The First Annual Brooklyn Literary Festival is Coming

by Felicia Pride, PW Daily -- Publishers Weekly, 8/24/2006

The first annual Brooklyn Literary Festival will be held on September 16 from 10 am to 6 pm at Borough Hall in downtown Brooklyn. The festival’s theme is “smart, hip, and diverse” and it’s organized in conjunction with the Brooklyn Literary Council, an association of publishing professionals, writers, and literary agents; and Brooklyn Tourism, an initiative of Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz.

The festival will feature a diverse list of authors, many of whom have a personal connection to Brooklyn. The list includes Jonathan Ames, Ann Brashares, Colin Channer, Jennifer Egan, Nelson George, Yusef Komunyakaa, Nicole Krauss, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philip Lopate, Rick Moody, Nelly Rosario, Toure, and Colson Whitehead. Three outdoor stages will host panel discussions, performances and children’s programming. Indoor rooms will hold intimate author readings and areas will be reserved for signings. “We wanted to get as many great authors together as possible to highlight the diversity of literature connected to Brooklyn.” said Eric Demby, Director of Communications for Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.

Several local independent bookstores, among them McNally Robinson, Freebird Books, Spoonbill & Sugartown, and St. Petersburg Books, will be on hand to sell books. There will also be more than 100 exhibitors, including publishers Seven Stories, Feminist Press, New York University Press, Graywolf, PowerHouse Books, and literary organizations like the Small Press Center.

A set of collectible “Brooklyn Bookmarks” that profile past and present Brooklyn literary figures like Jonathan Lethem, Jhumpa Lahiri and Mo Willems are available at Brooklyn Public library branches and participating bookstores to help promote the festival