On July 17, a book talk by Wilmington native Lauren Collins, author of "They Stole a City," a searing history of Wilmington's 1898 coup and massacre, attracted a standing-room-only crowd, and then some, to the Brooklyn Arts Center Annex at Fourth and Campbell streets. Dozens were turned away.
On Sept. 1, an upcoming October appearance in the Brooklyn Arts Center's main room by John Grisham, a best-selling author of legal thrillers, sold out in minutes.
Both events were organized by Floodplain Books, which might be Wilmington's buzziest and most influential bookstore despite not having a brick-and-mortar location.
At least not yet.
Owned by best-selling Wilmington novelist Wiley Cash and his wife, the photographer, multimedia artist and Wilmington native
Mallory Cash, Floodplain Books won't open its physical location at 23 N. Front St. downtown until spring or summer of 2027.
Until then, the Cashes and Floodplain have been building momentum with a mix of splashy events, fundraisers and low-key pop-ups at venues across Wilmington.
"This is such a literary town. We're not creating anything, really, in terms of culture," Wiley Cash said over coffee in early September at The Ibis on Princess Street. "It's already here."
With such well-regarded authors as Jason Mott (National Book Award winner), Clyde Edgerton (a national/local treasure and a Guggenheim Fellow), John Jeremiah Sullivan (on the New York Times' best books of the 21st century list) and Cash himself calling Wilmington home, the decision to parlay the Port City's vibrant literary culture into a business is both "daunting and exciting," Cash said.
"It's just like getting married or having a kid," said Mallory Cash, who shares two young daughters with her husband. "There's never a perfect time to do it. But this was kind of, every single piece of it made sense. We were like, 'Well, we don't really have any time. But we're gonna make time.'"
The idea for a bookstore came partly through the Cashes' friendship with Dean Neff and Lydia Clopton of downtown Wilmington restaurant Seabird.
"Seabird has so tapped into Wilmington's desire for an elevated experience," Wiley Cash said. "Great culture, great service, beautiful building. And it's just created a bar to reach for."
Through Neff and Clopton the Cashes met James A. Goodnight, a developer who owns more than a dozen properties in and near downtown Wilmington, and found their visions were compatible.
Construction is ongoing at the bookstore's future home on the ground floor of a historic building owned by Goodnight and formerly occupied by the Pravda nightclub. Once open, they'll be able to do some events in store, and they'll also have access to a third-floor event space.
Speaking of events, Floodplain has nearly a dozen planned for this fall, with more to come.
Floodplain's fiercely independent streak is underlined by a stance in the FAQ section of the bookstore's website stating that "we will not work with nor stock authors who publish through Amazon."
"For us, it's a moral stance," Wiley Cash said. "Amazon is designed to make it harder for small business to exist."
At their event in July, Cash said, Floodplain sold 200 copies of "They Stole a City" for $32 each. On Amazon, it retails for $27.
"But here's the deal. We brought Lauren Collins to Wilmington for free. We gave Wilmingtonians an opportunity to meet (Collins). She stayed for three hours and signed books. Is that worth $5, to have that amazing evening? In my mind, it is.
"It's not for everyone," he added, like those who prefer to order their books online.
"But you can also drive downtown (and) walk down to Floodplain. … And chances are we'll have (the book) signed, and we'll know the author, and we can talk to you about it. And we're probably bringing them to town. And we're a local business. It just depends on who you want to give your money to."
John Staton is the arts and culture reporter for the StarNews. You can reach him at jstaton@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Yet-to-open Wilmington bookstore makes splash with big authors, events
