Meet the founder
photos by @mackenzidphotography
Maddie Smith is a dynamic bookstore owner and community organizer based in Waterville, Maine. She started her entrepreneurship with The Banned Bookstore, an online independent bookstore that specialized in offering books that have been traditionally banned or challenged in schools and libraries. Her mission with this project was to promote access to diverse and thought-provoking literature, including classics like The Great Gatsby, Huckleberry Finn, and Wuthering Heights.
In addition to her online venture, Maddie has expanded her presence in the literary community by acquiring and rebranding the former Children's Book Cellar in Waterville. Now known as Smitty's Book Cellar, the store has been updated to offer a broader selection of books beyond children's titles and frequently hosts community events, including a book club and collaborative events with other local businesses.
Maddie is also the founder of the Maine Book Fest, an annual event celebrating literature, literacy, and community engagement, now the Maine Book & Print Collective, a nonprofit. Our annual festival features workshops, author readings, live podcasts, and vendor markets, with the goal of fostering a love for reading and supporting local authors and organizations.
Through her Instagram page @smittybehindthescenes Maddie is happy to offer freelance promotional and editorial services to local and other independent authors. In addition to her work in the local literary community, she works a day job at a local credit union and enjoys gaming or watching movies with her significant other and husky.
Through her ventures, Maddie Smith has become a prominent figure in Maine's literary scene, advocating for the importance of accessible and diverse literature in both physical and digital spaces.
Maddie Smith
Our nonprofit board
Victoria hood
Victoria Hood (she/her) is the author of My Haunted Home (FC2), I Am My Mothers Disappointments, poems (Girl Noise Press), and the collection of longings, Destroy Me, Desecrate My Bones (Girl Noise Press). Originally from the Philly suburbs, she retreated to Bangor with her partners and elderly cat. Victoria runs the Queen City Scribe Series in Bangor, ME which features local writers (published and unpublished). Overall, she hopes to discomfort, humor and charm.
Publications Director
amy defibaugh
Amy Defibaugh (she/they) joins the Maine Book & Print Festival board as the Awards Director. As an attendee of the festival for the past few years, Amy found it to be a force for creating and fostering meaningful engagement within the literary/arts and creative communities in Maine. As a Philly-to-Maine transplant, Amy is raising their daughter and living on a homestead in central Maine with their partner and pup, and she is excited to be more involved in the vibrant and diverse literary and creative communities of Maine. Amy holds a PhD in religion and is a director of programs and publications for a scholarly organization and advocates for the humanities and liberal arts in higher education. They are also a textile artist and absolutely loves books!
Awards Director
I'm excited to step into my role as Brand Manager! I'm from Maryland and moved to Maine last year. I currently work full time in marketing for MaineDOT. I also do freelance marketing work for Literacy Volunteers of Kennebec. I attended The Maine Book & Print Fest in Waterville for the first time last year, shortly after moving to Maine and publishing my debut novel, The Love Raffle, last summer. In my free time, I enjoy reading, writing, playing piano, attending rock concerts, and traveling! I'm also currently planning my October wedding! By joining the board, I hope to help grow awareness and interest in The Maine Book & Print Fest and support more diverse, inclusive literary and arts events throughout Maine!
Brand ManagerBrittany Roberts
Samantha Grimwood is a practicing artist who specializes in fine art photography, with additional interests in sculpture and installation. Her fine art photography is an open form of collaboration with the model and the story being told through still images. Her 3D works focus on found objects and inverting typical material associations or contexts. She has shown work across the county, both in person and online. She has a bachelor's degree in English with a minor in Education from the University of Maine. She is currently in her third year of a Master of Fine Arts at the University of Maine, working on completing her thesis. Her thesis works on the art form of curation through the lens of a documentarian and the model of socially engaged art. She is actively excited to bring the mission of the Maine Book and Print Fest to the community and be a part of the amazing team bringing this project together!
