Lifeline's Bookfair is back and (spoiler alert) it's an EPIC page turner

Calling all book lovers, the moment you’ve been waiting for is finally here – Lifeline Canberra’s EPIC Bookfair is back!

Kicking off this Friday, 10 February, and running until Sunday, 12 February, at Exhibition Park, the Bookfair has more than 195 pallets of stock with something for everyone.

Take a trip down memory lane with books of all genres, as well as games, vinyl, puzzles, DVDs and CDs, and a Collectors Room full of special items.

Lifeline Canberra CEO Carrie Leeson said every book purchased at the three-day event will support vulnerable people in the community.

“The cost of a life-changing call to Lifeline is $26 per person,” Carrie said.

“At our Bookfair, this equates to around a handful of books, so every purchase is valuable.

“For every $26 that we raise, we’re able to take an additional call and continue fundraising for such a worthy cause. The Bookfair also gives us an opportunity to put a face to a name, let people know what services are available, show the community the people of Lifeline and remove any stigma or barriers for those seeking help from Lifeline.”

Lifeline has been a growing institution in Canberra for almost 50 years and has been holding Bookfairs for more than 20.

“The event itself is enormous and has grown so much since we started,” she said.

“We normally run two EPIC book fairs a year, one in February and one in September, and then a mid-year smaller-scale book fair on the south side.

“This year, we’re taking over all of the pavilions at EPIC. We anticipate around 25,000 people to attend over the three days.”

With around 250 volunteers helping run the event, Carrie said they’re guaranteed to know where to find books that people are after and can’t wait to help them.

The Lifeline Canberra CEO said as the last 12 months have been spent sorting through generous donations from the Canberra community, there would be millions of items up for grabs across the three days.

“The Bookfair itself is a big recycling effort. People donate their books to us, we organise them into genres, and then we process them, and then they come out to the book fair to find a new home,” Carrie said.

“That’s the beautiful thing about the Bookfair itself, it’s recycling, it’s bringing the community together and it’s raising vital funds from across the support service.

“We are also constantly unpacking amazing items throughout the weekend so you can come on Saturday and there’ll be a brand new floor of books to choose from as we re-stock overnight, so that’s something quite special about it too.”

The Lifeline CEO said one of the best things about the Bookfair is its power to connect the community.

“It’s about getting out there and enjoying the vibe with all the people and their families that come through,” Carrie said.

“It’s also a wonderful way to hear people’s feedback, and it’s great for our volunteers too, to hear from the public and the community face-to-face and to see just how much they’re appreciated.

“We have so much on offer, including face painting and gelato, as well as all sorts of activities for people to participate in and we can’t wait.”

Lifeline’s Bookfair will take place on Friday, 10 February, from 9 am to 6 pm, Saturday, 11 February, from 9 am to 5 pm, and Sunday, 12 February, from 9 am to 4 pm.

Entry is by gold coin donation, and all proceeds will go directly to the local crisis support and suicide prevention service. Cash and card are accepted.

To find out more information, visit Lifeline.

Original Article published by Evelyn Karatzas on Riotact.