Books and More at the Union Depot
Packed to the Brim
Q
On Nov. 8, 2025, I attended the 25th Annual Twin Cities Book Festival at Union Depot in Saint Paul. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, outside of tables for authors and organizations, books (obviously), and the like. To my surprise, the event was packed to the point that it was difficult to move around at times without bumping into another person. It was nice to see such a good turnout for an event like this, especially given common narratives about people’s increasing disinterest in books; evidently, this is not the case!
The event featured tables from all sorts of organizations and authors, from book stores and publishing houses to libraries and schools. The diversity of available material was quite pleasing as well, with the books ranging across genres and styles, and, of course, subject matter and authors. There were a significant number of books from and about various cultures from across the world, with numerous stories on display, such as several tables featuring immigrants’ stories, or another featuring Russian legends and heroes of the medieval era.
One such table I found to be a bit odd, this one was a focus on romance and true crime. It struck me as a bizarre choice and a bit distasteful to have the two genres grouped in such a manner, and while I should have investigated further, the crowd between me and it and the taste it left in my mouth left me uneager to do so.
I, being fascinated by the medieval era and not knowing much about the Rus (the historiographic name applied to a loose entity which existed in medieval Russia), chose to purchase a book on the subject titled “In a Certain Kingdom: Epic Heroes of the Rus.” A short book, I’m sure it’ll be well worth my time, and it was even signed by the author to boot!
On the subject of authors, the event featured a schedule of author events, of which I did not have the time to attend. It was nice to see the day was jam-packed with such events, and I only wish I had more time on my hands to check out one or two.
My boyfriend, who accompanied me on this little excursion, found himself a couple of comics from one of the tables, a horror manga from 1975 with exceptional art titled “Mansect”, and an American comic titled “For Real,” a fictionalized account of cartoonist Jack Kirby’s wartime experience and his battle with cancer—also featuring striking artistry. This table was one of the first ones we visited, from a local publishing house called “Uncivilized.”
On such a cold day as Saturday was, the Union Depot’s sweltering heat (which I was warned about) was not unwelcome, and most certainly aided by the volume of bodies packed into its event space. This was actually my first time attending an event at the Union Depot, and so I was almost a fish out of water in the close quarters created by all the people in attendance. I even found myself having a bit of trouble getting to the venue in the first place.
At the far back of the venue, on the opposite side from the entrance, was a used books sale, chock-full of classics and popular literature, as well as some bins with prints and other similar historical pieces. In one such bin, I found a banknote from the Weimar era valued at one million Reichsmarks. Dated 1923, it was a fascinating and very tangible look into the economic devastation Germany faced in the interwar years, not something I had been anticipating finding at the book festival.
Altogether, the festival was a wonderful experience and a welcome event to have in the cities. The sheer variety of things and tables on display was phenomenal, and the turnout was impressive. I will certainly keep my eye out for the next one, and other related events, and I highly recommend anyone at all interested in reading do the same. Just make sure to set aside more time than I did, so you can enjoy the experience at your leisure and be able to see some of the author events.