Join us for our Authors & Writers Out Loud Event Series! Bronx Poet Laureate Kay Bell will be opening the series with a brief poetry reading! We’ll be hosting authors to engage in a panel discussion and sign copies of their books provided by our pop-up bookstore, Lair of Dreams. RSVP to attend this exclusive TBIR event. Check out the featured authors for November 4th below:

Andrea Navedo is a Bronx-born-and-raised Puerto Rican American actress best known for her role as Xiomara, a complex and genuine Latina, on The CW’s series Jane the Virgin, for which she received critical acclaim. She is dedicated to various charities, including A Place Called Home in South Central Los Angeles, and the Fresh Air Fund in New York City. Navedo has a passion for self-improvement, growth, and healing, and through her experiences seeks to help those who see themselves on the outside looking in. She and her family divide their time between their homes in Toronto and Connecticut. She has just published her first book, Our Otherness Is Our Strength.

John Manuel Arias is a queer, Costa Rican American poet and writer. He is a Canto Mundo fellow & alumnus of the Tin House Summer Writers Workshop. His prose and poetry have been published in PANK, The Rumpus, F(r)iction, Joyland Magazine, and Akashic Books. He has lived in Washington D.C., Brooklyn New York, and in San José, Costa Rica with his grandmother and four ghosts. Where There Was Fire is his first novel.

Mercy Tullis-Bukhari is a poet, essayist, and fiction writer who is Bronx-bred, Afro-Latina, Honduran and Garifuna, of Jamaican descent. She is a Callaloo Fellow, obtained her MA from Herbert Lehman College and her MFA in Creative Writing from The College of New Rochelle. She was named one of the “8 Authors Bringing Afro-Latina Stories to the Forefront” by Remezcla magazine and was a Pushcart Prize nominee in 2016 and 2018. She is also an English Language Arts high school teacher in the Southeast Section of The Bronx. Mercy’s third book, The Little Deaths, is available for purchase by Get Fresh Books. Mercy can be found at mercytullisbukhari.com.

Clarence A. Haynes has worked as an editor for a variety of publishers that include Penguin Random House and Amazon Publishing as well as Legacy Lit, an imprint of Hachette Book Group. He has edited top-selling fiction titles like The Hundredth Queen, Scarlet Odyssey, Legacy of Lies, These Toxic Things, and The Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestseller The Vine Witch, along with its two sequels. He is also the author of the nonfiction work The Legacy of Jim Crow.

Jonathan Conyers, acclaimed author of the memoir "I Wasn't Supposed to Be Here" (published by Legacy Lit, an imprint of Hachette) graduated from Stony Brook University as an EOP student in 2017, leaving a profound impact on the campus. During his time at the University, he was known as "Mr. Far Beyond," his towering presence gracing the university library and buses. In addition to his literary achievements, Jonathan Conyers is the founder of Conyers Media and the host of The Professional Winner Podcast. He also plays a pivotal role on the board of the Brooklyn Debate League, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing Speech & Debate to at-risk communities. Currently, they are in the process of filming a documentary in collaboration with Vice News, and their efforts have supported numerous students in establishing new teams, competing at tournaments, qualifying for States and Nationals, and participating in debate summer camps. Jonathan gained significant recognition when he was featured in a 12-part story on Humans of New York, resulting in the remarkable achievement of raising 1.3 million dollars for his non-profit, the Brooklyn Debate League, and garnering over 1 million likes. His achievements have also been acknowledged by major publications such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and appearances on shows like The Kelly Clarkson Show. Beyond his philanthropic endeavors and media career, Jonathan serves as a respiratory therapist, specializing in neonatal and pediatric care at New York University Langone Hospital. He bravely stood on the frontlines during the COVID-19 crisis, contributing significantly to the nation's healthcare efforts. Jonathan has recently committed to a deal with Elliot Page and Pageboy Production who are in negotiations to bring his exceptional life to the big screen. Jonathan currently resides in New York City, with his wife and three young children.