Every September writers and bookworms from all over the world gather at Brooklyn Book Festival. Featuring many national and international literary stars and new authors, the Festival includes 7-day Bookend Events, a Children’s Day and a Festival Day with more than 300 writers and 250 booksellers socializing at the outdoor Literary Marketplace. This unique and diverse gathering is definitely a magnet for thousands of book lovers. In the past years, the festival hosted Joan Didion, Salman Rushdie, Dennis Lehane, John Reed, Rosanne Cash, Karl Ove Knausgård, Dave Eggers, Rumaan Alam, Martin Amis, Laura Lippmann, Tayari Jones, Akwaeke Emezi, Greg Pardlo, A.M. Homes, April Ryan, Alexander Chee, and many others.
The Brooklyn Book Festival was launched in 2006 by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, as well as co-producers Liz Koch and Carolyn Greer. The event is meant to showcase the "Brooklyn voice" in literature, as this area of NYC is home to many writers. In 2009, St. Francis College established a Literary Prize (US$50,000) to support a mid-career writer—the winner is determined by a panel of authors during the Brooklyn Book Festival.
The festival is attended by over 30,000 people, attracted by themed readings, panel discussions, vendors, and author signings, literary-themed events, stand-up shows, and performances in various public venues.
