BookCon returns to Javits
BookCon is back after a six-year hiatus, running April 18–19 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center with panels and author events. (mashable.com) Organizers are positioning the weekend as a major in-person moment for readers and creators reconnecting after the break. (mashable.com)
BookCon opened Saturday at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, bringing the fan-focused book event back to New York for the first time since 2019. (bookcon.com) The show runs April 18-19 at Javits, with the convention center listing “BOOK CON 2026” on its April calendar. BookCon’s site says the weekend includes panels, author appearances, exhibitors, and two show floors. (javitscenter.com) (bookcon.com) Tickets are sold out across Saturday, Sunday, weekend, and VIP tiers, according to BookCon’s ticket page. CBS New York reported Friday that hundreds of authors and thousands of fans were expected at the convention. (bookcon.com) (cbsnews.com) The return closes a gap that began after BookCon’s last in-person edition in 2019 and its retirement in 2020. ReedPop announced the comeback on June 18, 2025, calling the 2026 event a “reimagined” version of the show. (usatoday.com) (rxglobal.com) Organizers rebuilt the event around the book internet as it exists now, not as it did before the pandemic. Variety reported ReedPop spent about 18 months planning a version shaped by romantasy demand, book-to-screen adaptations, and TikTok’s #BookTok influence. (variety.com) That shift shows up in the programming. CBS listed panels tied to R.F. Kuang, female fantasy protagonists, and the adaptation of Rachel Reid’s “Heated Rivalry,” while BookCon’s site promotes “After Dark” events including a fantasy-themed ball, poetry slam, movie night, and workshops. (cbsnews.com) (bookcon.com) The floor is built to sell discovery as much as books. BookCon says exhibitors span Hall 3 on Level 3 and Halls 1A and 1B on Level 1, while “Indie Alley,” presented by The Bookish Box, is dedicated to independent authors and small brands. (bookcon.com) The guest list leans heavily on commercial fiction and adaptation-ready names. CBS said attendees include Andy Weir, Casey McQuiston, Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, Leigh Bardugo, Meg Cabot, Rachel Reid, and R.F. Kuang. (cbsnews.com) The comeback has not been frictionless. Variety reported some authors and ticketholders joined a boycott after criticism of ReedPop parent company RELX over LexisNexis contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Reactor and The Beat both reported ReedPop said it does not sell customer information to ICE and operates independently from other RELX units. (variety.com) (reactormag.com) (comicsbeat.com) For this weekend, the practical picture is simpler: a sold-out convention, packed signings, and a book event that ReedPop once retired now filling Javits again. (bookcon.com) (variety.com)