Community Engagement ManagerSAmantha Grimwood
I’m Nancy Smith. I live in Waterville with my partner, Don, and my dog, Vegas. I have a degree in Finance and have specialized in accounting throughout my career in various small and medium size companies. I currently run Smitty’s Book Cellar with Maddie and work as a staff accountant for a small local business. I have volunteered at the Maine Book and Print Festival since the beginning. I am very proud of all that Maddie has accomplished so far and can’t wait for what she does in the future. In my stare time I am an avid gardener and enjoy spending time with family, hiking, and traveling.
TreasurerNancy Smith
Kate Tufts is a third grade teacher who grew up in Maine and now lives in Portland. A lifelong reader, she has always found joy, comfort, and connection in books. She especially loves spending time at her family’s camp in Maine reading a book by the lake. Outside of reading and the classroom, Kate enjoys traveling and spending time crafting (current obsession is scrapbooking!). Through her involvement with the Maine Book & Print Fest board in her role as the Coordinator of Author Relations, Kate hopes to spread a love of reading and learning throughout Maine.
Author RelationsKate tufts
Fiona Harms (she/her) works as a data analyst for the Department of Health and proudly joins the Maine Book & Print Fest Board as Coordinator of Vendor Relations. Maine has been her home for most of her life, she is passionate about supporting the creative communities that make the state so special. Fiona believes in the power of books to foster connection and bring people together, and she looks forward to supporting the vendors who help make the festival such a vibrant and inspiring event. Whenever she has a spare moment, she can usually be found with a book in hand.
Vendor RelationsFiona Harms
Hello world! My name is CJ (she/her) and I have been a huge fan of (have even gotten to volunteer for the Book Fest) for a few years now. This year, I am honored to serve on the board of the Maine Book Fest supporting Nonprofit Relations! I have worked within the nonprofit system both here in Maine and in my home state of California for over eight years, and currently work in event planning and organizing at Waterville Creates. I am hoping to bring my enthusiasm, joy, and strong work background to the board to help this amazing event grow bigger and better, and create space for new community members who may have never attended before by working with local nonprofits. I identify as a cinephile and spend most of my free time watching, writing, reading, or thinking about film. I rediscovered my love for reading after getting my ADHD diagnosed and feel inspired by the stories I read or see on screen and dream of writing my own stories. If I can accomplish anything in life, I hope to either own millions of cats or have millions of cat tattoos. And win an Academy Award. Handed to me by Pedro Pascal.
Nonprofit RelationsCJ Gilligan
I'm Sarah (sperryreads) I'm 33 and I live in Arundel with my partner, Scott, and my Bernese Mountain Dog, Nala, who is the love of my life. I have a master's degree in digital marketing and work with independent authors on their marketing. I'm very active in the Bookstagram community and I'm excited to be the Influencer Relations coordinator for The Maine Book & Print Fest! I'm really looking forward to connecting with other local readers :) I'm a huge fantasy, romantasy, and dystopian reader but also love a good romance or sci-fi novel. When my nose isn't in a book (or attached to my kindle) I love skiing, hiking, kayaking, or dancing at an outdoor concert.
Influencer RelationsSarah Perry
I’m Maddie Hajduk, and I am the Volunteer & Internship Coordinator for the Maine Book and Print Fest! I’m originally from southern NH, but I am now living as a student at Bates College in Maine, where I study neuroscience on the pre-med track. In my free time, I love to read (obviously!), do yoga, go for runs, spend time with friends, and explore the lovely state of Maine! I’m always looking for recommendations for yummy food destinations, cute yoga or pilates classes, or pretty hikes or nature walks. I’m super excited to begin working with The Maine Book and Print Fest, and I hope to grow our volunteering and intern community of book lovers and Mainers! I also hope to meet and grow connections with Maine residents who have a similar love for books and a passion for community involvement.
Volunteer & Internship Coordinator