BookCon was established in 2014 to combine the book industry and pop culture. The organizers took inspiration from popular fan conventions such as San Diego Comic-Con International but decided to focus on books rather than comics, movies, television and other elements of modern pop culture.
The inaugural BookCon was held on May 31, 2014 in New York City. The day before, ReedPOP organized a sneak preview event which included a Q&A panel dedicated to Jonathan Tropper's book This Is Where I Leave You and its screen adaptation. The panel featured the author and stars of the film, Tina Fey and Jason Bateman.
The main highlight of the convention was a panel with John Grisham, a bestselling novelist known for his legal thrillers. The program of the first BookCon also featured Q&A sessions and book signings with Amy Poehler, Martin Short, Kathy Reichs, Jodi Picoult and Ruth Reichl. There also was a Dora and Friends storytime for kids organized by Nickelodeon.
The next year, BookCon ran over two days at the same venue, the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. It featured authors such as Sherman Alexie, Aziz Ansari, Candace Bushnell, Mindy Kaling, B. J. Novak, Julianne Moore, James Patterson. BookCon moved to McCormick Place in Chicago in 2016 but returned to New York the next year.
BookCon offers its attendees exciting programming full of entertaining events and activities. Its panels are a unique opportunity to meet favorite authors, actors and book bloggers. Alongside panels, the program of the convention includes lectures and workshops, sneak peek previews of upcoming film adaptations, a large exhibitor area, book signings, and more.
Photo: thebookcon.com
