In the Spotlight

National Poetry Month at NYPL

April is National Poetry Month! To celebrate, join the Library for a month of activities, free online events, and more. The Library has partnered with the New York Writers Workshop on 40 special poetry workshops, including sessions in Spanish and Mandarin—sign up now. Plus, get inspired with poetry postcards that celebrate NYC with images from our Digital Collections and verse inspired by the city we call home. Explore everything we have to offer for Poetry Month!

April Book Club: Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

This month, our book club with WNYC is reading Klara and the Sun, the latest novel from Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro, which narrates a near-dystopia in which children are genetically enhanced to compete academically, told from the perspective of an android companion to a teenage girl. You can start reading the book now using the Library's free e-reader app, SimplyE, available for iOS and Android devices. Throughout the month, you'll be able to join librarian-led discussion groups and share your thoughts on Twitter, culminating in a livestream conversation and Q&A with Kazuo Ishiguro himself!
SimplyE for iOS | SimplyE for Android

Spring into the Season with NYPL Staff Picks

Kick off your spring reading with almost 200 titles selected by our expert librarians for adults, kids, and teens! The full list spans everything from touching memoirs and true-crime medical procedurals to meditations on nature and human life. Explore the full list online to find your next great read from the Library. Many titles are available to reserve for pickup at a grab-and-go location near you as well as in e-book format to read digitally.

LIVE from NYPL

Reshaping New Orleans History: Fatima Shaik with Bliss Broyard

Tues, Apr 6 | 8 PM

Libertie: Kaitlyn Greenidge with Edwidge Danticat

Wed, Apr 14 | 8 PM​

On Francis Bacon: Annalyn Swan and Mark Stevens

Thurs, Apr 15 | 8 PM​

The Free World: Louis Menand with A.O. Scott

Mon, Apr 19 | 8 PM​
Co-produced with the Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers.​

I Am a Girl from Africa: Elizabeth Nyamayaro

Tues, Apr 20 | 8 PM​

Names of New York: Joshua Jelly-Schapiro with Suketu Mehta

Wed, Apr 21 |  8 PM​

A Thousand Years of Persian Poetry by Women: Readings, Music & Conversation

Thurs, Apr 29 | 8 PM​

World Literature Festival

Coming Up: NYPL's World Literature Festival

Starting Mon, Apr 12​
Join the Library for our first-ever World Literature Festival, a celebration of the rich, multicultural diversity that makes up New York City—as well as the Library's broad selection of collections and services in world languages. Find a full line-up of author talks and discussions beginning on April 12, to coincide with the start of Immigrant Heritage Week.  Discover the Library’s wide array of services and resources available in Spanish, Chinese, Bengali, French, Japanese, Russian, and other languages. Plus, stay tuned—on April 12, we'll be releasing a new book list featuring our favorite contemporary literature in translation and revealing our top checkouts in 21 languages!

Opening Event: The Languages of Poetry with Dunya Mikhail and Urayoán Noel

Mon, Apr 12 | 6 PM​
Join poets Dunya Mikhail and Urayoán Noel for a special poetry reading and discussion of the craft of poetry, followed by a librarian-moderated Q&A. 

Celebrating Indigenous Languages of the Americas in NYC

Fri, Apr 30 | 1 PM​
Join us to celebrate Indigenous languages of the Americas with the Quechua Collective and the Lenape Center, and hear about the important work they are doing to preserve these languages.

Find More World Literature Festival Events

Discover author talks in an array of world languages featuring National Book Award winner Ha Jin, Nicole Dennis-Benn, Alexander Stessin, Colombe Schneck, don Miguel Ruiz, and Naomi Hirahara. Author talks in languages other than English will feature live English interpretation. Plus, discover storytimes for kids in Spanish, Mandarin, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, French, and more.

Kids & Teens

Books in Verse to Celebrate Poetry Month

Exploring different types of poetry can help readers of all ages engage with the genre in a new way—and perhaps consider putting pen to paper and creating their own poems and stories. Check out these books in verse to help kids and teens engage with the art of poetry, as well as some additional resources to dive deeper.

KidsLIVE with Thao Lam 

Tues, Apr 6 | 3:30 PM
Join us for a special KidsLIVE author talk with Thao Lam, author and artist of The Paper Boat: A Refugee Story, which featured on our 2020 Best Books for Kids list! Lam will talk about the story behind her book and offer an exclusive peek at her new book, Thao, coming out later this year.

Calling All Teen Volunteers!

Tues, Apr 6 | 4 PM
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) is looking for passionate and dedicated teen volunteers. Open to teens aged 14–19, our volunteer crew will make a major contribution to elevating teen voices in the Library. You'll get to write comic and manga reviews, create social media content, join the SNFL Teen Advocacy Group, and more. Find out what you can do as a teen volunteer!

More Events & Resources

Get Help Signing Up for the COVID-19 Vaccine

The Library is here to help you find reliable resources about COVID-19 vaccines and vaccinations. Discover organizations and providers across the city that can help you learn about all the COVID-19 vaccine options available to you, plus find information sessions from the Library to guide you through the process of signing up for a vaccine appointment.

Free Tax Prep Informational Session

Tues, Apr 6 | 5:30 PM
Join representatives from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) for a discussion about free filing options for New Yorkers and financial counseling services.

Jalapeño Social Hour: A Spanish Conversation Group

Wed, Apr 7 | 4 PM
Wed, Apr 21 | 4 PM
Practice your Spanish-speaking skills by engaging in basic conversation with your fellow New Yorkers and Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) librarians.

New & Noteworthy

Culture Pass Brings Art and Culture into Your Living Room this Spring!

Culture Pass is partnering with museums and theaters across the city from April to June to bring you and your family free virtual programs, including craft activities, virtual tours, and talks exploring everything from ancient Mesopotamian literature to contemporary Chinese architecture. Registration for 30 programs is already open—check back regularly, as more will be added in the coming weeks!

Quiz: How Well Do You Know Your Book Adaptations?

Book adaptations are as popular as ever, but do you know just how many of your favorite shows started out as books? Test your knowledge with our quiz!

The Librarian Is In Podcast: Autobiography of Red

In our most recent episode of The Librarian Is In, we read and discuss Anne Carson's Autobiography of Red: A Novel in Verse, one of the Library's selections from our 125 Books We Love anniversary book list.

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