Now in its third year, the Bronx Book Fair (formerly the Bronx Literary Festival) will be held on Saturday, May 30 from 12-6 p.m. at the Bronx Library Center. It promises to be a great day for book lovers, literacy enthusiasts, creative writers, and the curious of all ages. Like the past two years, the program will be punctuated by cultural performances suitable for the entire family. The events is free and open to all.  Come on out and join us!   

Here is the schedule for the day:
 

12:00-12:25
The poetry and music of NuyoRican School Poetry Jazz Ensemble. 

12:30-12:55
J. Ivey
Grammy-winning poet J. Ivey brings his unique blend of hip-hop poetry and performance to this year’s book fair. He is the author of Dear Father:  Breaking the Cycle of Pain, a memoir that shows what it takes to deal with your emotions before your emotions deal with you. J. Ivey also represented Chicago on Russell Simmons’ HBO Def Poetry.
Location: Auditorium

Thelma Ruffin Thomas
Imagine seeing literature come to life with characters and events leaping off the page and unfold before your eyes. Thelma Ruffin Thomas’ extraordinary storytelling skills does just that by providing a uniquely entertaining and educational experience. Her repertoire encompasses unconventional stories, Biblical stories, and poetry that includes a wide range of literary work written by African-American authors.
Location: Conference Room

1:00-1:55
Bronx Memoir Project Reading
Contributors to the Bronx Memoir Project, a 188-page anthology, will read personal selections from the book. Bronx Memoir Project includes native Bronxites, as well as those who’ve arrived from the Dominican Republic, Maryland, USA, and Italy. This is the first title to be released by the Bronx Council on the Arts’ BCA Media publishing platform. Bronx Writers Center director Charlie Vazquez will lead the reading.
Location: Auditorium

Bronx Heroes ComicCon
Connect with great comic book artists right here in the Bronx and NYC area.
Location: Conference Room

2:00-2:25
Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa
Bronx-born Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa will read from her book Daughters of the Stone. Daughters is a lyrical, powerful debut novel about a family of Afro–Puerto Rican women, spanning five generations, detailing their physical and spiritual journey from the Old World to the New.
Location: Auditorium

Writing Womanhood: Telling Our Stories in Our Voice
In this workshop participants will write and share stories and poems about what it means to be women from their perspective and in their voice. This is a safe, supportive and welcoming space. Facilitated by Poets Lorraine Currelley and Peggy Robles-Alvarado.
Location: Conference Room

2:30-3:25
Legacy Women
Legacy Women, an all-women’s traditional musical group rooted in Afro-Dominican and Afro-Puerto Rican rhythms and traditions, bring their unique blend of drumming, song, and dance infused with of Afro-Caribbean beats, Palos, Congos, Slaves, and Bomba: the Afro-Indigenous roots music of the Caribbean.
Location: Auditorium

3:30-4:25
Engaging Readers: Adults, Teens and Children
Join us for a panel discussion by librarians @ the Bronx Library Center:

Choosing the Right Book: Jean Harripersaud, Adult Services; Diverse Books for Teen: Elisa Garcia, Teen Services; Developing Lifelong Readers: Deborah Allman, Children’s Services.
Location: Auditorium

4:30-4:55
Canto Mundo • Cave Canem • Kundiman Poetry Reading
Poets from three leading poetry organizations, Canto Mundo, Cave Canem, and Kundiman come together to read from their work. Each organization was created to provide culturally rooted spaces for writers of color to hone and nurture their craft.

Cathy Linh Che (Kundiman) is the author of Split (Alice James, 2014), winner of the Kundiman Poetry Prize and the Norma Farber First Book Award from the Poetry Society of America. A Vietnamese American poet from Los Angeles and Long Beach, CA, she received her BA from Reed College and her MFA from New York University.

Brian Francis is a Cave Canem fellow from New York City. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Creative Nonfiction and has an MFA in Poetry from NYU. His poetry has been featured and is forthcoming in Fledgling Rag, Cave Canem Anthology XIII, and Tupelo Quarterly.

Urayoán Noel (Canto Mundo) is a poet, performer, scholar, translator, and assistant professor of English and Spanish at NYU. He is the author of the critical study In Visible Movement: Nuyorican Poetry from the Sixties to Slam (University of Iowa Press, 2014) and several books of poetry in English and Spanish, the most recent of which are: Hi-Density Politics (2010), Los días porosos (2012; second edition 2014), and EnUncIAdOr (2014).
Location: Auditorium

Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO) Reading
Nahshon Ratcliff, winner of the Bronx Council on the Arts’ BRIO Award and will read from recent work. Nahshon will be joined by a reader to be named.
Location: Conference Room

5:00-5:55
Open Mic hosted by Five Boro Story Project
FBSP invites the community to to bring its best poetry and stories and participate in an open mic session. Five Boro travels throughout NYC producing community storytelling events that spotlight different neighborhoods and invites community members to share their own stories and art through open mics and story circles.
Location: Auditorium