Bronx Book Fair Announces 2017 Fair Date and Schedule

April 17, 2017 – The Bronx Book Fair today announced the 2017 fair date as Saturday, May 6 at the Bronx Library Center. This year’s fair will be keynoted by poet Kevin Young, Director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and upcoming poetry editor for the New Yorker. The fair will include a full-day of programming for writers and readers of all ages, backgrounds and genres, discussions on literature and literacy, professional development workshops and family activities. All Bronx Book Fair activities are free of charge and open to the public.

Launched in 2013, the Bronx Book Fair has become one the Bronx literary community’s most anticipated events. The theme for this year’s festival will be “Building the Bronx’s literary culture.”

Guest speakers for the 2017 Bronx Book Fair include Noelle Santos, founder of The Lit Bar, soon-to-be the Bronx’s only independent bookstore, Kevin Larimer, Editor-in Chief of Poets & Writers Magazine, award-winning poet Peggy Robles-Alvarado, among many more local and national literary leaders.

“It has become increasingly important for us to discuss the importance of literacy and the future of access to literature in the Bronx,” said Michael Alvarez, Associate Director for the Central Bronx Neighborhood Libraries at The New York Public Library. “The Bronx Book Fair is a chance for our literary community and literacy advocates – which should include everyone - to come together, learn from each other and have constructive dialogue on ways to build and sustain a local community of avid readers and writers who can share their stories with the world."

“As one of the most diverse areas in the country, the Bronx is rich with cultures from all parts of the world,”said Ron Kavanaugh, Executive Director of the Literary Freedom Project. “Our community has stories that reflect the lives of our neighbors, our families and that inspire individuals of all ages and backgrounds. The Bronx Book Fair provides all who attend the tools, relationships and support to bring their ideas and stories to life.”

The Bronx Book Fair is sponsored by the New York Public Library, the Bronx Council on the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and the City University of New York –Lehman College English Department and Leonard Leif Library.

For more information and for the full event schedule, please visit https://bronxbookfair.com.

WHAT: Fifth Annual Bronx Book Fair

WHEN: Saturday, May 6th 11am – 7pm

WHERE: Bronx Library Center

310 E Kingsbridge Road

Bronx, NY 10458

Media Instructions: Please email Ayofemi Kirby at ayofemikirby@nypl.org for media requests and interviews.

Press Contact: Ayofemi Kirby | AyofemiKirby@nypl.org

About the New York Public Library

The New York Public Library is a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library serves more than 18 million patrons who come through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/support. ​