6TH ANNUAL BRONX BOOK FESTIVAL JUNE 9-11, 2023

Join us for the 6th annual Bronx Book Festival! Our kickoff party will be held on Friday, June 9, 2023 at Sankofa Haus, where we will announce the 2023 Mover and Shaker of the year, and the next Bronx Poet Laureate. On Saturday, June 10, 2023 we gather in-person to celebrate books and authors with in-person programming and giveaways at at Fordham Plaza and Fordham University featuring some of your favorite authors! On Sunday, June 11, 2023 we’ve got limited virtual programming for you to enjoy from the comfort of your home, or anywhere in the world with wifi!

 

EDUCATOR DAY SPEAKERS

THURSDAY, JUNE 8TH, 2023, 8AM-3PM

AT FORDHAM UNIVERSITY

 

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Dr. Bettina Love, Punished for Dreaming

 
 
 

FEATURED SPEAKERS

Federico Erebia, Pedro and Daniel

P. Djélí Clark, Abeni’s Song

Renée Watson, Ways to Share Joy

Rose Brock, Hope Wins

Eliot Schrefer, Queer Ducks (And Other Animals)

 
 

FEATURED FACULTY

 

Dr. Jarred Amato, English teacher & the co-founder of Project LIT Community

Rebecca Bellingham, The Artful Read Aloud

 
 

FESTIVAL DAY AUTHORS & SPEAKERS

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

 

Elisabet Velasquez, When We Make It

 

Ibi Zoboi, Nigeria Jones

 

Christine Pride, We Are Not Like Them

Jo Piazza, We Are Not Like Them

 
 

Kalynn Bayron, My Dear Henry

Terry J. Benton-Walker, Blood Debts

Emeline Lee, Bonnie's Rocket

Elizabeth Santiago, Claro De Luna

 

Linda J. Acevedo, Breaking to the Beat!

Patricia Park, Imposter Syndrome

Benjamin A. Wilgus, Grace Needs Space

Kyle Lukoff, When Aidan Became a Brother

 

Mark Oshiro, Into the Light

Sarvenaz Tash, A Whole Song and Dance

Camille Gomera-Tavarez, High Spirits

Johnny Compton, The Spite House

 

Colleen AF Venable, Best Friends for Never

Tanya Katerí Hernández, Racial Innocence

Natasha Bowen, Soul of the Deep

LaQuette, Vanessa Jared's Got a Man

 

José Olivarez, Promises of Gold

Tyriek White, We Are a Haunting

Noué Kirwan, Long Past Summer

Liz Montague, Maybe An Artist

 

Monica Brashears, House of Cotton

Tia Williams, Seven Days in June

Tamika Burgess, Sincerely Sicily

Julie C. Dao, Team Chu and the Epic Hero Quest

 

Charlie Jane Anders, Promises Stronger than Darkness

Anne Heltzel, Just Like Mother

Ness Brown, The Scourge Between Stars

Nora Shalawey Carpenter, Ab(solutely) Normal

 

Diane Billas, Does Love Always Win?

Rocky Callen, A Breath Too Late

Sidik Fofana, Stories from the Tenants Downstairs

Alyssa Reynoso-Morris, Plátanos Are Love

 

Steven Salvatore, No Perfect Places

Cassandra Khaw, The Salt Grows Heavy

Vincent Tirado, We Don’t Swim Here

Karina Nicole Gonzalez, The Coquíes Still Sing

 

M. García Peña, Our Shadows Have Claws

Kayla Cottingham, This Delicious Death

Krystal Quíles, The Coquíes Still Sing

Francesca Padilla, What’s Coming to Me

 

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Chain Gang All Stars

Lorraine Avila, The Making of Yolanda La Bruja

Luz Maria Mack, The Secret of the Plátano

Krystal Marquis, The Davenports

 

Courtne Comrie, Rain Rising

Ryan La Sala, The Honeys

Abhi Alwar, Summer is for Cousins

Danny Lore, Stranger Things: Erica the Great

 

