SECOND ANNUAL BOOK RIOT LIVE HIGHLIGHTED HOPE AND POSITIVE CHANGE
At the reader convention for fans of books and comics, like-minded attendees gathered to celebrate the power of literature
Photo (from left to right): Rebecca Joines Schinsky and Walter Mosley (credit Swapna Krishna)
Photo (from left to right): Jackson Bird, Tara Clancy, Jade Chang, and Negin Farsad (credit Swapna Krishna)
Photo: Mara Wilson, Nerd Jeopardy Champion, signing (credit Malinda Goldberger)
(Brooklyn, NY) – Book Riot Live, the reader convention celebrating books and the reading life, ran through Saturday and Sunday after a Friday kick-off with a wine and book pairing at the Strand Bookstore’s Rare Book Room. Over the two days, more than 1,200 attendees saw marquee presenters that included Mara Wilson, Walter Mosley, Negin Farsad, Valentine De Landro, and Ken Liu, along with BookRiot.com personalities Jeff O’Neal, Rebecca Joines Schinsky, Amanda Nelson, Preeti Chhibber, Liberty Hardy, and a variety of authors and speakers from all corners of the book world. The event was held at New York City’s Metropolitan West.
“Given the intensity of the previous week, it was an extraordinary experience to see our community come together. From speakers to staff to attendees, everyone brought their enthusiasm for books and their hopes for the future,” said Events Director Jenn Northington. “Whether the discussions were about craft or content, genre or trivia, it was clear that everyone shared a belief in the power of the written word to create change, and a commitment to making those changes happen.”
Sessions ranged far and wide. Highlights from the 24 panels: Walter Mosley spoke with Rebecca Joines Schinsky about storytelling across different mediums along with humorous anecdotes from Mosley’s far-ranging career. Comedian Negin Farsad joined fellow authors Tara Clancy, Jade Chang, and moderator Jackson Bird for a panel on using humor to deal with difficult issues, while Ken Liu and Tara Clancy talked about the opportunities and challenges of adaptations and translations. Mara Wilson and Sara Farizan challenged returning champion Mark Oshiro in Nerd Jeopardy, where Wilson prevailed as the 2016 champion.
Attendee responses and images can be found by searching the hashtag #brlive on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram.
Book Riot Live was presented by Bookwitty and Unbound Worlds.
About Riot New Media Group, Inc:
Riot New Media Group, founded in 2011, creates communities dedicated to the idea that content around fandoms should be just as diverse as the fans are. So sometimes we are serious and sometimes we’re silly. Some of our contributors are pros. Many of them aren’t. We like a good list just as much as we like a good review, and we believe that there are smart, funny, and informative things to say about both. RNMG reaches 11MM monthly unique visitors through Book Riot, Book Riot Comics, and the Riot Ad Network.
Celebrating Books and the Reading Life: http://bookriotlive.com
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On Twitter: @BookRiot
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