If you’re a book lover in New York City or are looking for your next read, mark your calendar now. The Brooklyn Book Festival is returning this September for its milestone 20th anniversary, and it’s set to be the biggest celebration of literature the city has ever seen.
As New York City’s biggest free literary festival, the week-long event will gather over 300 authors and 250 publishers from across the globe for panels, signings, readings, and conversations in Brooklyn and beyond.
From emerging voices to household literary names, the festival lineup is brimming with talent–Joyce Carol Oates, Alison Bechdel, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Gary Shteyngart, Susan Choi, Marlon James, and Rumaan Alam, are just some of the literary icons joining the festivities.
When Is The 2025 Brooklyn Book Festival?
The festival runs September 14th – 22nd, 2025, with programming across all five boroughs:
- Virtual Festival Day — September 14, 1-6 pm
- Bookend Events — September 14-22, at venues citywide
- Children’s Day — September 20, 10 am-4 pm, at Brooklyn Commons at MetroTech
- Festival Day & Literary Marketplace — September 21, 10 am-6 pm, at Brooklyn Borough Hall and surrounding venues
What To Expect This Year
- ✨ 300+ Authors & 250 Publishers – from bold debuts to Pulitzer winners, the festival brings together voices that reflect the city’s unmatched diversity
- ✨ The Literary Marketplace – a sprawling outdoor book fair where you can browse, buy, and get your finds signed by authors (tote bag required)
- ✨ Panels & Conversations – smart, surprising discussions on everything from banned books to contemporary poetry, graphic novels, and global fiction
- ✨ Children’s Day – a family-friendly day filled with storytimes, activities, and signings perfect for young readers
- ✨ Bookend Events – evenings of storytelling, readings, and performances at indie bookstores, libraries, and cultural hubs across NYC
A Festival That’s “Hip, Smart, and Diverse”
Since its launch in 2006, the Brooklyn Book Festival has grown from a one-day gathering into a nine-day literary extravaganza. Its credo–hip, smart, diverse–continues to shape its programming and draw audiences of all backgrounds.
As the organizers put it: “Brooklyn is the world.” And with authors flying in from across continents to join Brooklyn’s homegrown talent, the festival proves just that.
How To Partake In The 2025 Brooklyn Book Festival
You can now explore the full lineup and plan your festival through the Bloomberg Connects app (free via Apple Store or Google Play), a free guide that makes it easy to map your schedule of panels, signings, and marketplace stops.
The best part? Nearly all events are free or low-cost, making it one of the most accessible cultural festivals in the city.
Why The Festival Is A Can’t Miss
Whether you’re chasing the chance to hear Joyce Carol Oates live, snag a signed graphic novel from Alison Bechdel, or wander through rows of indie publishers at Borough Hall, the Brooklyn Book Festival 2025 is shaping up to be a once-in-a-generation literary celebration.
📚 More info and the full schedule are available on the Brooklyn Book Festival website.