As New York City's largest free literary festivalthis annual celebration brings together hundreds of spectacular writers from across the globe for more than a week of talks and shopping to satisfy the borough's brainiacs. The festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

Activities run September 14-22 with writers in a variety of genres: international and localfor adult and young readersworking in fiction and nonfictionpoetryproseand graphic storytelling. Events are freebut you’ll definitely want to bring some money to buy some new books to take home. 

While activities run for the entirety of the nine-day celebrationthe centerpiece festival day on Sunday, September 21takes place in the parks and plazas surrounding Downtown Brooklyn’s Borough Hall and other venues. Multiple stages will overflow with conversation as authors come together to converseread and sign books throughout the day. Featured authors include fan favorite Joyce Carol Oatespioneering graphic memoirist Alison BechdelNational Book Award winner Sigrid NunezNYT bestselling speculative fiction author Nnedi OkoraforPulitzer Prize-winning author Việt Thanh Nguyễn, Best of Brooklyn (BoBi) award honoree Marlon James, and other award-winning and emerging authors. Festival Day also stages the largest book market in the Northeast with more than 250 publishersoffering readers the possibility to discover new authorsindependent publishers and literary organizations.

Also don't miss the Virtual Festival Day (SundaySeptember 14) and Children’s Day (SaturdaySeptember 20). Plusbookend events will take place across the five boroughs and online.

Here's the full schedule.