Under its current patron saint, Zohran Mamdani, NYC has been experiencing pockets of euphoria — streets packed with celebrating Knicks’ fans, the thrills of the World Cup, everyday quality-of-life upgrades (repaired potholes and water fountains, maybe even a resuscitated BQE). In the lead-up to the 21st Brooklyn Book Festival, Johnny Temple, co-chair of the festival’s Literary Council, jumped on the vibe: “On the heels of the New York Knicks’s historic championship victory, this city is on a roll, and BKBF will help keep it rolling with literary festivities, conversations, and trailblazers galore.”
Loving the parallel between sports and literary ecstasy? Check out the Brooklyn Book Festival, a smorgasbord of events, readings, merch, meetups, discussions, and surprises for readers of all ages and tastes. The nine-day spread offers a full range of events where you can pursue that energy, in conversations with a mix of hundreds of famous and emerging authors from around the globe who write fiction, nonfiction, poetry, prose, and graphic novels. And there will be shopping — for good old print-on-paper books at the largest book market in the Northeast, showcasing more than 250 publishers.
Participating writers who the website calls “fan favorites” include Joyce Carol Oates, Marlon James, Namwali Serpell, Douglas Stuart, Pulitzer Prize–winning authors and journalists Colson Whitehead (who as a young writer worked on the Voice Literary Supplement and received early exposure in the pub), Quiara Alegría Hudes, Tracy K. Smith, Cristina Rivera Garza, and Julia Angwin. The festival was founded in 2006 by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and co-producers Liz Koch and Carolyn Greer, who originally wanted to showcase the “Brooklyn voice” in literature.
The event-heavy Festival Day & Literary Marketplace happens on September 27, with authors discussing books on a spectrum of topics ranging from horror (“Give Us Our Daily Dread: Horror Comics”), romance (“The Consequences of Desire”), and the fight to save democracy (“250 Years in Search of a More Perfect Union”).
But the whole shebang kicks off on the 20th with Bookends, offering free and low-cost literary programs across all the boroughs, and an online Virtual Festival Day, featuring more Pulitzer Prize–winning journalists and novelists, including New York Times bestselling author Chloe Benjamin. Children’s Day is scheduled for the 26th, with a “Mad Libs Mix Up” and discussions of children’s books such as Millie von Platen’s Zohran Walks New York, a picture book of the then-candidate’s trek through the boroughs, including his favorite eateries, and author-illustrator Sam Wedelich reading from her book A Quick Trip to the Store, about a kid’s adventure in a grocery store. This will be followed by “Snack-tastic Silliness,” where kids can invent their own creative cereal snacks, for better or worse.
So step away from the screen, and as the first day of fall falls, head on out and feed your head. ❖
Brooklyn Book Festival
September 20-28, 2026
September 20-28
Bookends
Locations in all five boroughs
Sunday, September 20
Virtual Festival Day
Online, 12 p.m.-4p.m.
Saturday, September 26
Children’s Day
Brooklyn Borough Hall and Plaza
209 Joralemon St.
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Sunday, September 27
Festival Day & Literary Marketplace
Downtown Brooklyn venues and parks including Brooklyn Borough Hall, the Brooklyn Law School, Center for Brooklyn History, St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church, Columbus Park, and the Korean War Veteran’s Park
10 a.m.-6 p.m.