibrant life in Salt Lake. 

Not only do large chains and online companies take valuable sales and resources from the community, but they cause harm to the environment and other local businesses in the process. 

“Think what the impact on the environment is, never mind the fact that the money is not going to support our fire departments, our teachers, our roads,” Crosby said. “Convenience is expensive and it may not just be financially. It’s environmentally, locally and humanistically.” 

The King’s English can be visited at 1511 S 1500 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84105.

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