Numerous authors of Indian origin to be featured at Brooklyn Book Festival

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The Brooklyn Book Festival is back with a bang with an ambitious program featuring numerous authors of Indian and other South Asian origin, starting with a live downtown event late September 2021, followed by appearances around the city, plus virtually on the global stage.

The Brooklyn Book Festival Literary Council announced a blockbuster lineup of 140-plus authors from around the world who will gather for its 16th Brooklyn Book Festival.

Some authors of Indian or other South Asian origin included to date on the list are – Nadia Q. Ahmad, Rumaan Alam, Anuk Arudpragasam, Priyanka Champaneri, Nidhi Chanani, Rohan Chhetri, Sayantani DasGupta, Aminder Dhaliwal, Abeer Hoque, Sujeet Indap, Amitava Kumar, Raakhee Mirchandani, Sumanth Prabhaker, Mayukh Sen, Nisha Sharma, and Jafreen Uddin, give or take a couple others.

The Festival is launching its format of the future, organizers note, with an in-person main Festival Day and Literary Marketplace (Sun. Oct. 3) taking place on multiple stages in Downtown Brooklyn, followed by a robust, virtual Festival in the evening reaching readers from across the country and globe. The 9-day Festival also includes a full slate of citywide Bookend events (Sept. 26 – Oct. 2 & 4th) presented live in venues throughout all five boroughs as well as virtually, and a celebration of childhood reading at its Children’s Day (Sat. Oct. 2) in Brooklyn Commons in MetroTech in Downtown Brooklyn.

As such, the 9-day Festival comprises the main Festival Day, Bookends, and Children’s Day. The live Festival Day, on October 3rd, will have author programs on multiple stages, in Downtown Brooklyn, every hour throughout the day featuring fiction, poetry, non-fiction, comics, graphic novels, and young adult authors.

“The day is known for its diverse and inclusive programming, with one of a kind dialogues among authors,” the press release said. New literary voices are presented in discussions with established authors, and the spectrum of voices tackles topics from incarceration to humor, intimacy to madness.

Organizers say the festival has a “strong international spirit”

As the live Festival Day draws to a close, the curtains will rise on the Festival’s Virtual “Night Shift” programming starting in the evening and offering multiple programs on the hour until 11pm and including the Festival’s international programming.

“The Brooklyn Book Festival has been the premiere event for our borough’s literary community, and we are thrilled to partner with them. In the midst of challenging times, we look to literature to help us make sense of our world and our place in it,” Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams is quoted saying in the press release. “The diverse roster of authors featured in this year’s live and virtual programming embodies the spirit of One Brooklyn, where we seek to forge links between cultures and foster common understanding among people. We look forward to welcoming people from across the borough, city, and beyond to this year’s slate of events!” Adams added.

At the fully in-person, October 2nd, Children’s Day, organizers say, families will experience a full day of readings, workshops, performances, book signings, and art projects with favorite authors and illustrators in Brooklyn Commons Park at MetroTech. The Picture Book Stage and Young Readers Stage will feature authors reading, performing, and illustrating—live and in action. Kids can get creative with their favorite authors at the interactive Artspot and join workshops at the Makers and Creators area. They can play the READy, Spin, Win book wheel for prizes. Plus, the whole family can find new favorite books at the Children’s Marketplace of Books.

Children’s book authors include: Sayantani DasGupta, David Levithan, Mahogany Browne, Sophie Blackall, Brian Floca, Gayle Forman, R.J. Palacio, and many more.

Brooklyn Book Festival was launched in 2006 to address the need for a major literary event that embraced the diverse constituencies of New York City, the press release says. F

For more information visit www.brooklynbookfestival.org or check out the official Facebook page, follow the Festival on Instagram (@bkbookfest), and on Twitter (@BKBF).