I don’t know about you, but my year is more often than not signposted by the cons we have in Australia – which really isn’t all that much, unfortunately. To me, cons are a time to meet other 'geeks', see fabulous guests and to leave real life at the door. Everyone needs at least a couple of days during the year like that I think.
BookExpo America (or BEA as it’s commonly known) is the largest annual book fair in the US and this year, it falls in May. It runs over three days and authors, publishers and the media come together. BEA started in 1971 and it’s done the rounds in all the major cities in the US – Washington, Chicago, LA and now New York. Every year, the last day of the Expo is devoted to readers. Usually called Power Reader Day, this year the last day of the Expo has been named: BookCon
Organisers, ReedPop, who are responsible for events like New York ComicCon are determined that BookCon appeal to the younger more pop culture orientated 20-35 consumer age group. And that’s what May 31 is – a consumer day.
ReedPop describes BookCon as a “one-of-a-kind interactive consumer experience were books and pop culture collide.” And the guest list certainly bears that out. Along with authors, there’ll be a panel with Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) and Martin Short (I must say: My life as a humble comedy legend), both Harper Collins authors.
It’s ambitious, but already running into its fair share of controversy, namely the lack of diversity in one of the major panels scheduled: Blockbuster Reads: Meet the kid’s authors that dazzle.
Daniel Handler (Lemony Snicket), Jeff Kinney (Diary of a Wimpy Kid), James Patterson (Middle School series) and Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson) are scheduled to appear on the panel, and while they are definitely a power-packed panel, they’re hardly representative. Diversity, says Andrew Karre (editorial director of Lerner Publishing Group), is a growing concern in contemporary children’s literature. In the US, the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin released a report regarding this: of the 3,200 children’s books published in the US in 2013, only 93 featured black people; 34 books featured Native Americans, 69 Asians, and 57 Latinos. 50% of children in the US identify as non-white.
BookCon has promised to listen to consumer’s concerns, but new authors have yet to be announced.