Powell bookstore 'Escape Into Fiction' opens after years in the making
POWELL, Ohio (WCMH) -- An independent bookstore years in the making, and delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, has found a home in Powell, welcoming readers with its grand opening earlier this month.
Escape Into Fiction, located at 50 S. Liberty St. in downtown Powell, celebrated its launch on Oct. 18. The shop is owned by April Rock, who said the business fulfils a longtime dream that began several years ago and spun out of her love for books. When the pandemic hindered her original store plans, Rock began building a customer base online.
"In 2019, we lived in West Chester, Ohio, just down by Cincinnati, and we wanted to have a brick and mortar there," Rock said in a NBC4 interview. "We went to get ready to sign a lease, and the pandemic hit, everything closed, so we decided to segue and do at home deliveries during the pandemic, which was wonderful. That was a good way to get started for us."
A couple years later, a job opportunity for Rock's husband took them to Massachusetts, where she spent three years operating her first bookstore in the suburb of Franklin. The couple returned to Ohio following another job change and the arrival of their first grandchild. The move also meant Rock could again pursue opening a Buckeye State storefront.
Rock and her husband settled in Powell for about a year before they were able to secure the South Liberty Street location, she said. A lifelong reader, opening Escape Into Fiction has been a full circle moment for Rock, who also previously worked in the children's department of the MidPointe Library System in West Chester.
"I was helping take care of an elderly grandfather at the time, and so I was not able to work a full time job like I had been," she said. "We were like, 'Okay, what can we do that would still enhance my love of books, but give me something to do?' … The bookstore was a good way to be able to stay in the realm of the books, but still give me time to be flexible with my schedule."
Now, Escape Into Fiction in Powell features a wide selection for all readers. As the name suggests, the shop's shelves are stocked with fiction books, from mystery and romance to fantasy and science fiction. While the storefront doesn't carry other genres, Rock said she's able to order almost any book that customers request.
"It's all ages. We call it 'birth to death,' so you can come in and get anything you need. I always tease because people are like, 'Oh, but you're only fiction.' I'm like, 'Yes, but I can order anything, and I'm willing to order even nonfiction,'" she said. "I'm willing to order anything that somebody wants to read. It's just that we don't carry it on hand."
Rock envisions Escape Into Fiction as more than just a bookstore -- she hopes it becomes a true community gathering space, hosting book clubs, partnering with other local businesses and restaurants, and holding charity events.
"We try and make our store very comfortable, light and bright," she said. "We want to be a community based store so that we can host events. We do a lot of partnering with other businesses, like restaurants. We do book clubs. … One of the things we want to do is provide books for the NICU unit in Columbus."
Escape Into Fiction is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.