With topics ranging from energy psychology to a memoir of triumph after adversity, Bloomsbury Books in Ashland will have author talks throughout July that run a wide gamut.

The bookstore’s author talk series has been a mainstay for Southern Oregon authors and bookworms alike, and connects writers to the greater community.

The book shop currently has five author talks scheduled throughout July, with all events being free to attend.

They include: “Tapping: Self-Healing with the Transformative Power of Energy Psychology” with authors Donna Eden and David Feinstein at 7 p.m. July 8; “The Serpent and the Rose” with author and former Oregon Shakespeare Festival actress Catherine Butterfield at 4 p.m. July 14; “The Dark Room: A Memoir of Triumph” with author Claudia Chotzen at 7 p.m. July 17; “Ollie, Ollie, Oxen Free” with author Mike Wilkinson at 7 p.m. July 22 and “Coriolanus,” a modern translation of William Shakespeare’s play by author Sean San José at 4 p.m. July 28.

Each event will be hosted at Bloomsbury Books, located at 290 E. Main St. For more info see bloomsburyashland.com/events.

“Mostly we have local authors but not always — there’s a lot of local authors here and in the Rogue Valley,” said Susan Chapman, a manager at the bookstore. “A lot of people want to talk about their books and poetry, and we offer them a chance to talk most of the time.”

For the “Tapping” event July 8, “we expect quite a few people for that, one of the authors used to live here and has done talks in the past on energy medicine; they’re pretty well known and have a lot of friends here in Ashland and the area,” Chapman said.

Butterfield’s “The Serpent and the Rose” author talk is set for July 14, with the writer discussing her debut novel covering the historic mother-daughter dynamic of French queen Catherine de’ Medici and her youngest daughter Marguerite de Valois.

“Coriolanus” by San José will bring a new spin to the classic Shakespeare play, with the author discussing it July 28.

“He transformed the language of Shakespeare to make it more modern and accessible, so that’s what he going to be talking about,” Chapman said.

The author talk series has been around for as long as Chapman can remember. She has worked at the bookstore since 2001.

“We’ve been doing them in various formats for years. Right now, we’re doing most author talks on Monday evenings,” she said. “Most times, people introduce themselves, read a little from their book, talk about the process of writing the book, and then do a question-and-answer (session), but it varies from author to author.”

“We’ve had more requests lately for author talks; more people want to talk here,” Chapman added.

Most author talks tend to draw 20 to 25 attendees, with some drawing even more.

“It’s free and first-come, first-served in terms of seats,” Chapman said.

The Ashland store provides a platform for many in the prose and poetry spaces, bringing local authors and writers from far away to its doors.

“Local authors really appreciate it, and that’s how they can get the word out frequently,” Chapman said, adding, “we also get local poets who want to read.”

Bloomsbury Books has been an Ashland mainstay since it first opened up shop in 1980.

On why the business has been able to stay as a favored spot for local and visiting bookworms, “I think a part of it is the Ashland community, that this community is pretty literary I’d say; I’ve worked at other bookstores and never sold poetry like we sell here,” Chapman said.

The store fulfills multiple needs in the Ashland community, from specialty Shakespeare products to hosting a space for authors to meet and discuss their latest literary work.

“We’re a general bookstore, we have an excellent fiction section, a fantastic children’s section; we have something for everyone I’d say, and t-shirts,” she said.

To learn more about Bloomsbury Books, visit bloomsburyashland.com.