LOOK WHO THEY BOOKED

MORE THAN 100 AUTHORS--SO FAR!--SIGN ON FOR SIXTH ANNUAL BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL ON 9/18

Larry McMurtry, Terry McMillan, Jennifer Egan, Eoin Colfer, Amy Chua, John Sayles, Joyce Carol Oates, Craig Thompson, Walter Mosley and Rachel Hawkins to headline Festival

Book Festival Pulitzer Prize panel will include 2011 Brooklyn-based recipients Jennifer Egan, Jesse Eisinger and Jake Bernstein

For information, photos, badges and more, visit www.brooklynbookfestival.org

Also follow Festival on Facebook and Twitter @bkbf

On Wednesday, June 15, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, the Brooklyn Literary Council, top authors, publishing industry leaders, editors and literary insiders gathered at Brooklyn Borough Hall to announce more than a hundred of the renowned national and international authors confirmed to date to participate in the sixth annual Brooklyn Book Festival, which will take place this fall, Sunday, September 18, 2011, in and around Borough Hall and Columbus Park. "Bookend" literary-themed events also return this year, with venues in clubs, parks, bookstores, theaters and libraries across the borough from September 15 - 18.

The Brooklyn Book Festival is the largest free literary event in New York City presenting an array of literary stars and emerging authors who represent the exciting world of literature today. One of America's premier book festivals, this hip, smart, diverse gathering attracts thousands of book lovers of all ages. Despite inclement weather last year, more than 20,000 visitors and media from around the world converged on Borough Hall. The Festival is organized around themed readings and is devoted to timely and lively panel discussions. The inclusion of top national and international authors and new partners has expanded the Festival's reach while continuing to celebrate and enhance Brooklyn's contemporary and historic literary reputation.

Notable authors and participants (visit www.brooklynbookfestival.org for updates on author lineup):

Non-Fiction

Kurt Andersen, Amy Chua, Brooke Gladstone, John Hodgman, Phillip Lopate, Sigrid Nunez, Christian Parenti, Jennifer Pozner, David Rakoff, Jeremy Scahill, Adrian Tomine, Touré, Katrina vanden Heuvel

Fiction (Domestic and International)

Dorothy Allison, Russell Banks, Eoin Colfer, Jennifer Egan, Nuruddin Farah, Jonathan Safran Foer, Diana Gabaldon, Amitav Ghosh, Jessica Hagedorn, Pete Hamill, A.M. Homes, Nicole Krauss, Jhumpa Lahiri, Terry McMillan, Larry McMurtry, Walter Mosley, Joyce Carol Oates, Téa Obreht, Karen Russell, John Sayles, Craig Thompson, Colson Whitehead

Poetry

Mary Jo Bang, Timothy Donnelly, Jean Valentine

Children

Bryan Collier, Sam McBratney, Mo Willems

Youth

Judy Blundell, Kate Brian, Cory Doctorow, T.R. Simon and Victoria Bond, Rachel Hawkins, Jon Scieszka, Rita Williams-Garcia, Jacqueline Woodson

The 2011 Brooklyn Book Festival will also host a panel featuring this year's Pulitzer Prize recipients from Brooklyn, with Jennifer Egan, Jesse Eisinger and Jake Bernstein confirmed to attend. Six of the 29 Pulitzer Prize winners hail from Brooklyn, the others being Bruce Norris, Clifford J. Levy and Ron Chernow.

"Whether you're a voracious reader or someone who just likes to pick up the occasional 'good read,' make sure you 'book it' for our Brooklyn Book Festival this fall," said Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. "As the 'Creative Capital of New York City,' Brooklyn is the perfect host for one of the world's most prestigious free literary festivals, and that's why I officially re-name our borough 'Book-lyn' not just for the Festival on Sunday, September 18, but for the four days of incredible events this year celebrating the character--and characters--of our diverse literary community."

"Now in its sixth amazing year, the Brooklyn Book Festival is, without question, one of the premier literary destinations in the world," said Johnny Temple, chair of the Brooklyn Literary Council. "From our award-winning authors to our publishers big and small, from musicians and comedians to humorists and graphic novelists, the Brooklyn Book Festival represents our growing literary universe--and this year's expanded four days of events will be our biggest and best celebration yet."

BP Markowitz also announced a new Brooklyn Book Festival sponsor, AT&T. "AT&T is committed to supporting cultural events like the Brooklyn Book Festival that showcase how this borough has become the pulse of the city's arts and literature community," said AT&T New York President Hal Lenox. "We are also committed to providing the best mobile experience for our customers in Brooklyn and throughout New York City. That's why we have made significant network investments in the borough of Brooklyn and are currently upgrading our wireless voice and data service."

This year's Brooklyn Book Festival will again feature outdoor stages in Borough Hall Plaza as well as venues inside historic Borough Hall, St. Francis College and the Brooklyn Historical Society. Programming will include panels and readings on an outdoor main stage facing Borough Hall's historic marble steps. New this year will be an expanded children's area with authors, workshops, stroller parking and food, and the Festival will also feature special programming for teens and exhibitors that will include bookstores, publishers and literary organizations.

From September 15 - 18, "Bookend" events will be held throughout the borough. Bookend sites confirmed to date include BAM, Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn Public Library, Bushwick Book Club, Center for Black Literature, Greenlight Bookstore, Invisible Dog Art Center and Third Ward, among others. Complete programming and events will be announced over the coming weeks.

The 2011 Brooklyn Book Festival is presented by Brooklyn Tourism and the Brooklyn Literary Council, initiatives of Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. Sponsors include Astoria Federal Savings, AT&T, Boar's Head Provisions, Brooklyn Community Foundation, Citi, NYC & Company Foundation, NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge (official hotel), The New York Times, St. Francis College, Target and Time Out New York/Time Out New York Kids.

Cultural and programming partners are BAM, Brooklyn Historical Society, Brooklyn Public Library, Cave Canem, The Center for Fiction, Housing Works Bookstore Café, The Nation, the National Book Foundation, The New York Review of Books, PEN American Center, Poetry Society of America and St. Francis College.