|  The
Quarterly Black Review of Books celebrated its fifth annual
book fair. And based on its turnout, you’ll want to
go to the next one. The book fair took place at 135TH and
Fredrick Douglas, on a beautiful summer afternoon. Eighteen
to twenty thousand standees from last year, increased to
a whopping thirty thousand this year. The 100 vendors from
last year doubled this year. This all goes to show that
book fair fever is catching on in Harlem.
Pittershawn Palmer, a new employee at the Quarterly Black
Review of Books, and one of the organizers of this event
gave some insight on her thoughts about the book-fair. Pittershawn
Palmer is a book lover herself, reading across all genres.
She thinks it is a “wonderful thing,” and spectators
at the event “thought the authors were wonderful.’
As explained by Miss Palmer, the goal of the book fair is
to get more books in the hands of African Americans. It
should also create more readers,  and
it gives artists, and authors a chance to display their
work.
One interesting writer at the book fair was Nikiel N. Hannah.
He is the author of “Concrete Eyes Don’t Blink”
and “When All Else fails We Cry.” He heard about
the book fair through word of mouth, and first attended
three or four years ago. Mr. Hannah feels “it has
grown a lot” and has especially noticed a lot more
self-publishers. This is very significant because, as he
pointed out, publishers are “set in their ways.”
They are not often willing to take a chance on new and struggling
authors. Twenty-seven year old Nikiel Hannah’s only
regret about his career is not starting when he was younger.
His dream is to see his books on the big screen.
The sponsors who helped these goals be accomplished were
Random House, Sony, AOL Time Warner book group, Bet Books,
WNYC radio, C-Span, HarperCollins St. Martin’s Press,
Black Expression, New York Times, AT&T, Nickelodeon,
Penguin Group, New York Life, Crispy Creams, Perseus Book
Group, Black Renaissance, and Just Us Book Group. The official
bookseller was Nubian heritage.
Along with accomplishing its goals, the book fair in Harlem
has also spawned other book fairs across the country. The
QBR has received interest in putting on a book fair in Freeport,
Long Island on September 19th and 20th. . Still in the planning
stages are book-fairs in San Diego, and Chicago. These developments
have not yet been put on the website. For future information,
or information about the Quarterly book review, visit their
website at www.Qbr.com. ppalmer@qbr.com
|
