The long-awaited BookCon is back this weekend in New York City, rounding up bookworms far and wide to celebrate reading in all forms.
On April 18-19, BookCon will take over the Javits Center with two days of literary fun, including panels, meet and greets, exploring artist alleys and so much more. According to BookCon’s website, this is a book-lover’s permission to fully geek out and dive into all forms of storytelling.
Whether you are reclaiming your love for reading or are deep into BookTok, BookCon aims to have something for every reader.
“It’s really a balance of scale and intimacy. You’ve got 25,000 fans coming through the doors this weekend and we’ve got hundreds of authors and publishing partners and creators, so it’s balancing that with also creating those moments that feel personal to the fans. So whether it’s a fan meeting an author that they love or discovering a new voice in Indie Alley that they’ve never heard of before, it’s really a year-round effort,” said Jennifer Martin, Event Director at ReedPop, which is putting on BookCon. “It’s not just about logistics, it’s about designing an environment that the book community can come together in a meaningful way.”
In addition to a vast lineup of panels, among this year’s offerings at BookCon include workshops such as book binding, book bedazzling, fantasy map making, trivia, and perfecting your book pitch. This year, BookCon is unveiling The Grove presented by Allurial, which Martin says will function as a third space for BookCon attendees to unwind and enjoy time together.
BookCon will also return with an After Dark night on Saturday, an interactive treasure hunt, the Pride Lounge and so much more.
BookCon’s return comes after a six-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, naturally, when tickets for BookCon dropped online, the event sold out pretty quickly.
Martin says that seeing the event sell out as quickly as it did was exciting and validating.
“Since we had to close the show during the pandemic, we’ve sort of been biding our time waiting for the right moment to to bring this show back and it really proves that the audience was really ready to come together and sort of take all of the the good bits of the online book community and bring them into a physical space, so there’s that real desire for connection around books,” said Martin.
For Martin, it is also incredibly encouraging to see people get excited about books, especially as we continue to expand our digital footprint.
“I think books, unlike other forms of media, offer us that moment to slow down, to really engage with a story, and it offers just that something different that I think people are really craving right now,” said Martin. “I think in such a fast-paced world, the fact that the show sold out proves that people are itching to come together in a community and celebrate what they love, which is books.”
Getting to BookCon
If you have tickets to BookCon, the best way to get there is by subway on the 7 train to the 34th-Hudson Yards Station; the convention is just a block away. The entrance will be closer to North Javits, located at 445 11th Ave. If you are planning on driving in, there is no designated parking for BookCon participants, but there is street parking and parking garages available nearby.
The convention show floor will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The panel hours will take place from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
For more information, visit BookCon.com.