BookCon returns to NYC
BookCon is back in New York City April 18–19 for the first time in six years, with authors including Rachel Reid, Andy Weir, Casey McQuiston and R.F. Kuang on the bill. (mashable.com) The convention runs this weekend with panels, signings and publisher activations across the schedule. (mashable.com)
BookCon opened Saturday at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, bringing the fan convention back to New York for the first time since 2019. (bookcon.com) The show runs April 18-19 at Javits, with the venue calendar listing “BOOK CON 2026” for this weekend in Manhattan. The convention site says attendees use the event app for tickets, maps, schedules and author appearances. (javitscenter.com) (bookcon.com) CBS New York reported the event sold out before opening day and said hundreds of authors and thousands of fans were expected at the convention. Its guide said the show floor opens at 10 a.m. both days, with panels starting at 11 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday. (cbsnews.com) The return lands after a long gap that began when ReedPop canceled the 2020 edition during the COVID-19 crisis. ReedPop then said in December 2020 that BookCon and BookExpo would not return in 2021 as the company retired the events. (publishersweekly.com 1) (publishersweekly.com 2) ReedPop spent about 18 months planning the 2026 revival, according to Variety, after announcing the comeback in June 2025. Variety said tickets went on sale in September and sold out immediately, and reservations for signings and exclusive events filled quickly when they opened in March. (variety.com) The programming reflects how the book business changed while BookCon was gone. Variety said organizers built the new show around romantasy readers, book-to-screen adaptations and TikTok’s BookTok community, while Book Riot’s schedule roundup highlighted panels tied to “Heated Rivalry,” queer fiction and R.F. Kuang’s work. (variety.com) (bookriot.com) The guest list includes Andy Weir, Casey McQuiston, Rachel Reid and R.F. Kuang, alongside authors such as Cassandra Clare, Leigh Bardugo, Holly Black and Meg Cabot, according to CBS New York and Mashable. The official guest page says ReedPop was still adding names up to the event. (cbsnews.com) (mashable.com) (bookcon.com) The show is also broader than daytime panels. The BookCon site says “After Dark” programming on Saturday runs until 10:30 p.m. in Javits North, while CBS New York listed a fantasy ball, live author podcasts, a murder mystery event and a pajama movie party. (bookcon.com) (cbsnews.com) Not all of the attention around the comeback has been celebratory. Variety reported a boycott campaign began earlier this year over parent company RELX’s ownership of LexisNexis, which has a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and said some authors withdrew from the event after the issue surfaced. (variety.com) Even with that dispute, the convention floor is open this weekend, the reservations are gone, and BookCon is back in the same New York building where it last ran in 2019. (javitscenter.com) (cbsnews.com)
