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BookCon Is Returning to NYC, Will Keep Getting Bigger and Bigger Until Book Nerds Devour the Earth

BookCon NYC

Did you know that there’s an entire Con just for bookworms? It’s coming up in New York City June 1st & 2nd, and we can’t wait to go back. BookCon, “the ultimate celebration of books where storytelling and pop culture collide,” seems to step it up a notch each year. For June 2019, celebrity guests like Jenny Han, Tegan & Sara, Evangeline Lilly, Neil Patrick Harris, and Frank Miller join a ton of literary luminaries for the nerdiest, loveliest kind of Con.

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I had the pleasure of moderating a panel at last year’s BookCon and I was struck by the wonderful and welcoming energy in the convention center. Everyone was so happy to be there in proximity to their favorite authors, everyone wanted to talk about books all day, and I wanted to buy absolutely everything on the showroom floor. BookCon will actually be increasing its book-related merchandise this year, which is amazing news for all concerned except my wallet.

From our pals at BookCon, re: that merch. *cue the soft sound of my weeping*

BookCon is debuting UnBound, a new section of the show floor that will spotlight the best bookish accessories including greeting cards, candles, pins, mugs, journals & pens, bags, games and so much more. A full list of exhibitors for UnBound can be found here.

Here are some of the biggest panels for 2019’s Con:

Book-to-Television Adaptations:
Hulu presents THE HANDMAID’S TALE SEASON 3
Season 3 of Hulu’s critically acclaimed drama THE HANDMAID’S TALE is just around the corner! Join executive producer and showrunner Bruce Miller and talent from the upcoming season of THE HANDMAID’S TALE Saturday morning at 10:45AM in 1E10

1E10, Saturday June 1 from 10:45am-12:15pm

NOS4A2: From Book to Screen
Critically-acclaimed author and executive producer Joe Hill and NOS4A2 executive producer and showrunner Jami O’Brien share and discuss the process of bringing this highly-anticipated new series, based on Hill’s best-selling 2013 novel, to the small screen. NOS4A2 premieres Sunday, June 2 at 10pm ET/9C on AMC.

 1E10, Saturday June 1 from 4:30-5:30pm

Hulu presents John Green’s LOOKING FOR ALASKA
John Green’s award-winning debut novel is coming to Hulu! Join executive producers Green, Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, and talent from the upcoming television adaptation of LOOKING FOR ALASKA Saturday evening at 5PM on the BookCon Main Stage.

Main Stage, Saturday June 1 from 5:00-6:00pm

Celebrity Authors:
Neil Patrick Harris and Eva Chen in Conversation
Children’s book authors Neil Patrick Harris and Eva Chen share the stage to discuss their books, kids, and life.

Downtown Stage, Saturday June 1 from 12:45-1:20pm

Sharing the Past with Tegan & Sara
Sara Quin and Tegan Quin, twins and singer/songwriters of the iconic indie pop duo Tegan & Sara, discuss the process of writing about their adolescent years for their forthcoming memoir, HIGH SCHOOL. Tegan and Sara will discuss the phenomenon of remembering shared experiences differently, and how their experiences as twins uniquely shaped the scope of their book.

Downtown Stage, Saturday June 1 from 1:30-2:05pm

Young Adult & Comic Book Authors Taking Center Stage:
Epic YA: Tomi Adeyemi, Jason Reynolds, Julie Murphy, and Cassandra Clare
Your favorite young adult authors across the spectrum are all in one place! Tomi Adeyemi (Children of Blood and Bone), Jason Reynolds (Long Way Down), Julie Murphy (Dumplin), and Cassandra Clare (The Dark Artifices) will dish about their best-selling books and answer all your questions!

Main Stage, Saturday June 1 from 3:30-4:30pm

Rainbow Rowell’s Wayward Son
#1 New York Times bestselling author RAINBOW ROWELL writes books. Sometimes she writes about adults (Attachments and Landline). Sometimes she writes about teenagers (Eleanor & Park, Fangirl and Carry On). But she always writes about people who talk a lot. And people who feel like they’re screwing up. And people who fall in love.

Please join Rainbow Rowell as she discusses Wayward Son, the highly-anticipated sequel to her #1 New York Times bestselling Young Adult novel, Carry On. Wayward Son is to be published on September 24 from Wednesday Books.

Room 1E14, Saturday, June 1 from 11:45am-12:30pm

Frank Miller and Tom Wheeler Present CURSED
The Lady of the Lake finds her voice in CURSED, a cinematic twist on the tale of King Arthur—soon to be an original Netflix series starring Katherine Langford in 2020! Join creators Tom Wheeler and legendary artist, producer, and director Frank Miller (300, Batman: The Dark Night Returns, Sin City) for a not-to-be-missed discussion with Entertainment Weekly’s Books Editor, David Canfield, about their debut YA coming-of-age novel about Nimue, who grows from a sheltered Priestess-in-training to a teenager hell-bent on revenge and finally, to a young woman with the power to change the fate of the world.

Room 1E16, Saturday, June 1 from 2:30-3:15pm

There’s still time to grab tickets to BookCon! Our own Princess Weekes will be moderating a panel, For Fans, By Fans: Fanfiction Addiction, featuring authors talking all things fanfic. In addition to a multitude of panels, events, autographs, that merch, and celebs, there are also writing workshops so that you can work on having a book all your own.

(image: Pexels)

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Kaila Hale-Stern
Kaila Hale-Stern (she/her) is a content director, editor, and writer who has been working in digital media for more than fifteen years. She started at TMS in 2016. She loves to write about TV—especially science fiction, fantasy, and mystery shows—and movies, with an emphasis on Marvel. Talk to her about fandom, queer representation, and Captain Kirk. Kaila has written for io9, Gizmodo, New York Magazine, The Awl, Wired, Cosmopolitan, and once published a Harlequin novel you'll never find.

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