Books in NYC are in the city’s libraries and a few wonderful book stores. New Yorkers seem to read more than people in other cities. The classic New York apartment has a wall of books (or two).
Literature has a special place in Latin culture. It’s not uncommon for Latin Americans to be able to recite poetry by heart. “Don Quixote” (1605) was the beginning of modern literature. It was the first time a literary character knew he was being written about.
Today spoken word is popular in Latin communities. It’s rap without music. Spoken word traditions go back to West African griots (court storytellers) and European troubadours. The troubadour tradition is still strong in Puerto Rico.
NYC Books News
First Black Pulitzer Prize-Winner
Gwendolyn Brooks : A Poet’s Work in Community, examines the first Black Pulitzer Prize winner’s work as a model for building community in America today, at the Morgan Library in Murray Hill, Jan 28 – Jun 5, 2022. themorgan.org 🇺🇸
NYC Libraries
City Libraries
- New York Public Library
- Brooklyn Public Library
- Queens Public Library
Latin Libraries
- Belmont Library and Enrico Fermi Cultural Center 🇮🇹
- FIAF Haskell Library fiaf.org 🇫🇷
- Hispanic Society 🇪🇸
- Jorge Luis Borges Library at Instituto Cervantes 🇪🇸
- Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture 🇵🇷
Happy Birthday Mario Vargas Llosa!
Monday, March 28, 2022 🇵🇪🇪🇸
Celebrate World Poetry Day!
Monday, March 21, 2022 📚
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star: Frédéric Zaavy
February 26, 2021 🇫🇷🎨📚 Photographers John Bigelow Taylor and Dianne Dubler on their newest art book “Stardust: The Work and Life of Jeweler Extraordinaire: Frédéric Zaavy”
Continue Reading Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star: Frédéric Zaavy
NYC Books Calendar
February NYC Books
Jazz Poet
Langston Hughes, the Harlem Renaissance Jazz poet, was born in Joplin, Missouri on Feb 1, 1901. 🇺🇸
Our American Self Concept
Frederick Douglass, the writer, speaker and statesman perhaps most responsible for our American self-concept, celebrated his birthday on Feb 14. 🇺🇸
Previously
Joel Perez: Playing With Myself brings Puerto Rican LGBTQ+ stand-up comedy to Joe’s Pub in NoHo, Manhattan on Mon, Jan 31 at 9:30pm. $15. 🇵🇷🏳️🌈
2021
Italian comic Sebastian Maniscalco brings his “Nobody Does This Tour” to Barclays Center in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn on Wed, Dec 29 at 7pm. From $65. 🇮🇹
Italian American comic Sebastian Maniscalco brings his “Nobody Does This Tour” to Madison Square Garden in Chelsea on Tue, Dec 28 at 7pm. From $76. 🇮🇹
Venezuelan comic Led Varela brings his “Orgullo Nacional” standup tour to the Broadway Comedy Club in Hell’s Kitchen on Thu, Dec 3 at 8:30pm. $35. broadwaycomedyclub.com 🇻🇪
PALABREANDO
Yaissa Jimenez joins hosts BocaFloja and Lyrical Bliss for a spoken word, storytelling open mic on Facebook Live @BxMusic on Thu, Sep 26 at 7pm. FREE. Signup at emartinez@whedco.org
Argentine comic Luciano Mellera plays the Broadway Comedy Club in Hell’s Kitchen on Sun, Sep 26 at 10pm. From $30 🇦🇷
The New Yorker Festival is live and virtual October 4-10, 2021.
New York Comic Con is at Javits Center in Hudson Yards, Thu-Sun, Oct 7-10, 2021. $60
Literary Festivals
- January is the Schomburg Center’s Black Comic Book Festival (January 13-16, 2021)
- May is the PEN World Voices Festival (May 18-22, 2021)
- June is the Schomburg Center Literary Festival (June 14-19, 2021)
- July-August is Lincoln Center Out of Doors and the La Casita word festival (July 24 – August 11, 2019)
- September is usually the New York Art Book Fair (February 24-28, 2021)
- October is the New Yorker Festival (October 4-10, 2021)
PEN World Voices Festival 2021 Brings Power to the People
📚🎪
PEN.ORG
Tuesday-Saturday, May 18-22, 2021
🇺🇸🇨🇲🇵🇷🇻🇳
Continue Reading PEN World Voices Festival 2021 Brings Power to the People
Kids of All Ages Love the Schomburg Center’s Black Comic Book Festival 2021
nypl.org/blackcomicbookfestival 📚🎪 Wednesday- Saturday, January 13-16, 2021. FREE
Continue Reading Kids of All Ages Love the Schomburg Center’s Black Comic Book Festival 2021
Black Comic Book Festival 2020
Friday-Saturday, January 17-18, 2020
SCHOMBURG CENTER
Harlem, NYC
Lincoln Center Out of Doors 2019
Wednesday-Sunday, July 24 – August 11, 2019
LINCOLN CENTER & CONCOURSE, THE BRONX ~ Lincoln Center’s summer festival includes African, Cuban, Dominican, Honduran, Indigenous, Jewish, Mexican, Peruvian, Puerto Rican, & Spanish music, dance, film and word for FREE
PEN World Voices Festival 2019
May 6-14 & 19, 2019 | International literary festival | The world’s writers and thinkers gather in New York City to talk and read and perform
New Yorker Festival 2018
October 5 – 7, 2018
Friday – Sunday
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African, French, Italian & Mexican thinkers
NY Art Book Fair 2018 ~ the world of books
FAIR (FREE)
Friday – Sunday
September 21 – 23, 2018
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TICKETED PREVIEW
Thursday, September 20, 2018
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MoMA PS1
Long Island City, Queens
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Argentine, Brazilian, Chilean, French, Jewish, Mexican, Portuguese and Puerto Rican books.
