Yong Takahashi is on a literary journey – and her latest stop is the Indie Author Book Fair

When Yong Takahashi picked up a pen just before her 39th birthday, she had no idea she was lighting a fuse. What started as a quiet act of self-discovery — writing longhand on legal pads — would eventually lead her to become one of Atlanta’s most engaged and dynamic literary voices. 

Her next major event, the inaugural Indie Author Book Fair at 2nd & Charles bookstore in Kennesaw, slated for this Saturday, June 21, promises to be another significant step in her journey.

Organizing literary events such as the Indie Book Fair may now feel like second nature to Takahashi, but her path to writing was anything but typical. Born in Seoul and raised in Detroit, her formative years unfolded across cultural fault lines. She grew up in a neighborhood newly navigating desegregation, experiencing a kind of liminal space between communities, languages, expectations and histories. 

She recalls, “The White students lived on one side of the highway and the Black students lived on the other. I remember the landlord telling my parents we could choose which side because we were yellow. A lot of my writing is about walking that tightrope — being raised in a very traditional Korean household while living a totally different life outside. That tension shaped my voice.”

But it took decades before Takahashi gave herself permission to explore those themes creatively. Fulfilling the expectations of her parents, she worked for years in the corporate world as an accountant and lease negotiator. “I was turning 40 and thought: I want to do something I really want to do. I didn’t know anything about writing, so I took classes.” 

She began scribbling notes and stories by hand, which eventually became her debut work of fiction, The Escape to Candyland (2020), a kaleidoscopic collection of subtly interwoven short stories exploring various Atlantans grappling with their secrets and aspirations.

She also published Rising (2019), a sharp and intimate collection of poems, and Sometimes We Fall (2020), a compilation of flash fiction. Takahashi’s most personal work to date is Observations Through Yellow Glasses: A Memoir Through Poems (2021), a lyrical meditation on identity and growing up as an Asian American in the Midwest. Her upcoming young adult novel, Camp Detroit, inspired by her coming-of-age years in Michigan, follows a Korean boy at a mysterious and sinister summer camp for gifted kids in a dystopian Detroit.

While her books carve out powerful narratives, Takahashi’s impact on Atlanta’s literary scene has echoed far beyond the page. In recent years, she’s become a vital organizer and connector in the writing community. She’s the founding editor of Little Notes Literary Magazine, devoted to flash fiction and poetry, often highlighting BIPOC and LGBTQ+ authors.

From intimate poetry nights at indie coffee shops to larger book fairs at public libraries and bookstores, Takahashi tirelessly carves out space for writers to meet their audiences — and each other — face to face. “It’s not just about selling books,” she says. “It’s about creating a sense of place, of belonging, for writers and readers alike. Being around other writers makes you more productive. Every time I spend time with other writers, I come back wanting to write more.”

The Indie Author Book Fair at 2nd & Charles bookstore goes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is a day-long fair featuring dozens of independent authors with meet-and-greets, readings, signings and chances for readers to discover new voices. About 30 authors across genres will be featured, each reading from their work, signing books and offering raffle prizes.

Takahashi sees these events as vital opportunities. “When we posted the signup, half the tables were gone the first day,” she says. “There’s clearly a hunger for this kind of event, especially among indie authors who don’t always get bookstore representation. We don’t have the access major authors do. And when you get 30 writers in one place, their fans might pick up someone else’s book, too. That helps all of us.”

Ultimately, Takahashi says her literary output and organizational efforts are deeply intertwined. That openness remains her guide, a reminder that life is never linear. “There’s no one way to be a writer,” she says. “You just need to listen — to yourself and to the world.”

Where & When

The Indie Author Book Fair is at 2nd & Charles in Kennesaw on June 21. Free.
815 Ernest W. Barrett Parkway NW.

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