Brooklyn Book Festival Announces 2016 Authors and Events!

BROOKLYN, NY—Thursday June 16, 2016—At a lively “Literary Mingle” soiree at Issue Project Room in the heart of Downtown Brooklyn on Thursday, the Brooklyn Book Festival (BKBF) and Brooklyn Book Festival Literary Council announced the first 180 national and international authors slated for this fall’s 2016 Brooklyn Book Festival, NYC’s and the nation’s hippest event celebrating the written word. This year the festival welcomes back AT&T as its major sponsor.

The Brooklyn Book Festival is New York City’s largest free literary festival, attracting tens of thousands from around the world to experience spirited discussions between emerging and iconic writers, and a lively Literary Marketplace.

This fall’s week-long run-up to the September 18 event begins the Monday before the festival, with five weeknights of literature themed “Bookend” programs presented all over New York City. These “Bookends” lead up to a spectacular weekend.

Brooklyn Book Festival Children’s Day is Saturday, September 17, 2016 and will feature authors including Peter Brown, Nick Bruel, Soman Chainani, Mike Curato, Gordon Korman, Andrea Davis Pinkney, Christian Robinson, Rebecca Stead and Rita Williams-Garcia. Theatrical performances, a dueling draw-off, workshops, picture book and young readers stages, and a Literary Marketplace just for kids are all part of the day’s celebration of childhood reading.

The flagship fourteen-stage Brooklyn Book Festival takes place Sunday, September 18. On festival day, 300 writers of beloved works of fiction and nonfiction, poetry and graphic novels will participate in panels, readings and other creative performances of their work.

The crowd at the Lit Mingle was treated to an additional surprise in the form of a video announcement featuring celebrated book jacket artist, graphic designer and author Chip Kidd. Kidd has been tasked with designing a dynamic, representative image for the festival’s 11th year, to be premiered in July.

“Among creative cities, Brooklyn is unique in its combination of highly concentrated talent and unparalleled diversity,” said Johnny Temple, publisher of Akashic Books and Chair of the Brooklyn Literary Council. “BKBF, which showcases both the local and global giants of the literary world, perfectly encapsulates Brooklyn’s cosmopolitan vibrancy.”

The full preliminary BKBF author List is HERE and below. More authors are being added every day! Visit http://davida425.sg-host.com and check out the official Facebook page, follow BKBF on Instagram (@bkbookfest), on Twitter (@BKBF), and on Tumblr.

“AT&T is proud to continue in its role as the major supporter of the Brooklyn Book Festival, New York City’s largest, free literary festival,” said Marissa Shorenstein, President, New York — AT&T. “For 11 years, the festival’s extraordinary roster of authors and programs, vibrant Literary Marketplace, and celebration of reading and ideas have created an unparalleled literary experience for New Yorkers of all ages.”

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said “As a bibliophile, I am excited to once again participate in the Brooklyn Book Festival, the preeminent celebration of literature and literary culture in our nation. In historic venues across Brooklyn, festival-goers will congregate to celebrate the written word and our borough’s role in facilitating the dynamic literary culture which the Festival celebrates.”
Authors this year represent nations and cultures the world over—South Africa (Imraan Coovadia and Masande Ntshanga) to Australia (Helen Garner), Cameroon (Imbolo Mbueand Patrice Nganang), Chile (Lina Meruane), Czech Republic (Magdaléna Platzová), Denmark (Dorthe Nors), Egypt (Yasmine El Rashidi), France (Maylis De Kerangal and Cyril Pedrosa), India (Jerry Pinto), Israel (Sayed Kashua), Mauritius (Ananda Devi), Mexico (Álvaro Enrigue), Nigeria (Okey Ndibe), and Sri Lanka (Anuk Arudpragasam)—with more international authors on the way.

About the Brooklyn Book Festival
BKBF is presented by the non-profit Brooklyn Book Festival, Inc. and the Brooklyn Book Festival Literary Council. AT&T is the major sponsor with additional support from Amazon Literary Partnership, Boar’s Head, Brooklyn Borough President’s Office/NYC & Company Foundation, Con Edison, Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, Forest City Ratner Companies, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, NYU Tandon School of Engineering and TD Bank. The festival’s media sponsors are abc7NY, and WNYC.

Cultural and programming partners include BAM, Brooklyn Historical Society, Brooklyn Law School, Brooklyn Public Library, Cave Canem, Center for Fiction, The Nation, National Book Foundation, New York Review of Books, PEN American Center, Poetry Society of America, St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church, St. Francis College, The Times Literary Supplement, Whiting Foundation.

For more information about the Brooklyn Book Festival, visit http://davida425.sg-host.com or check out the official Facebook page, follow the Festival on Instagram (@bkbookfest), on Twitter (@BKBF), and on Tumblr.

Confirmed BKBF Authors as of June 16, 2016:

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