Four Pines Bookstore to host author Margi Preus in Bemidji

Four Pines Bookstore will bring Minnesota author Margi Preus downtown for a 6 p.m. book-signing on Tuesday, June 2, at 102 Third St. NW, adding another literary event to Bemidji’s early-summer calendar. The free, public gathering will give local readers a chance to meet an acclaimed regional writer without leaving Beltrami County.

The event also underscores how Four Pines has become more than a place to buy books. The store has described itself as Bemidji’s local independent bookstore since 2021 and says it is the first bookstore on the Mississippi River. Owner Gina Grinde opened Four Pines in June 2021 after noticing a lack of access to reading in the area, and KAXE reported that Gina and Jason Grinde launched the shop in downtown Bemidji that same month.

That role has helped make the bookstore a steady downtown gathering spot. Lakeland PBS has noted that Four Pines carries a wide variety of books, including work by Minnesota authors, and events like a Preus signing draw people into the city center for something built around reading, conversation and local commerce. In a small market like Bemidji, those kinds of events matter because they help keep downtown active while giving residents a reason to linger.

Preus brings a strong local and national résumé to the stop. Her website says her books for young readers have won a Newbery Honor, reached the New York Times bestseller list, been named ALA/ALSC Notables, featured on NPR and chosen for community reads. Among her newer titles are the picture book Snowshoe Kate and the Hospital Built for Pennies and the chapter book series The Shrew Detective.

For Bemidji readers, the June 2 signing offers an easy way to connect with an established Minnesota author in a small independent bookstore setting. For downtown, it adds to a pattern that has helped shape summer cultural life in Beltrami County, where bookstores, local businesses and community events are increasingly sharing the same block.