Read All About It: Brooklyn Book Festival, Sept. 16-23
The 14th edition of the Brooklyn Book Festival returns in September for a full week of literary events across the city featuring Children’s Day for young readers and Festival Day with hundreds of authors and booksellers packing Downtown Brooklyn for a celebration of the printed word.
The festival kicks off on Monday, September 16 with an array of Bookend Events offering readings, discussions, workshops, and more across the city showcasing NYC’s diverse literary community. Some of the authors participating in this year’s fest include: Alexander Chee, Ted Chiang, Edwidge Danticat, Akwaeke Emezi, Jonathan Safran Foer, Jenny Han, Marlon James, N.K. Jemisin, Bill McKibben, Mary Norris, Joyce Carol Oates, and Matt Taibbi.
Children’s Day takes place on Saturday, September 21 at MetroTech Commons from 10am to 4pm. Families are invited to a day of free author readings, art projects, musical performances, a costume parade, and many more fun activities.
Beloved children’s author and illustrator Mo Willems is this year’s Brooklyn Book Festival BoBi Award recipient. The BoBi—Best of Brooklyn—is awarded each year to a writer whose work best exemplifies the spirit of Brooklyn. Willems will be on hand at 10am on Children’s Day for a discussion with fellow children’s author Robie Harris during a reception for educators. RSVP for the event at teachers@brooklynbookfestival.org.
Later that morning at 11:30am, Willems will read from some of his books including The Pigeon Has To Go To School! and offer a sneak preview of his upcoming work, Who is the Mystery Reader? (Unlimited Squirrels). The award-winning children’s author was honored earlier this summer when a statue of his character Knuffle Bunny was unveiled at the Park Slope Library’s Reading Circle And Storytelling Garden.
On Sunday, September 22, the Festival Day and Literary Marketplace will take over the open space surrounding Brooklyn Borough Hall from 10am to 6pm, presenting free literary events on multiple stages showcasing hundreds of writers. The outdoor Literary Marketplace will feature a sea of stalls hosting more than 250 independent booksellers and publishers from around the world.
Launched in 2006, the Brooklyn Book Festival is the largest free literary event in New York City. Visit brooklynbookfestival.org to learn more and to see the full schedule of events.
