Find your perfect literary match at the Once Upon a Valentine Market this Valentine’s Day

Posted on 19 January, 2026

Romance readers, this one is for you.

This Valentine’s Day, a free romance reader market is being held in the Ainslie Main Hall to celebrate the most popular book genres in the world.

Perfect for people who choose fictional characters every time, the Once Upon a Valentine market is being hosted by Canberra’s very own procurers of deluxe edition smut – The Romance Mafia.

Running from 10 am until 4 pm and promising bookish vendors along with plenty of cosy vibes, The Romance Mafia founders Lauren Bearzatto and Tara Wolf say that the market will be their very own love letter to books.

“The idea for Once Upon a Valentine came from wanting to do something collaborative rather than our usual pop-up format,” says Lauren.

“We wanted to utilise the community we’ve built with other bookish businesses and indie authors and create an event that felt all-inclusive for the Canberra romance community.”

Since launching The Romance Mafia in May 2025, the duo has been expanding their offerings – and Once Upon a Valentine is their biggest event yet.

Doubling their inventory and working closely with indie authors, Lauren and Tara have been creating a calendar full of events readers will love, ranging from cosy, bookish craft evenings to book–focused markets like Once Upon a Valentine.

For their very first market of 2026, attendees can expect a welcoming, slightly chaotic (in the best way) romance market. Think: indie authors, special edition books, bookish merchandise, and more.

 

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“We’ve started announcing the line-up on our social media pages, and we’re really proud of the variety we were able to put together,” explains Tara.

“We made a conscious decision to offer spots to Canberra authors and vendors first, which has resulted in a strong local presence, alongside a great mix of indie romance authors and bookish vendors. Everyone involved brings something different!”

Predicting that 2026 will be another big year for romance readers, especially when it comes to sports romance – if you’ve binged Heated Rivalry, you’ll know what we’re talking about – Lauren and Tara say that they’re still seeing the romance genre referred to as “low-brow” in mainstream media.

Once Upon a Valentine is their way of quietly pushing back.

“Romance readers are some of the most engaged and passionate readers out there, and the Happily Ever Afters they offer give people hope, connection, and that emotional pay-off,” says Lauren.

“Once Upon a Valentine is our way of celebrating that.”

“We hope people come along to Once Upon a Valentine exactly as they are,” adds Tara.

“You don’t need to be a hardcore romance reader or know every trope. If you love stories and a good happily ever after, you’ll fit right in!”

Go solo, take your book bestie, and make a day of it – a romantic date awaits on Valentine’s Day.