La Casita Sings the Poetry and Music of Our Communities
LINCOLN CENTER & PREGONES THEATER, Sat-Sun, Aug 4-5, 2018 ~ La Casita gives voice to the poetry and music of our communities
Continue Reading La Casita Sings the Poetry and Music of Our Communities
Literary New York City
- The Nuyorican Poets Cafe hosts Latin American thinkers 🇵🇷
- The Bowery Poetry Club hosts all kinds of thinkers.
- The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem was founded by Harlem Renaissance Man, Arturo Alfonso Schomburg. 🇵🇷
- The Brazilian Endowment for the Arts in Midtown East is NYC’s biggest Portuguese-language library. 🇧🇷🇵🇹
- The Instituto Cervantes Borges Library in Midtown East is NYC’s biggest Spanish-language library. 🇪🇸
- The Italian Cultural Institute in the Upper East Side is one of NYC’s biggest Italian libraries. 🇮🇹
- The FIAF Haskell Library in the Upper East Side is NYC’s biggest French-language library. 🇫🇷
Instituto Cervantes
MIDTOWN EAST, NYC
Spanish government language school and cultural center has NYC’s largest Spanish-language library and hosts talks, exhibitions, screenings and performances
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¡New York Latin Culture Sponsor!
King Juan Carlos Center
GREENWICH VILLAGE, NYC
Study the histories, politics and cultures of the Spanish-speaking world at King Juan Carlos Center at New York University
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¡New York Latin Culture Sponsor!
Latin Authors
Happy Birthday Mario Vargas Llosa!
Monday, March 28, 2022 🇵🇪🇪🇸
Remember Langston Hughes, Harlem Renaissance Man!
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
🇺🇸
Continue Reading Remember Langston Hughes, Harlem Renaissance Man!
Renowned poet Rina Soldevilla to read at Peruvian-American Association
A master of enchanting stories set in the Inca heartland.
Peruvian-American Association
Midtown East, Manhattan
Thursday, April 12, 2018
Continue Reading Renowned poet Rina Soldevilla to read at Peruvian-American Association
Laurie Hernandez is a star Gymnast, dancer, author and beyond
National Puerto Rican Day Parade 2017 Athlete of the Year
Continue Reading Laurie Hernandez is a star Gymnast, dancer, author and beyond
Latin Books
National Puerto Rican Artisans Fair & Book Expo 2021 is at Hostos College
Saturday, November 20, 2021
HOSTOS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Mott Haven, The Bronx
🇵🇷
Continue Reading National Puerto Rican Artisans Fair & Book Expo 2021 is at Hostos College
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star: Frédéric Zaavy
February 26, 2021 🇫🇷🎨📚 Photographers John Bigelow Taylor and Dianne Dubler on their newest art book “Stardust: The Work and Life of Jeweler Extraordinaire: Frédéric Zaavy”
Continue Reading Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star: Frédéric Zaavy
Aldo Sessa, Argentine Photographer of Gauchos and Ports
April 11-26, 2018
THROCKMORTON FINE ART
ARGENTINE CONSULATE NYC
Midtown, NYC
Continue Reading Aldo Sessa, Argentine Photographer of Gauchos and Ports
Ferdinand
OPENED December 15, 2017
CLOSED January 18, 2018
Arte de La Borinqueña is an exhibition about the Puerto Rican superhero
Oct 4, 2017-Jan 6, 2018
HUNTS POINT, The Bronx ~ The art of the first Puerto Rican superhero at Casita Maria Gallery
Continue Reading Arte de La Borinqueña is an exhibition about the Puerto Rican superhero
Pati Jinich “Mexican Today”
“Mexican Today” is the latest book by the Mexican chef, cookbook author, and host of the national PBS series Pati’s Mexican Table
Luis Negron ‘Mundo Cruel’
December 7, 2012 ~ The hit first book by Puerto Rican author Luis Negrón about loneliness and the crazy things it drives us to do, is one of those books you can’t put down.
Persona Normal
The Mexico Now Festival opens with Benito Taibo presenting his first book “Persona Normal” at King Juan Carlos Center (NYU), Tue Nov 13, 2012, 7pm (more…)