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For the first time in six years, BookCon is back. To celebrate the book industry and its fans, BookCon returns to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on April 18 and 19. The two-day convention is packed with panels, author signings, and a strong showcase, and Mashable will be on the floor at the event, covering all the must-see moments.
The event follows a big book year. Hot Competitionbased on Rachel Reid’s best-selling series, Everybody’s Went to the Toilet, and the film adaptation by Andy Weir. Project Hail Mary he took us to space. BookTok is one of the loudest and most powerful spaces on the internet, literally reviving bookselling in the modern age. Now BookCon can be an IRL space for book fans to celebrate their love.
“It’s been a dream for our team to bring back BookCon, and we’re thrilled with how the book community has come together to help us create this wonderful program full of diverse voices, genres, and ideas,” said Jenny Martin, BookCon’s Director of Events.
Before the event, there was a lot of talk, so before the big weekend, here’s everything you need to know about BookCon.
Where and where is BookCon?
BookCon takes place on Saturday, April 18, and Sunday, April 19. It will be held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.
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How to go to BookCon?
BookCon is a ticketed event, but unfortunately it’s sold out. Tickets are going fast, BookCon posted on Dec 3rd. 2025, that the event is officially sold out.
Which authors will be at BookCon?
BookCon’s lineup includes tons of people’s favorite authors, with panels and signings all weekend long. Rachel Reid (Hot Competition) will be there hosting the show alongside EP TV host, Jacob Tierney. Writers of queer adaptations including Andy Weir (Project Hail Mary, The Martian), Emily St. John Mandel (Channel eleven), May Cobb (Hunting Wives), Robinne Lee (An Idea About You), and Casey McQuiston (Red, White, and Royal Blue) will be there. Celebrating 15 years Being differentVeronica Roth will be there. Other authors attending BookCon include Jasmine Guillory, Leigh Bardugo, and RF Kuang. A complete list of attendees can be found on the BookCon website.
What’s the fuss about BookCon?
While there is a lot of excitement surrounding BookCon, the return of the event has caused quite a stir on the internet. Tickets sold out quickly, leading to some disappointment for fans hoping to attend – but even fans who did attend shared their concerns.
Author signings and other panelists require ticket holder reservations. When reservations went live, attendees had spreadsheets of all the events they wanted to attend and waited patiently in an online queue to register. Unfortunately, even after waiting for an hour, some ticket holders could not secure any booking. There’s now an active community on the BookCon trade booking subreddit hoping to score points they missed the first time around.
Another controversy surrounding the event arose when writers and fans questioned BookCon’s association with ICE. ReedPop, which hosts many conventions including BookCon, is owned by parent company Relx. One of Relx’s subsidiaries is LexisNexis, which has a multi-billion dollar contract with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Several authors, including Rebecca Thorne and Sabaa Tahir, expressed the connection, with Tahir not attending BookCon.
ReedPop has since released a statement to clarify: “We at ReedPop do not sell customer information to the US Department of Homeland Security and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ReedPop/RX operates completely independently and independently. None of our data is shared for marketing or use by any other entity within our parent company.”
Where can I follow what’s happening at BookCon?
We’ll be down at BookCon, so be sure to check back on Mashable.com and follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and X.
