BOOKCON ANNOUNCES LIVE VIRTUAL READ-A-THON WITH BESTSELLING LINEUP TO SUPPORT BOOKSTORE WORKERS AFFECTED BY COVID-19

25+ Popular Authors Read from their Works for 8-Hour Read-a-Thon on Saturday, April 11 in Benefit of the Book Industry Charitable Foundation

NORWALK, April 6, 2020 – BookCon, the event where storytelling and pop culture collide, today unveiled the lineup for its first-ever virtual Read-a-Thon on Saturday, April 11th. The Read-a-Thon will feature more than 25 fan-favorite authors across all genres giving 15-minute readings while also answering questions from readers across the globe. This all-day live event is part of the new BookCon Virtual Author Tour Series that launched last week which offers readers a front row seat to live author interviews, panel-style discussions with authors and publishers about debut books, and more.

The Read-a-Thon will invite viewers to make donations to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (BINC) to assist booksellers and bookstores who are affected by COVID-19.

Taking place from 12:00 PM EDT to 8:00 PM EDT on BookCon’s Facebook page, the Read-a-Thon authors include:

12pm-12:15pm: Introduction and welcome by BookCon and BINC teams

12:15pm-12:30pm: Lamar Giles 

12:30pm-12:45pm: Andrew Eliopulous  

12:45pm-1pm: Kacen Callendar 

1pm-1:15pm: Justina Ireland 

1:15pm-1:30pm: Justin Reynolds 

1:30pm-1:45pm: Becky Albertalli & Aisha Saeed 

1:45pm-2pm: Tobly McSmith 

2pm-2:15pm: Tahereh Mafi 

2:15pm-2:30pm: Layton Green 

2:30pm-2:45pm: Marie Lu (The Kingdom of Back)

2:45pm-3pm: Zan Romanoff (Look)

3pm-3:15pm: Melissa de la Cruz (The Queen’s Assassin)

3:15pm-3:30pm: Cameron Lund (The Best Laid Plans)

3:30pm-3:45pm: Laurie Halse Anderson (Shout)

3:45pm-4pm: Ransom Riggs (The Conference of the Birds)

4pm-4:15pm: Soman Chainani 

4:15pm-4:30pm: Shaun David Hutchinson 

4:30pm-4:45pm: Victoria Aveyard 

4:45pm-5pm: Kelly Yang

5pm-5:15pm: Julian Winter (The Summer of Everything)

5:15pm-5:30pm: Lilah Suzanne (Tack and Jibe)

5:30pm-5:45pm: Makenzie Campbell (Nineteen)

5:45pm-6pm: Emily Juniper (A Strangely Wrapped Gift)

6pm-6:15pm: Hannah Templer (CosmoknightsGLOW)

6:15pm-6:30pm: Nick Tapalansky and Kate Glasheen (A Radical Shift of Gravity)

6:30pm-6:45pm: Adam Silvera (Infinity Son)

“We give our warmest gratitude and thanks to all those at BookCon and ReedPop for hosting this innovative Read-A-Thon benefiting booksellers and bookstores,” said Pam French, Binc’s Executive Director. “At Binc, we have been amazed every single day over these last few harrowing weeks by the extraordinary ideas, energy, and dedication this community shares for the wellbeing of booksellers, comic retailers, bookstores, and comic shops. I extend my thanks and gratitude to every person who donates.”  

The Virtual Book Tour will continue throughout the Spring with events including a discussion on musical stardom featuring esteemed music journalist, Nelson George and Sarah Smarsh, author of the upcoming Dolly Parton biography She Come By It Natural on April 13th. Also on the schedule is Rocky Callen, author of A Breath Too Late in conversation with Jandy Nelson, author of I’ll Give You the Sun on May 1st, among many others. Fans can visit the BookCon website for regular updates to the schedule.

“BookCon was created from the desire to offer readers a place to meet and interact with their favorite authors alongside people who are as passionate about books as they are. Now, more than ever, we are eager to provide that sense of community to our fans and are excited to debut our first round of virtual events,” said Jenny Martin, Event Director, BookCon.

The BookCon Virtual Author Tour is part of ongoing efforts to connect fans and foster a reader community in the digital world, as well as in the physical world. The Virtual Author Tour comes on the heels of the debut of BookCon Societies, a celebration of every type of reader that offers a community where like-minded readers can come together to discuss favorite genres and core values. After joining a BookCon Society, readers will receive dedicated emails with curated content to help them find the authors, books, and events they are sure to love. If readers are unsure of which Society they belong to, they can take a sorting quiz on the BookCon website.

BookCon 2020 will be held on July 25 & 26, 2020 at the Javits Center in New York City.

BookCon is the consumer extension of BookExpo, North America’s largest gathering of book industry professionals from around the globe. The show is designed to appeal to the modern-day book lover with an appreciation for broader pop culture and where these worlds intersect.  It is the ultimate fan event where storytelling and pop culture collide – offering fans unprecedented access to authors, publishers, celebrities and creators of content that influence everything we read, hear and see.

For tickets to BookCon 2020 and additional information, please visit BookCon.com or BookCon’s social media pages (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram).

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