It’s a picture-perfect July afternoon. The sun’s out, the birds are chirping, and there’s a body bag lying on the lawn.

This is the scene that greets me as I step through the gate of Global Platforms, and into this year’s Bookish Affairs. It shocks me – obviously – before my mind catches up, and I realize what’s going on. For months, Bookish Affairs has been teasing a murder mystery as a headline activity, and clearly, they’ve pulled out all the stops. The body bag is just the beginning. There’s a chalk outline, and a police mugshot wall, as well as several ominous, blood-stained messages peppered all around the premises. And me? I’m a kid in a very macabre sort of candy store.

A real-life jumpscare

Behind the looming reminders of violent murder, though, is a cosy sort of vibe that I’ve come to love about Bookish Affairs events. Everywhere I turn, I’m greeted with a smile, a hug, and best of all, books!

They’re everywhere, from vendors selling titles lifted straight from my TBR (I had to nab Tales from the Morisaki Bookshop ‘cause it’s been on my list for literal years), to the most gorgeous bookmarks and stickers that I always need just one more of. The vendors themselves are some of the loveliest people you’ll meet. They’re always ready to chat about the books they’re reading, and commiserate about the length of your TBR (I may or may not have 400 samples on my Kindle, and no, I do not have a hoarding problem!)

There’s a chalk outline and a police mugshot wall, as well as several ominous, blood-stained messages peppered all around the premises. And me? I’m a kid in a very macabre sort of candy store.

My favourite spot, though, is the book swap station, which I hit first to deposit a whole box full. The concept is simple: bring in some books that are looking for a new home, and trade with someone else. Sometimes you score big, and someone happens to be getting rid of a book by your fave author, and other times, you get to broaden your horizons with a read that you may not have thought to try before. But every time is like a mini-treasure hunt to see what gems you can find, with the double joy of giving your old treasures new, loving homes. I find these books tell an interesting story about the people who owned them. You can learn a lot about a person by the books they love, but also by the books they loathe with a passion, and it’s fun to see where two people with polar opposite tastes might find common ground by the books that they both happen to love in this exact moment in time. 

This year, among many beauties, I scored Seven Gothic Tales by Isak Dinesen. What does that tell you about me? That I’m drawn to stories about death, and every day, my sweet, darling mother questions how she managed to raise such a creepy kid.

If I don’t get scarred, I want my money back
Source: [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Seven-Gothic-Tales-Chevalier-Norderney/dp/0141187190] 

But the highlight of the day is – of course – the murder-mystery! Tucked away in a room up a very cute spiral staircase (I don’t know if it was chosen specifically for the staircase, but it definitely got me into the vibe), the body bag makes a reappearance. This alongside a collection of cryptic clues, and several blood-stained items that could all be used as a murder weapon if you’re creative enough. After a brief introduction to a cast of colourful and suspicious characters, the crowd is thrust into a classic whodunit, complete with twisted, conflicting alibis and many a red herring.

As someone who grew up on the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, I’m in my element. While accusing the butler is instinct, teasing out the why is a lot trickier and more interesting. Now, did I solve the mystery of why he did it? No. I grew up on mystery books; I never said I was good at solving them. But between getting to decode puzzles, fiddling around with a very fancy cypher box, and interrogating an infuriatingly secretive ghost: I was quite satisfied.

So, Georgina R. R. Martin be damned! (If you ask me, she had it coming.)

 Bookish Affairs draws a diverse crowd. From manga readers (and those who draw them!), to people who don’t even read but came for the vibes and ended up having a good time anyway. I talk to a dude with a hunting knife that is entirely unrelated to the murder-mystery, and that isn’t even the craziest thing to happen this afternoon. There’s a friendly rivalry between serial annotators and those who think writing in a book is a cardinal sin (guilty, your honour). There are people who think friends-to-lovers isn’t an S-tier trope?? Truly hard to comprehend, but at Bookish Affairs, all are welcome, and it’s that openness that solidifies the event as a personal favourite. Everyone feels like an old friend, and there’s much joy to be found in lying in the chalk outline and getting a group mugshot with all your besties. 
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Friends who commit crimes together, stay together