No fairytale: How an online fantasy community sold out City Hall
They aren't alone. Fantasy fiction is exploding in popularity, and Jess is one of millions who have found comfort in series such as A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) by Sarah J. Maas.
The books have sold more than 50 million copies worldwide, connecting an entire generation of readers.
With Celestial Events, which boasts 10,000 online members, Jess could dress up and unapologetically embrace her interests, something she'd never experienced before.
And now, along with her husband – and assistant dog Charlie – Jess has attended her first fantasy-themed ball, Starfall at Customs House by the Brisbane River.
'The people that go to these events are so kind and open-minded and accepting of everybody,' she says.
Jess also walked the fashion runway at Queen Street Mall in her Starfall ball gown, a 'surreal' experience she says she would never have done before finding Celestial Events.
Celestial Events came into being when another Brisbane local picked up an ACOTAR novel on a holiday.
With a background in events, having run Brisbane Fashion Month, Carly Vidall-Wallace says she 'hadn't really read an enjoyable book since high school' and was enamoured.
'Trying to find people who are understanding and patient enough to want me involved in all aspects of events has been a big struggle.'
Jess Felschow, Celestial Events member
' A Court of Thorns and Roses just ignited something in me.'
She posted in a Sarah J. Maas Book Club Facebook group about interest in a ball modelled after the fantasy series, and Celestial Events was born.
Overwhelmed by the response, Carly went into event-planning mode and within two weeks tickets for the first Starfall ball were on sale.
'I thought I might be the only one but when I saw that response I thought I'm not alone, I'm not a super geek and this could be really fun.'
The first event sold 300 tickets in a minute. Carly scheduled a second ball the next evening to meet demand.
That was 18 months ago. Now Carly has sold out City Hall, with 1000 Celestials in attendance and no plans to slow down.
While this particular ball event is inspired by the acclaimed ACOTAR series, Carly has to be smart when it comes to copyright risk.
Her events incorporate elements from a range of fantasy tales, including The Hunger Games, The Lord of the Rings and Fourth Wing.
She has since been successful to obtain a trademark in Australia and New Zealand for Celestial Events Starfall Ball.
Carly has also recently made it to the third round of the Telstra Business Awards in the community sector for her work with Celestial Events.
With interstate and international interest, she has tapped into a huge market of fantasy-lovers who are seeking community, connection and friendship.
'Even though life is pretty hard, and the news is miserable at the moment, this is a space where that doesn't matter. You're going to be a fairy princess or you can be whoever you want to be. This is your night where you are the main character,' Carly said.
The community strives to be an inclusive space where all are welcome and embraced. This has meant that naturally, the group has attracted many neurodiverse members.
'Escapism in the fantasy world has an interest in the neurodiverse community.'
'Even if you're super anxious when you put on a character you can be less shy because you're in persona'.
Carly Vidall-Wallace, Celestial Events founder
Coming from the fashion industry, Carly knows too well the feelings of inadequacy and comparison that she experienced in these spaces.
'I guess I felt that [the fashion industry] was a little bit VIP, you're either in or you're not. What are you wearing? What are they wearing? It was sometimes not a very positive space,' she said.
For members of the neurodivergent community, finding a place of belonging isn't always an easy feat.
Melbourne-based psychologist Susan Rodriguez-Manning said having a safe space was important to people who historically struggle to find community.
'Cosplaying allows you to dress up as the main character, the villain, or the hero, and be unapologetically that loud, excited, and talkative person without criticism,' she said.
Cosplaying is the practice of dressing up as someone from a film, book or video game. It's a huge element of the fantasy book community.
There's an added element of creativity as fans will often add their own interpretations to the words on the page to imagine how they see their favourite characters.
'[Cosplaying] provides a safe way to explore the sides of yourself that you have felt the need to mask,' Susan said.
Although the community has naturally attracted a large neurodivergent audience, it isn't exclusive and is open to anyone who loves fantasy stories.
In a business sense, capitalising on the ever-growing 'BookTok' community was a smart move.
'Ironically, by dressing up as someone else, you get to fully be seen for your authentic self and celebrated for who you are'.
Susan Rodriguez-Manning, psychologist
With almost 60 million posts under #BookTok on TikTok and entire sections of book stores dedicated to stories highlighted online, it's quickly influencing the publishing world.
Book-chain QBD Books recently opened their 100th store with the rise of romantasy genre, where series like ACOTAR sit, partly responsible for the business success.
But like every online community, the BookTok world isn't immune to darker aspects.
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