THE AUTHOR'S JOURNEY. Booked Eau Claire, a new convention in the Chippewa Valley, will take place from Sept. 12-13 at The Lismore Hotel in downtown Eau Claire. The event will feature books from both national and local authors, from Abby Jimenez to S.Z. Putnam, pictured above.

For lovers of literature across the Chippewa Valley, there may be nothing better than having a place to celebrate essays, poetry, short stories, and more; to gawk over favorite fictional characters; and to forge new connections with authors from the Midwest.

Booked Eau Claire will bring together all of these interests and more, as authors, small businesses, and readers from across the region come together for a weekend of “nerding out over books.”

This inaugural, two-day long convention will take place from Sept. 12-13 in downtown Eau Claire at The Lismore Hotel (333 Gibson St.).

Chelsea Jean, the Booked Eau Claire organizer, author, and self-proclaimed book lover, said she knew Eau Claire would be the ideal location to host the first-time event — attracting readers and published authors from various genres.

“I’ve been on an ‘author journey’ for a while myself,” Chelsea shared with The Business News. “I finally lit a fire under my butt and published my first book last October, and as I was looking for conventions to attend, there weren’t many in the Midwest area.”

Local readers like Chelsea are eager to see a continuation of book-focused spaces and events — a signal toward a widening of literary possibilities in Eau Claire — alongside the city's ever-evolving music and visual arts scenes.

“We already have a strong music and art scene (in Eau Claire) and I see (Booked Eau Claire) as an extension of the area’s creative genius,” Madeline said, a local content creator behind the online account @eauclairemom.

The book community is one of the most accessible and accepting communities I have found.

Kathryn Keene

VENDOR AT BOOKED EAU CLAIRE

Since Chelsea’s initial announcement in 2024, she has been hard at work connecting with authors, influencers, vendors, and attendees from across the country for Booked Eau Claire.

More than 50 authors are currently featured for this year's event. Booked Eau Claire’s keynote speaker, Abby Jimenez — whose panel session has already sold out — calls the Midwest home and has written many acclaimed romance novels.

Abby Jimenez, pictured above, is a Minnesota-based author who has several published books on the New York Times Best Seller list. (Photo via Booked Eau Claire)

Titles including “Yours Truly” and “Just for the Summer” have landed Jimenez on the New York Times Best Seller list.

Among the featured authors at Booked Eau Claire, Khushi T. Saha, a Chicago-based author, expressed particular excitement for Abby's keynote session — eager to hear her insights on her most notable releases.

Khushi appreciates Chelsea’s ongoing championing of inclusivity and mentorship, rooted in the convention’s messaging, they said.

“I love that more romance conventions are popping up in the Midwest,” Khushi said. “It's great for smaller authors like myself to reach local readers and meet more local authors alike.”

Chelsea said she already has plans for the 2026 iteration of Booked Eau Claire, with speaker sessions from romance writer Amelie Rhys and fantasy young adult writer Namina Forna.

This year's convention schedule will be broken into speaker panels, VIP signings with speakers, Q&A sessions, book sales, and various workshops centered around collaboration and community-building, Chelsea said.

Panels range in topic and interest, from “Publishing for the Indie Curious” to “When Cultures Cross: Writing Multicultural Romance.” Each session aims to encompass the vast identities of attendees and foster new insights while diving deep into the writing process.

S.Z. Putnam, a local Hmong author of poetry and prose “Loose Change: Picking up the Pieces,” will join other Booked Eau Claire authors to lead the “Celebrating Disability + Mental Health Representation” session.

Kathryn Keene, of “Kathryn Keene Art,” said Booked Eau Claire will be a welcoming space for individuals with intersectional identities. Her identity as a disabled and queer artist is integral to her creative work, potentially resonating with other vendors and attendees who share similar experiences.

“The book community is one of the most accessible and accepting communities I have found,” Kathryn said. “I’m so thrilled to have somewhere close to home to bring us all together and cannot wait to finally meet all of the vendors and authors, as well as readers.”

Silver- and Bronze-Reader tickets to Booked Eau Claire are already sold out and Bronze admission will be sold online through Friday, Aug. 29. Any remaining tickets can be purchased in person at the event. For more information on Booked Eau Claire, visit the convention webpage online.