Second Read: Miguel Angel Asturias’s Mr. President, presented by the Brooklyn Public Library
A close look at Mr. President with translator David Unger, novelist Rodrigo Fuentes, and scholar Vivian Arimany. In an unnamed country, an egomaniacal dictator schemes to dispose of a political adversary and maintain his grip on power. As tyranny takes hold, everyone is forced to choose between compromise and death. Inspired by life under the regime […]
The Difficult Fate of Girls and Women
Emerging stars of Spanish-language literature—Andrea Abreu (Spain), Alia Trabucco Zerán (Chile), and Camila Sosa Villada (Argentina)—come together in conversation on bringing women’s experiences to the page without apology or filter. Their books, Dogs of Summer (translated by Julia Sanches), When Women Kill (translated by Sophie Hughes), and Bad Girls (translated by Kit Maude), bring us […]
Reinventing the Memoir: Margo Jefferson in Conversation with Ingrid Rojas Contreras
Your story is never just your own—so many other voices and stories have and will shape it. What are the limits of memoir? What can you find in the margins of and gaps in memory, story, and realities? And how, ultimately, does the memoirist pull self, family, criticism, and history together within the confines of […]
The New Fantastical
The latest novels from these bestselling authors explore power, creation, and the ties that can both bind us and rend us apart—sometimes in the same moment. NYT bestselling authors Ottessa Moshfegh (Lapvona), Marlon James (Moon Witch, Spider King), and Sheila Heti (Pure Colour) come together to discuss reality and fantasy—and the dark, murky, and mysterious […]
Celebrate Yourself with Infographics!
Come celebrate and reflect on info patterns in our everyday lives by making Personal Pie Panoramas, or a paper accordion of pie charts measuring our favorite things. Are you 10% pizza, 15% kittens, and 20% soccer? Find out your personal make up, or make one with a friend. Guided by Andrea Tsurumi, illustrator of Life […]
A Whole New World
Come join New York Times bestselling authors Dhonielle Clayton (The Marvellers) and Claribel Ortega (Witchlings), New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Ethan M. Aldridge (The Legend of Bright Blade) and critically acclaimed author Julie C. Dao (Team Chu and the Battle of Blackwood Arena) as they chat about all things high-stakes adventure, multicultural magic […]
Boogie Boogie, Y’all by C.G. Esperanza
The city is full of incredible art, so why does no one ever stop to look? Join C.G. Esperanza for a fun and lyrical tale of three children who take it upon themselves to make a busy city stop and appreciate the everyday beauty of urban graffiti.
Not What It Seems
Come join NYT bestselling author Eliot Schrefer (Queer Ducks and Other Animals) in conversation with NYT bestselling authors Angeline Boulley (Firekeeper’s Daughter) and Emily X.R. Pan (An Arrow to the Moon), along with rising star author Victoria Lee (A Lesson in Vengeance) where they discuss their work, what it means to step inside their character’s […]
NBF Presents: An Afternoon with the National Book Awards
National Book Award–honored authors Martín Espada (Floaters, 2021 Poetry Winner), Katie Kitamura (Intimacies, 2021 Fiction Longlist), and Natasha Wimmer (Space Invaders, 2021 Translated Literature Finalist) gather for a cross-genre conversation about the borders of time, place, and language. Moderated by Ruth Dickey, Executive Director of the National Book Foundation.
Finding Yourself In America
Qian Julie Wang (Beautiful Country) arrived in Brooklyn as a child without immigration papers, became a citizen in 2016, and turned away from a law firm partnership to choose her own path. Kendra James (Admissions) quit her job as an admissions officer for prep schools after she realized that what she took from her time […]
Who? New!
Each season, BKBF presents debut authors whom we want to shine the light on for our audience. This year we welcome Caitlin Barasch (A Novel Obsession), David Santos Donaldson (Greenland), Sasha Fletcher (Be Here To Love Me at the End of the World), Sidik Fofana (Stories From the Tenants Downstairs), and Carleton Eastlake (Monkey Business). […]
Upending Orthodoxy
The world turned upside-down: mad futures, delusional presents, and mysterious pasts intersect in these imaginative and unsettling books that play with time, space, and history as we know it. In Zain Khalid’s Brother Alive, a boy’s hallucinatory alter-ego steals his memories and unsettles his view of the world. In Vanessa Hua’s Forbidden City, a teenage […]
Granta’s Best Young Spanish-Language Novelists II
In 2010, Granta introduced a stellar new generation of Spanish-language writers destined to challenge the literary status quo. More than a decade later, they’ve assembled another era-defining list which reflects an even greater variety—geographically, linguistically, thematically. Join us for a conversation featuring David Aliaga, Alejandro Morellón, Irene Reyes-Noguerol, and Mateo García Elizondo. Moderated by Valerie […]
PICTURE THIS! A Celebration of Picture Books (In-Person)
An all-ages multi-media show with authors and illustrators who make picture books. This family-friendly matinee includes slide-show readings, live music, and interactive stories. Plus: prizes from local Brooklyn businesses. Emceed by Camila Jones, featuring Phaea Crede, Joe Dator, Kevin Maher, Julia Sarcone-Roach, and R. Sikoryak. With a special appearance by Santa Claus, reading the upcoming […]
Antiracist Family Day (In-Person)
Join Brooklyn Public Library for a special program to promote and model antiracist practices for families and children at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. Antiracist Storytimes: Highlighting BIPOC authors, these stories represent diverse identities and perspectives, and will feature songs, rhymes, and opportunities for audience engagement. Diverse Books Browsing Cart: Picture books related to the themes […]
Literary Taboo: Stars in the Shadows (Virtual)
Queer Indie and the Writing Community Chat Show will host an interactive, live-streamed panel regarding the use of story as a tool to illuminate the invisible. Topics will include narrative explorations of death and grief, literary treatments of trauma and tragedy, writing as reflection, and approaches to diversity. Panelists include: Dr. Mario Dell’Olio, TT Banks, […]
