BookCon is back
BookCon has returned to New York's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center for a two‑day run on April 18–19 after a six‑year hiatus, with panels, author signings and fan events scheduled ( ). Coverage this weekend is focusing on celebrity appearances and programming for readers and creators across genres ( ).
BookCon returned to New York on Saturday, reopening at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center after last running in 2019. (bookcon.com) The event runs April 18-19 across Javits North, Hall 1A and Hall 1B, with the show floor opening at 10 a.m. both days and panels stretching to 11 p.m. Saturday. ReedPop, the company behind New York Comic Con and other fan conventions, is organizing the show. (bookcon.com) Organizers told amNewYork they expected about 25,000 fans over the weekend and “hundreds of authors and publishing partners and creators.” The lineup includes panels, meet-and-greets, Indie Alley, workshops on bookbinding and fantasy map-making, and a new lounge area called The Grove. (amny.com) The return lands in a very different book market than the one BookCon left behind in 2019. Mashable described BookTok as one of the internet’s loudest reading communities, and ReedPop said the new program was built around “diverse voices, genres, and perspectives.” (mashable.com, cbsnews.com) That shift shows up in the guest list and the adaptation-heavy schedule. Mashable and CBS New York reported appearances tied to “Project Hail Mary,” “Heated Rivalry,” “Divergent,” and authors including Andy Weir, Veronica Roth, Leigh Bardugo, Casey McQuiston and R.F. Kuang. (mashable.com, cbsnews.com) BookCon’s comeback was not guaranteed. ReedPop said in December 2020 that it was retiring both BookExpo and BookCon after the pandemic cancellation that year, with the Javits Center then serving as a field hospital during New York’s coronavirus emergency. (publishingperspectives.com) ReedPop announced the revival in June 2025, and Publishers Weekly reported that six major publishers — Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster and Sourcebooks — signed on as exhibitors for the 2026 show. (publishersweekly.com, publishersweekly.com) Demand came back fast, too. BookCon’s ticket page lists Saturday, Sunday, weekend, VIP and Premium VIP passes as sold out, and Mashable reported the event posted on Dec. 3, 2025, that tickets were officially gone. (bookcon.com, mashable.com) That rush also produced friction. Mashable reported complaints online after some panels, signings and giveaways were placed behind a separate reservation system, while BookCon said those reservations were free, first-come, first-served, and required a valid ticket for the day. CBS New York reported standby lines for some fans who missed reservations. (mashable.com, bookcon.com, cbsnews.com) Saturday night extends beyond the convention floor with BookCon After Dark, including a fantasy ball from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., murder mystery events, podcasts, open-mic storytelling and a pajama party. For a convention that disappeared in 2020, the clearest sign of its return may be how much of the weekend now happens after hours. (bookcon.com, bookcon.com)