Janae Marks, On Air with Zoe Washington

Jas Hammonds, We Deserve Monuments

Sonora Reyes, The Luis Ortega Survival Club

Winsome Bingham, Soul Food Sunday, and Welcome to Fort Goode

 

Maria Scrivan, Nat for Nothing

Shauna J. Grant, Mimi and the Boo-Hoo Blahs

Majora Carter, Reclaiming Your Community

Melanie Iglesias, Sr Editor, Atria Books (S&S)

 

Gisela Ramos, Director, Domestic Rights, Macmillan Publishers

Latoya C. Smith, Agent, LCS Literary Services

Brittany Pham, Instagram Influencer, @scienceowlreads

Alana Amore, Instagram Influencer, @blkstacks

 

Keyona Pierre, Instagram Influencer, @chocolatecoveredpages

Artavia Jarvis, Instagram Influencer, @tattletav

Chantelle Walker, Sr Marketing Manager, Crown, Currency, & Hogarth

Sarah Alli, Instagram Influencer, @slowmorningdiaries

 

Mariah Plunkett, Instagram Influencer, The Knead to Read

Shelley Diaz, Reviews Editor, School Library Journal

Kelly Lycurgus, Instagram Influencer, Kellzisbookedup

Genee Bright, New York Public Library

 

Sarai Merino Vega, New York Public Library

 

PRESENTED BY

 
 

SPONSORED BY

 
 

 2023 BRONX BOOK FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

EDUCATOR DAY SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2023

FORDHAM UNIVERSITY (TICKETS REQUIRED TO ATTEND)

Thursday, June 8 @ 8:00 AM - Rise & Read Breakfast with Dr. Bettina Love (Punished for Dreaming)

Kickoff Educator Day with breakfast and hear from our keynote speaker Dr. Bettina Love author of the forthcoming book Punished for Dreaming

Limited advance reader copy (ARC) giveaway

Thursday, June 8 @ 9:00 AM - Building a Culture of Reading: Crafting Schoolwide Literacy Programming  (Workshop) 

Join Dr. Jarred Amato, English teacher, and co-founder of Project LIT Community, for a workshop about how to build a culture of reading, enacting schoolwide literacy. 

Thursday, June 8 @ 10:00 AM - The Art of the Read Aloud taught by Rebecca Bellingham (Workshop)

Join Rebecca Bellingham, author of The Art of the Read Aloud, for a workshop about the power and importance of reading books aloud in the classroom and at home. 

Thursday, June 8 @ 11:00 AM - Publishers Book Buzzes

Join publishers Lee & Low, Levine Querido, Macmillan Publishers, and Scholastic as they share details about recent and upcoming books from their perspective publisher lists.

Limited book giveaways

Thursday, June 8 @ 12:00 PM - Lit Lunch, Sponsored by Levine Querido 

Grab your lunch and listen to featured speakers authors discuss their books Eliot Schrefer (Queer Ducks), Federico Erabia (Pedro & Daniel), P. Djéli Clark (Abeni’s Song), Rose Brock (Hope Wins), Renée Watson (Ways to Share Joy).

Limited book giveaways

Thursday, June 8 @ 1:00 - 3:00 PM ET 

All Author Signings + Networking + Social Hour

 

FESTIVAL KICKOFF PARTY SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, JUNE 9, 2023

SANKOFA HAUS (TICKETS REQUIRED TO ATTEND)

 

FESTIVAL DAY SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 2023

FORDHAM PLAZA (TICKETS REQUIRED TO ATTEND)

MAIN STAGE

8:30am - 9:30am  Donuts & Coffee + Networking 

10:00 AM ET - SO YOU WANT TO WORK IN PUBLISHING

Join publishing professionals who made a career out of books, how they got into publishing, what they love about the industry and how it could be made better, featuring: Melanie Iglesias, editor @ Atria, Chantelle Walker, marketing @ Crown, Latoya Smith, agent @ ArtHouse Lit, Gisela Ramos, sales @ Macmillan

Galley Grab / Advance Reader Copy Giveaway 

11:00 AM ET - KEYNOTE: WRITING IN BLACK & WHITE with Christine Pride & Jo Piazza

Authors Christine Pride and Jo Piazza discuss co-authoring You Were Always Mine and We Are Not Like Them and what brought them together as a writing team considering their cultural differences and backgrounds.

