Books and Culture: 10th Annual Harlem Book Fair Held this Weekend in New York
July 17, 2008
The Harlem Book Fair celebration kicks off Friday, July 18 and concludes Sunday, July 20 at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York. But the main event, the huge outdoor book fair festival, will be held on Saturday, July 19, from 11 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on West 135th Street between Lenox Avenue and Frederick Douglass Boulevard.
If you live in the area, or are up for a weekend getaway, I’ve heard that this is one event you’ll be sorry to miss. Authors, publishers, speakers, musicians and booklovers galore will flood the streets for a marathon of books and culture.
Publishers big and small will be in attendance, representing themselves and their authors. Self-published authors selling their own books will set up booths, hawking their story with bells on. Vendors slinging food and other trinkets will be in the mix, but mostly, there will be books – and lots of them.
But the Harlem Book Fair is more than a book fair, really; it’s a cultural event and celebration. It was born from the success of QBR The Black Book Review which, since 1992, has been the leader, innovator and reliable source for what is current in black books.
From this success, the Harlem Book Fair started 10 years ago as a community event and forum for African American readers to discover and celebrate African American history and culture through books. It has since become the largest African American dedicated book event in the nation, drawing more than 50,000 people.
This year is no different, with an even larger turn out expected. And attendees won’t find a shortage of things to do. Events are scheduled to take place throughout the day (click here to download a full schedule from their Web site).
Panels and presentations include a huge range of topics, including a welcome by event founder Max Rodriguez introducing leaders in 40 years of African American Publishing, interviews with established authors, discussions on civil rights and politics, financial tips in publishing, book marketing, genre specific topics and more. And let’s not forget the author readings and musical performances sounding throughout the fair.
Representatives from Wordclay’s parent company, Author Solutions Inc., (including yours truly) will be in attendance to help announce the launch of HBF Publishers, a publishing house providing a unique and simple opportunity for African American authors to share their stories with the world.
HBF Publishers is backed with years of publishing experience, development and innovation through its use of ASI’s publishing software and platform. And, they provide their community of authors immediately access a growing and profitable African American reading market, cultivated over years by QBR The Black Book Review and the Harlem Book Fair.
Look for HBF Publishers online very soon, launching officially at the Harlem Book Fair. And if you’re in the New York City area, I’ll see you at the Fair!
-Angie
Entry Filed under: Events, In the News. Tags: African American Literature, authors, Black Book Review, Harlem Book Fair, HBF Publishers, Publishers, QBR, Self-Publishing.
2 Comments Add your own
Leave a Comment
Some HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <pre> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
Trackback this post | Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed
1.
zoeforce | July 21, 2008 at 11:23 am
Too bad I couldn’t be there. Can’t wait to hear about the experience!
Zoe
2.
phil andrews | September 15, 2008 at 7:25 pm
African Atlantic Genealogical Society to Host Harlem Book Fair on Long Island September 27, 2008
The Harlem Book Fair on Island is set to draw several thousand book lovers to Long Island September 27, 2008. The Harlem Book Fair on Long Island attracted over 2000 participants to prior Book Fair. The African Atlantic Genealogical Society will be hosting the Harlem Book Fair on Long Island on Saturday, September 27, 2008. The book fair was established in Harlem in 1998, by Max Rodriguez, publisher of QBR the Black Book Review. It has been held annually in Harlem, New York City, since then. Other venues have been established in cities across the country (i.e.) San Diego, CA, Boston, MA; Chicago,IL; etc. Long Island became an additional venue in 2003.
Broadway Star Bernard J. Marsh Author of GREAT WHITEWAY/GREATWHITE LIES will be signing at this year’s book fair.
The book fair will take place outdoors, from noon until 6:00 p.m., at the Freeport Recreation Center, 130 East Merrick Road, Freeport NY. In case of inclement weather, it will be held in the recreation center’s gymnasium. Story-tellers, clowns, face-painters and a balloon-twister will entertain the children.
The 6th Annual Harlem Book Fair on Long Island (HBF-LI) presents a great opportunity to bring African-American authors, artists, poets, performers and vendors together with the Long Island community. The daylong event features book signing by noted authors, panel discussions, ethnic music and dance, fiction and nonfiction books, vendors, and a Children’s Pavilion with its own featured authors, storytellers and face painters. HBF-LI will be held Saturday, September 27, 2008, 12 noon – 6 p.m. at the Freeport Recreation Center, 130 East Merrick Road, Freeport NY. For further information call (516) 977-6993 or fax (516) 908-4077. The Harlem Book Fair on Long Island is supported by the African Atlantic Genealogical Society, the Freeport Community Development Agency and QBR The Black Book Review. Visit Web Site @ African Atlantic Genealogical Society to Host Harlem Book Fair on Long Island September 27, 2008
The Harlem Book Fair on Island is set to draw several thousand book lovers to Long Island September 27, 2008. The Harlem Book Fair on Long Island attracted over 2000 participants to prior Book Fair. The African Atlantic Genealogical Society will be hosting the Harlem Book Fair on Long Island on Saturday, September 27, 2008. The book fair was established in Harlem in 1998, by Max Rodriguez, publisher of QBR the Black Book Review. It has been held annually in Harlem, New York City, since then. Other venues have been established in cities across the country (i.e.) San Diego, CA, Boston, MA; Chicago,IL; etc. Long Island became an additional venue in 2003.
Broadway Star Bernard J. Marsh Author of GREAT WHITEWAY/GREATWHITE LIES will be signing at this year’s book fair.
The book fair will take place outdoors, from noon until 6:00 p.m., at the Freeport Recreation Center, 130 East Merrick Road, Freeport NY. In case of inclement weather, it will be held in the recreation center’s gymnasium. Story-tellers, clowns, face-painters and a balloon-twister will entertain the children.
The 6th Annual Harlem Book Fair on Long Island (HBF-LI) presents a great opportunity to bring African-American authors, artists, poets, performers and vendors together with the Long Island community. The daylong event features book signing by noted authors, panel discussions, ethnic music and dance, fiction and nonfiction books, vendors, and a Children’s Pavilion with its own featured authors, storytellers and face painters. HBF-LI will be held Saturday, September 27, 2008, 12 noon – 6 p.m. at the Freeport Recreation Center, 130 East Merrick Road, Freeport NY. For further information call (516) 977-6993 or fax (516) 908-4077. The Harlem Book Fair on Long Island is supported by the African Atlantic Genealogical Society, the Freeport Community Development Agency and QBR The Black Book Review. Visit Web Site @ http://www.aagsinc.net/Bookfair_Page.html
http://www.aagsinc.net/Bookfair_Page.html