As ReedPop noted, "the rumors are true." BookCon, which had been a popular consumer-focused addition to BookExpo but hasn't been held since the pandemic started, is back. The two-day show, a "celebration of storytelling in all forms built for readers, by readers," will take place next April 18 and 19 at the Javits Center in New York City.
ReedPop called the new BookCon "a wholly reimagined event," that will gather publishers, authors, brands, and retailers in "an immersive show floor experience" that will include author chats, books swaps, book signings, book clubs, workshops, panels, crafting zones, and more.
Jenny Martin, event director, ReedPop, said, "BookCon has always been an incredibly special event to our team and when we made the difficult decision to cancel the show in 2020, we did so with the hope that we would bring the event back even bigger and better when the time felt right. We are so excited to welcome our BookCon community home next April for an event that has been fully reimagined to include everything fans loved about BookCon, plus so much more. At BookCon, we believe stories are sacred, books are identity, and community is everything. We invite all of you to join us as we create a space where passion is celebrated and all of you are our main characters."
BookCon was founded in 2014 and was an immediate success, drawing 10,000 enthusiastic readers, particularly teenage girls, its first year, limited because of a cap on attendance. BookCon remained a vital event through 2019, welcomed by the industry. As one publisher told us after BookCon's debut: "What's not to like about kids who think reading is cool?"