The team behind BookExpo 2020 have announced that this year’s event has been postponed from May to July 22-26 at the Javits Center. After “closely monitoring the outbreak of COVID-19 in New York and around the country”, for the safety of both staff and attendees, the convention will not go ahead in May as planned.
Our hearts go out to our entire community, every individual person and business impacted by the COVID-19 virus, and all of you who rely on and look forward to this event each year. From authors who have had to cancel book tours, to bookstores who have made difficult and courageous choices to keep their customers and employees safe. We stand with you and we will do everything we can in the coming weeks to highlight your work, so that as a community we can come together and support you.
BookExpo is the Oscars of the publishing world, the book version of Comic Con, the biggest event in the industry’s calendar. It is an annual event and the #1 book conference and trade show. According to their website, it’s “where authors, booksellers, distributors, librarians, literary agents, publishers and more unite to build relationships, learn tactics to bolster business and get the pulse of what’s trending in today’s shifting marketplace.”
Thankfully, the event is not canceled (like so many others), rather pushed back to a date likely to be less affected by the current pandemic. The organizers have stated that this change of date does not require any further action by attendees, as the tickets will automatically be transferred to the new dates.
We look forward to seeing all that BookExpo 2020 will bring, even if it is a little later than expected.
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January and February are the coldest and toughest months in New York, and if you’re feeling the blues, we got some good news to cheer you up! Because, guess what, now is the perfect time to huddle around and explore the best literary places this magnificent city has to offer all you book nerds out there! So, without further adieu, here’s a big list to keep you busy!
1. The new york public library
image via the nation
The main branch of the NYPL lives up to its hype and is just as magnificent as you would imagine. They hold interesting exhibits frequently enough and the Rose Main Reading Room is beautiful and worth a visit just to get lost in the architecture, and of course — the books!
2. the morgan library and museum
image via conde nast traveler
If you haven’t heard of this magnificent library yet, you need to change that right now! They have ongoing exhibitions all year round, including Walt Whitman, Charles Dickens and many more. Also, fun fact: Did you know this library actually belonged to the famous J.P Morgan, and was opened to the public by J.P Morgan Jr? Well, now you do!
3. strand book store
image via downtown magazine
Strand! Everyone’s heard of the famous bookstore and its 18 miles of books, but did you also know that they have a whole floor dedicated to banned books? How awesome is that? Also, they host frequent events, so check out their calendar to be in the loop!
4. poets house
image via pinterest
If you’re a fan of poetry, you’ll love Poets House! It’s literally a massive poetry library, free and open to the public, located in Tribeca. It has over 70,000 volumes of poetry (insane, I know!) and hosts awesome events all year round.
5. edgar allen poe cottage
image via nycgo
Fans of “The Raven” can gather around and make their way to The Bronx, where Edgar Allen Poe’s cottage still exists! Poe spent the last years of his life there and the park where its located is actually called Poe Park, how neat! It’s open to the public and gathers tons of tourists all year long, and you could be one of them too!
6. the jefferson market library
image via millie fiori
This location of the New York Public Library was actually a courthouse originally, and has served the Greenwich Village community for over 50 years! And also, the Jefferson Market Library is now considered a national monument as well, so definitely worth a visit!
7. bluestockings
image via bluestockings
Bluestockings is a volunteer-initiative based and collectively-owned super cool, one of a kind bookstore! They also have a fair trade cafe, and an activist center, located in the LES. The store specializes in feminism, queer and gender studies, global capitalism, climate & environment and many other pressing issues– so we’re sure you’re dying to check it out, and you should!
8. forbidden planet
image via facebook
Calling all comic nerds! Forbidden Planet, located right next to Strand, is THE place for graphic novels, figurines and T-shirts! So feel free to head your way over there and geek out to your hearts content!
9. housing works bookstore cafe
image via wikipedia
Housing Works Bookstore Cafe and Bar is a non-profit, donation based bookstore, run solely by volunteers and their proceeds go towards people affected by homelessness and AIDS. So, every time you purchase a book or a baked good from there, know that you’re giving back to the society directly! And if the great cause wasn’t a good enough reason to visit the store, know that it’s also gorgeous inside!
10. drunk shakespeare
image via nytimes
If you haven’t seen this radical show in performance yet, can you even call yourself a literary enthusiast? Drunk Shakespeare is exactly as enticing as it sounds. One actor shoots five shots of whiskey, then attempts to act as the lead in a performance of a Shakespeare play, while the other four try to keep up. It’s rowdy, literary, and wildly entertaining, and trust us when we say that you don’t want to miss this!
So, while this list keeps you busy, we’ll go compile some more cool stuff for you to do, so these dreary months don’t feel as long! Until then, keep reading!
featured image via the crazy tourist
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Magic is upon us! A Harry Potter flagship store is coming to New York City this summer! Warner Bros is promising a new and unique experience that will not only be dedicated to the Harry Potter universe but to the Fantastic Beast universe as well!