Signing 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM 

12:00 PM ET - BLACK PAIN: Writing about Trauma

Critically acclaimed authors Monica Brashears (House of Cotton), Nana Kwame Adjei Brenya (Chain Gang All-Stars), Tyriek White (We are a Haunting), Tanya Kateri Hernandez (Racial Innocence), Sidik Fofana (Stories from the Tenants Downstairs) discuss the healing aspects of writing about trauma, navigating Black pain, and grief, especially in the world of white publishing and if writing about trauma is therapeutic or a form of protest. Moderated by Majora Carter (Reclaiming Community)

Signing 12:50 PM - 1:30 PM 

1:30 PM ET - KEYNOTE with Elisabet Velasquez & Ibi Zoboi 

Join best-selling and award-winning authors Ibi Zoboi (Nigeria Jones), and Elisabet Velasquez (When We Make It) for a reading and keynote address moderated by Sarai Merino Vega, New York Public Library . 

Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed Tote Bag Giveaway 

Signing 2:15 PM - 2:50 PM

2:30 PM ET - Calling All Horror Fans Sponsored by Tor Nightfire 

Looking for your next horror book to devour? Join these debut and sophomore authors as they discuss all things horror featuring Anne Heltzel (Just Like Mother), Cassandra Khaw (The Salt Grows Heavy), Ness Brown (The Scourge Between Stars), and Johnny Compton (The Spite House), moderated by Danny Lore 

Signing 3:15 PM - 3:45 PM

3:30 PM ET - LET’S FALL IN LOVE: Representation in Romance Sponsored by Reese’s Book Club

Acclaimed authors Noué Kirwan (Long Past Summer), LaQuette (Vanessa Jared’s Got a Man),  and José Oliveras (Promises of Gold) discuss the importance of representation and diversity in romance, why they choose to write about love, and what inspires their creativity. Moderated by Tia Williams (Seven Days in June)

Giveaway of Seven Days in June Sponsored by Reese’s Book Club

Signing 4:15 PM - 4:45 PM

4:30 PM ET - We Can’t Be Banned Sponsored by Pen America + Banned Book Giveaway 

A timely discussion with authors who have faced book challenges and bans. . . and how they stood up and used their voice with Kalynn Bayron (Cinderella is Dead), Janae Marks (From the Desk of Zoe Washington), Ibi Zoboi (American Street), Mark Oshiro (Each of Us Desert), and moderated by Kyle Lukoff (When Aidan Became a Brother).

Book Giveaway

Signing 5:15 PM - 5:45 PM 

5:30 PM ET - WHAT IS BOOKSTAGRAM?

Ever wonder how readers become influencers? How do those pretty book shots come together? How do bookstagrammers work with publishing companies? Meet these social media mavens and hear them discuss their journey into the book world.

 

CHILDREN’S STAGE

8:30am - 9:30am  Donuts & Coffee + Networking 

10:30 AM ET - Give Me All theTropes

We love love. Swoon with us over these happily ever afters with Diane Billas (Does Love Always Win?), Krystal Marquis (The Davenports), Jas Hammonds (We Deserve Monuments), Sarvenaz Tash (A Whole Song and Dance)

Signing 11:15 AM - 11:45 AM 

11:30 AM ET - Horror is for the Girlies

When real life is too scary, escape into these horrifically good reads with Kayla Cottingham (This Delicious Death), and M. Garcia Peña (Our Shadows Have Claws), Vincent Tirado (We Don’t Swim Here), Ryan La Sala (The Honeys) Moderated by Kalynn Bayron (My Dear Henry) 

