The Bronx is Reading, a literacy program founded by writer Saraceia J. Fennell, hosted their annual Bronx Book Festival at Andrew Freedman Home.
Hundreds of people lined up outside of the historical landmark early to gain admission to the festival which ended in the evening.
Saraceia J. Fennell founded the Bronx Book Festival with the purpose of connecting Bronxites of all ages and backgrounds to reading, educational resources, and learning about and supporting Black and Brown authors.
The lineup included keynote speakers: Kennedy Ryan, Tiffany D. Jackson, S.A. Cosby and Maiya the Don.
There were panel conversations and book talks for children with several authors, whose books were for sale inside Andrew Freedman Home.
It is the largest literary event in the Boogie Down Bronx.
“Reading is super important, not just for fun, but it’s how we raise up people who are well informed to make well-informed decisions. And so books should be at the centerpiece of our community,” Fennell said.
Fennell told the Bronx Times that people shouldn’t have to leave their environment to experience events like the book festival.
“There are people from the Boogie Down Bronx who travel two hours to go to programming in Brooklyn. That is absolutely unacceptable,” Fennell said. “I will say that we are starved of culture and community and that is by design.”
Fennell explained that participants from past festivals and programming expressed a desire for weekly events like the Bronx Book Festival, and she wishes that it could be a weekly occasion.
The Bronx Book Festival team ensures that they have programming that reflects every single genre for every single age range.
“[People] buy a lot of books here, because there aren’t a lot of bookstores in the Bronx.” Fennell added. “So, when I say the reason why I do this is because I have power and privilege – the little bit that I have – and that is to host events like this to be the change in the community that I want to see.”
Next year’s festival will be their “big one,” referring to their 10th anniversary, so she’s “going big or going home.”
Marley Dias, author, activist, and founder of the 1000BlackGirlBooks campaign, read an excerpt from her newest book “I Am the Dream Come True.”
Her parents, Dr. Janice Johnson Dias and Scott Dias, collaborated with her on the book.
During the story corner, Dias emphasized the book’s message of self love, strength and the importance of family and legacy.
“We wanted to write a love letter to immigrants, to migrants and to families. We are each of somebody else’s prayers and protection, and we need to experience things that our other generations before us haven’t,” Dias said.
“I speak up for the silenced ones. The unseen. The unsung. Giving love back and taking hope forward. Holding their promise close. Sharing their stories and our song. This is our unshakeable strength,” Dias said while reciting a chapter in her book.
The illustrations in the book were inspired by real-life pictures of Dias’ family.
“[We’re] making sure that kids understand that the adults of their lives are whom they can volunteer for that inspiration and for that community,” Dias said.
Maria Ferrer, a board member for the Latinx in Publishing group, attended the festival on behalf of the organization to promote their mission of increasing the number of Latino authors in the publishing industry.
“The Bronx especially is a very diverse borough. We have a big Latino community, so it’s important for us to be present at these types of events to show people that there are opportunities,” Ferrer said.
“We try to promote those voices, make sure people hear those voices, and make sure people buy those voices,” Ferrer said. “This is where our community is, so we need to be here to show people that there are people doing their part, helping to promote them, and we are part of their support group.”
Latinx in Publishing offers a mentorship program, writership program, and sends out a monthly newsletter with new books and new opportunities at different publishing houses.
Lampblack is a volunteer-based organization focused on the advancement of Black literature through direct aid and provides monetary relief for Black writers.
Zack Graham, a writer, fiction editor and filmmaker, said that having access to literature is important for a person’s life.
“The Bronx is one of the most underserved in the five boroughs, and the more access that anyone has to literature, to the written word, I think the better their life will be… the more open their mind can be to new cultures, to new ideas, and the act of creation itself,” Graham said.
“You’re a reader before you’re a writer, so the more young people read, the more young people will write,” Graham added.
Graham told the Bronx Times that Lampblack feels lucky and happy to be a part of the festival, because the Bronx is an incredible place filled with rich history and literary history.
Lauriane Ngayafonkou learned about the book festival from Eventbrite and also saw it on TikTok last year, and wanted to experience it for herself.
“I love seeing a lot of people of color celebrating reading,” Ngayafonkou said. She feels like the Bronx lacks events that foster literacy compared to other boroughs.
I feel like literacy for young people and for adults continuing to read for fun is really important,” Ngayafonkou said.
One of the popular attractions at the festival was Alex’s Bookstore, a wife and husband led mobile bookstore. They were nearly sold out by the end of the event.
Alex Bracy met Saraceia J. Fennell at BookCon, and learned about the Bronx Book Festival and wanted to be part of it.
Bracy said that inclusion and representation are very important to them.
“I started the bookstore because there were no stories with women who look like myself and that was really big for me,” Bracy said. “We don’t have children but one day we will, and I told [Rich Bracy] how crazy it is that our children will only see that they’re celebrated in February when we’re Black all year round.”
Lumsden is originally from New York, but is visiting from Portland and extended her ticket when she learned about the festival.
“I’m a book lover and literacy is so important. Every opportunity to be in community with other book lovers or people who find the importance of advancing reading – I want to be a part of it,” Lumsden said.
She decided to make the festival part of “auntie-niece hangout” to immerse Zoe in the world of books so she can continue growing a love for books.
Lumsden remembers when the Bronx’s only bookstore closed down in 2016, and she had to travel long distances to find literary hubs.
“We need these things in the Bronx, so that it’s just a stone’s throw, a walk up the block [so] people have something that they can be a part of, especially for kids,” Lumsden said.
Reach Keke Grant-Floyd at kekegfreports@gmail.com. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