Image via Slashgear
The store will be located next to NYC Landmark, the Flatiron building, which is located at 935 Broadway. It will have the largest collection of Wizarding World merchandise under one roof. Fans will be able to fully immerse into the Wizarding World experience, with Bertie Bott’s every flavour beans, personalized robes, and even hand signed artwork! How cool is that? There will also be some rare finds that will be a must have for your Potter collection. So be sure to save up some money between now and the summer because once you step into that store, it will be hard to restrain your wallet.
According to Senior Vice President of Worldwide Tours and Retail at Warner Bros, Sarah Roots, states, “This will be the largest dedicated Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts store in the world and will become a must visit fan destination where Wizarding World enthusiasts can engage with an interactive experience and numerous photo opportunities as they step into the magic.”
As of right now, concept designs are still in the works, but have no doubt, this store is going to exceed all expectations. The Wizarding World is literally going to take New York by storm, and we can just count down the months until the summer when this amazing store will finally be open for business.
Featured Image via NYDailynews
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Okay, okay, before you @us, we do know the difference. But what goes better with your favorite dessert than a good book and some mediocre word play? Here are three books to embrace on #nationaldessertday.
This story follows a family of banished saints, perched high in the Colorado desert where supplicants must travel far for a miracle. These saints can help you, but they can’t save you from yourself, as many pilgrims learn to their dismay. Still, there’s much to be gained by braving the miracles of Bicho Raro. Enthralling, luminuos, and with enough Mexican and Native southern states folklore to keep you from wandering the sand alone at night. At once grim and terribly hopeful, this is an exploration of love, family, and growth, set to pirate radio and the rushing wings of owls.
New York, magic, the turn of the century – what more could you want? Unlikely friendships? Varied mythology? This book has it all, weaving a lush and surprising tale out of a premise that asks more questions than it answers. A golem and a jinni meet in New York. It’s more likely than you think! I love fantasy being laid over history like velum, especially more modern history. New York, and only a hundred years ago, is not where you most expect to encounter myth, but weaving it in seamlessly can make a world close enough to imagine, both in time and in possibility. goodr
Street smart and clever, Dara bites off more than she can chew when she summons an ancient and magical creature to her side, soon discovering that she has magic and an ancient legacy drawing her as well. She will have to travel to the city of the djinn itself, where struggles for power, purity, and prestige rage in the streets, if she hopes to find the truth of her past. Opulent, adventurous, and deeply ruted in folklore, this is a must read for anyone who wants a world that breathes with magic, prophecy, and intrigue. If you’re seeking mythology that often gets overlooked, pick this up.
I’m always a fan of a clever reimagining, and the tale of Scheherazade was neglected for far too long. You’ve got a lot of classic fairytale beats, like the murder of wives, along with a clever heroine, an unfathomable mystery, and gutting revelations. Scheherazade volunteers herself after her best friend’s murder, intent upon revenge against the cruel monarch who weds and murders so many young girls. But it’s not so simple as it appears, and though Scheherazade makes it to the morning and more, with each dawn she is less certain of her hatred.
Brought to you by the Summoners Ensemble Theatre, in association with the Merchant’s House Museum, this one-man show debuted last year with twenty-seven performances at the landmark 1832 Merchant’s House Museum.
Image Via HollywoodSoapBox
John Kevin Jones will once again star. It’ll be tough to do this one-man play, even if he has done it twenty-seven times before, he’s a six-year veteran of A Christmas Carol at the Merchant’s House. He’s an expert at this.
Image Via directory.business.wsu.edu
Plus he’ll be joined by the director of A Christmas Carol at the Merchant’s House, Dr. Rhonda Dodd, who will direct this project as well.
Now that we know we are safe hands, we sit back and let ourselves get swept up in the horror.
Image Via BrownStoner
Like I said before, the play will be performed at the Merchant’s House Museum. This is splendid news and delightfully apropos, given that the Merchant’s House Museum, also known as the Old Merchant’s House as well as the Seabury Tredwell House, is Manhattan’s only 19th century family home to be preserved intact.
Image Via Britannica
Edgar Allan Poe himself was a nineteenth century writer and literary critic. Born January 19, 1809 and died under strange circumstances in October 7, 1849, Poe became known after his death as the master of horror, mystery, and the macabre, and a pioneer of the short story.
Image Via Timedout
The Merchant’s House Museum was formerly the home to the Tredwell’s, a prosperous merchant-class family. Given that the Tredwell’s are now long dead, it’ll only add to the creepiness of the show given that their once lively candlelit parlor will be set for a funeral, complete with coffin and draped mirrors.
Broadway World warns that “[a] bone-chilling evening of irrational revenge, obsession, premeditated murder, dismemberment, and the very, very dark awaits”.
Buy tickets here, if you dare. The Merchant’s House Museum located at twenty-nine East, Fourth Street in Manhattan, NY. Performances will run September 24th until November 3rd. For more information, please visit www.summonersensemble.org and www.merchantshouse.org.