Galley Grab / Advance Reader Copy Giveaway

Signing 12:15 PM - 12:45 PM 

12:30 PM ET - Mental Health Matters

Mental health has come into sharp focus since 2020. Join this all-star panel of authors as they share their journey to write about the mind, with Nora Shalaway Carpenter (Ab(solutely) Normal), Francesca Padilla (What’s Coming to Me) , Rocky Callen (A Breath Too Late), Mark Oshiro (Into the Light)

Signing 1:15 PM - 1:45 PM 


2:30 PM ET - Flaunt Your Fandom: Celebrating 20 Years of Magic, Mischief, & Marvel 

Celebrate Tor Teen's milestone 20th anniversary featuring critically-acclaimed YA authors Terry J. Benton-Walker (Blood Debts), Mark Oshiro (Into the Light) and Charlie Jane Anders (Promises Stronger than Darkness ) as they discuss crafting fantastical stories filled with magic, mischief, and marvel, and standout characters for the young adult reader and fandom.

Tote Bag Giveaway Sponsored by Tor Teen

Signing 3:15 PM - 3:45 PM

3:30 PM ET - The Roots

The root of our stories is our family tree. Explore connections to our kin across generations with Terry J. Benton-Walker (Blood Debts), Tamika Burgess (Sincerely Sicily), Camille Gomera-Tavarez (High Spirits), Courtnie Comrie (Rain Rising), Elizabeth Santiago (Claro de Luna/Moonlight Vine)

Signing 4:15 PM - 4:45 PM 

4:30 PM ET - High School is…

Fun. Tough. Messy. Join authors Patricia Park (Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim), Steven Salvatore (No Perfect Places), and Lorraine Avila (The Making of Yolanda La Bruja), Sonora Reyes (The Luis Ortega Survival Club) for a high school reunion. Moderated by Shelley Diaz.

Signing 5:15 PM - 5:45 PM 

 

YOUNG READERS CORNER

11:00 AM  ET - Speech Bubbles: Shouting Our Love of Graphic Novels 

Let’s rant and rave together about every young reader’s books of choice: graphic novels! Join the discussion with Colleen AF Venable (Katie the Catsitter), Benjamin A Wilgus (Grace Needs Space), Shauna J. Grant (Mimi and the Cutie Catastrophe: A Graphix Chapters Book (Mimi #1), Maria Scrivan (Nat Enough #4: Nat for Nothing), Liz Montague (Maybe, An Artist)

Signing 1:15 PM - 1:45 PM 

12:00 NOON  ET - We Can Be Heroes (MG)

In the everyday and in fantasy worlds, we could all use a hero with Julie C Dao (Team Chu and the Battle of Blackwood Arena), Janae Marks (On Air with Zoe Washington), moderated by Leah Clark, Bronx Book Festival Planning Chair 

Signing 1:15 PM - 1:45 PM 

1:00 PM  ET - Storytime Reading:  Bonnie’s Rocket by Emeline Lee

Signing 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM 

1:30 PM  ET - Bilingual Storytime Reading:  The Coquíes Still Sing / Los coquíes aún cantan by Karina Nicole González, & Krystal Quiles

Signing 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM 

2:00 PM  ET - Storytime Reading: Plátanos Are Love by Alyssa Reynoso-Morris (BRONX NATIVE) 

Signing 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM 

2:30 PM  ET- Storytime Reading: Breaking to the Beat by Linda J. Acevedo 

Signing 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM 

3:00 PM  ET- Storytime Reading & Illustration Demo: Summer Is for Cousins by Abhi Alwhar

Signing 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM 

3:30 PM  ET -Storytime Reading: The Secret of the Plátano by Luz Mack (BRONX NATIVE)

Signing 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM 

4:00 PM  ET- Storytime Reading: Soul Food Sunday and Welcome to Fort Goode by Winsome Bingham

Signing 4:30 PM - 5:00 PM