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Brooklyn Book Festival

Brooklyn's Annual Celebration of All Things Literary

By , About.com Guide

Photo © sleepyneko

Brooklyn has long had a strong literary history, so it’s not surprising that one of the city’s biggest literary and literacy events takes place in this book-friendly borough of ours.

Head to the Brooklyn Book Festival to see your favorite authors (this year’s line-up includes everyone from A.M. Homes to David Cross and Jonathan Ames), buy books, listen to readings and discussions, and more.

Brooklyn Book Festival Basics
  • Location: Brooklyn Borough Hall and Plaza, 209 Joralemon Street
  • Nearest subway: 2, 3, 4, 5, N, or R to Borough Hall; A, C, F, or G to Jay Street/Borough Hall
  • Time/Date: 10am to 6pm on Sunday, September 13
  • Phone: (718) 802-3852
  • Website
The Brooklyn Book Festival

The Brooklyn Book Festival showcases both acclaimed and emerging literary talent from throughout the world, with special readings, kids’ events, book signings, panels, and movie screenings. This all-day party for book lovers boasts a packed schedule of events, all of which are free.

Below are my top picks for this year's event, but visit the official Brooklyn Book Festival site for a complete schedule and more information.

If you’re a poetry lover, don’t miss:

  • Poetry Society of America Presents, featuring Anne Carson, Sonia Sanchez, Philip Schultz and Arthur Sze (11am)
  • Why Poetry Now? Panel (5pm)

    If you’re into comic books:

  • Marvel Writers Talk (1pm)
  • The ACT-I-VATE Renaissance (3pm): Learn about Gowanus’s comic book renaissance.

    Fiction fans will love:

  • The Legacies of John Updike and David Foster Wallace (10am): Critics will discuss the works of these two famed literary figures.
  • Literary Masters (3pm): Readings by Paul Auster, Russell Banks, and Francine Prose.
  • Jonathan Lethem and Mary Gaitskill in Conversation (5pm)

    If you’re a kid:

  • Judi Barrett reading “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: The Marshmallow Incident” (1:30pm)
  • Troupe performing classic children’s books (4:30pm)

    Need a laugh? Check out:

  • Happy Ending Reading Series with Jonathan Ames, David Cross, and Rakesh Satyal (5pm)

  • Explore Brooklyn, NY

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