Wow! We are two days away from the fourth annual Gay Romance Northwest Meet-Up at the Seattle Public Library on September 24!
We want to provide some up-front info for attendees wondering about the event, especially if it’s their first time. Below is some frequently asked questions (and also please feel free to share your own questions in the comments!)
Can I get tickets online still? No, as of yesterday, we are officially sold out of the free passes.
For all those who registered, we’ll have a name tag printed for you at registration. If by chance we don’t have your name (sometimes in group purchases, only one name is given), we will have blank name tags for you.
Can I get a pass at the door? We will have a limited number of passes at the door. Due to the size of the crowd, we may have to ask for those registering on Saturday to come by at 12:45 to see how many seats are left. Because the conference is sold-out though, day-of passes are not guaranteed.
What about later sessions? Can I go to those without a pass? Our most crowded session will most likely be the opening session from 1pm – 2pm in the auditorium on the first floor. If you would like to attend the 2:10-3pm session or the 3:10-4pm session in the auditorium, that should be 100% fine. We don’t expect those sessions to be completely full. Just come on in.
When does the library open? The library opens at 10am. GRNW registration will start at 12pm in the Microsoft Auditorium on the 1st Floor. The GRNW BookFest will start at 12pm also on the 4th Floor, Room 1.
What is the dress code? Seattle is suuuuuuuuper casual, so it’s wear what you want. Most of the conference is in the Seattle Public Library, which is also a pretty casual place.
Are there activities before Saturday? Yes! As listed in our program schedule, we have a couple free reading events the night before on Friday, September 23.
- 6:30pm – Doors open at Hugo House (1021 Columbia St, Seattle, WA 98104)
- 7pm – 8:00pm: TransFics readings at Hugo House with Austin Chant, Tobi Hill-Meyer, Laylah Hunter, EE Ottoman, JK Pendragon, and Alex Powell.
- 8:00pm – 8:30pm: Break (Go enjoy the Hugo House bar!)
- 8:30 – 9:30pm: Love Bites reading at Hugo House with authors Jeff Adams, Dev Bentham, CJane Elliott, Isabella, Christopher Moss, Richard Compson Sater, Karelia Stetz-Wates, and Cora Walker
We hope you can join us for these Friday events! They are a great way to kick-off the weekend and to begin meeting attendees and authors.
What times do things start on Saturday?
It depends on what you’re planning on doing:
Registration: This is from 12pm – 1pm, and is the best time to come, grab your name tag, swag bag, and look over the free book table to grab what you want. (First come, first serve at the free book table.)
Conference Programming: This will run from 1pm – 4pm. See schedule.
Book Festival: The bookfest runs from 12pm – 6pm, and is open to everyone. It is located on the 4th Floor, Room 1.
When will the authors be signing books? The author signing period will be from 4pm – 6pm in the bookfest room on the 4th floor, Room 1.
Can I buy books at the BookFest? Yep! There will be a book sale table, hosted by the bookstore Another Read Through, from 12pm – 6pm. Several authors will also be selling their books during the signing period from 4pm – 6pm.
1st Bus going to After Party: 5:45pm in front of the library’s 5th Ave Entrance.
2nd Bus going to the After Party: 6:15pm in front of the library’s 5th Ave Entrance.
After Party: 6:00pm – Midnight – Rendezvous in the Grotto Room downstairs (2322 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98121)
Come join us for the free after party at the Rendezvous! (Heads-up—this venue is 21 & up.) Hosted the by queer romance podcast The Hopeless Romantic, the after party will feature games, readings, and will include food & beverages for purchase.
- First Bus back to the library: 8:30pm
- Second Bus back to the library: 9:30pm
What should I expect at the book festival?
The book fest will feature:
- 24 LGBTQ romance authors to meet and chat with (See author list)
- Both the authors and the bookstore Another Read Through will have lots of LGBTQ romance books for sale.
- Loads of free author swag!
What can I expect at the After Party?
The after party at Rendezvous will be a very casual setting. Rendezvous is open to the public (although 21+), so there may be more than GRNW attendees there to enjoy the fun of queer romance books. The setting is casual and laid-back, and will include some games and readings.
Where do I pick up my swag bag? You can pick it up at registration.
I hear there will be free books at the conference? Yep! We have loads of free books in the auditorium that you can just grab and take with you. Enjoy!
Is there still a book drive for Gay City going on? Yep! We are also gathering book donations for the Gay City LGBTQ library. Every book donated will get a raffle ticket, and a chance to win some prizes! Books can be donated at the Gay City table at the conference and book festival.
Where can I park? The Seattle Library has parking all day for $8, but it ends at 7pm. Downtown also has some nearby lots. Street parking becomes free after 8pm
What other questions could we answer? Let us know!
What other questions could we answer? Let us know!
Read with Pride Northwest 
I am so excited to attend!! Quick question– Can I bring some swag for my book, and, if so, is there a specific place I should put it? Thanks so much!
Thanks, Kelly! We’re glad you can join! As for swag, space is a little tight. If you see a space on the Free book table during registration, you can put some there, although we would recommend not a lot. (So, like a stack of 25-50 postcards or small swag like magnets, etc.) As a heads-up, we will be tossing all swag/remaining items that aren’t books at 4pm when we close-down the auditorium and head up to the book fest signing period, so if there is stuff you want to keep, I would grab it before that time.
If people have free books to give out, we welcome you also to add those to the free book table during registration. (Also, we encourage people to share a free copy with Gay City for their LGBT Book Drive that will be going on during the conference.)