BookTok festival dubbed the new 'Willy Wonka experience' sparks outrage

Cast your mind back to February 2024 to a moment that swiftly became one of the most viral, and perhaps infamously iconic, debacles of the year - does the so-called Willy Wonka experience ring a bell?

For those who’ve tried to bury the memory (particularly the disgruntled attendees), the fiasco unfolded in a bleak Glasgow warehouse, far removed from the whimsical world promised in glossy, AI-generated ads. Instead of a magical chocolate factory, guests encountered a half-hearted set-up: sparse decorations, hastily printed posters barely disguising the empty walls, and beleaguered actors dressed as Oompa Loompas, struggling to deliver lines handed to them just hours before showtime.

Well now, there's a new 'disastrous' new event in town that people are hailing as the 'Willy Wonka experience of BookTok'.

Author Perci Jay (@percijay_fantasyauthor) lifted the lid on her experience at the 'A Million Lives' book festival in Baltimore, calling it a "disaster" filled with empty tables.

The event was seemingly a far cry from what it was described as on the website: "The perfect event to make more bookish friends! This event will include a vendor hall, panels, a content creation room, fandom cosplay meet-ups, a cosplay competition and a ball."

Jay claimed there wasn't any food, and that even water came with an extra cost, despite having already paid around $250 for a ticket. She alleged that only around 50 people showed up, and that she didn't even believe any of the authors actually made a profit.

Attendees were allegedly promised goodie bags, though authors were allegedly told the convention centre had thrown them away.

"No badges, no swag, no way to verify anything," Jay added.

Her storytime has racked up almost 7 million views in the process, and thousands more comments.

"Did I know anything about a book ball in Baltimore before 8 and a half minutes ago? Nope. Did I watch the whole thing and give a follow? Hell yes," one viewer wrote.

Another added: "These ball failures are becoming monthly occurrences."

Meanwhile, a third humoured: "Every couple of years, we need a new Dashcon, Fyre Fest, Willy Wonka experience in order to keep things in the balance."

More expressed their reactions on X/Twitter, with one resharing footage from the event and calling it "so bad".

Grace Willows of Archer Management, the organiser of the event, has since issued an apology on TikTok promising attendees refunds.

"I am wanting to issue a formal apology. I do understand that the ball tonight was not set up to standard," she said. "There were a lot of issues with getting set up, and it was not handled well. I’d like to apologise. If you would like a refund, please contact me and I will issue a refund immediately.

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