It was lit.
Thousands of bookworms flocked Downtown to meet their favorite authors, find their future favorite reads, and join in literary discussions at the Brooklyn Book Festival on Sept. 18, and attendees say they were impressed with just how much the publisher-palooza packed into one space on one day.
“It was really great,” said Bushwick resident Bri Aab, who attended the festival for the first time this year. “It had a really huge amount of publishers, and it was pretty exciting to see them in one spot.”
The festival boasted dozens of vendors flogging books and related merchandise at stalls around Borough Hall and Cadman plazas, while hundreds of authors spread out amongst stages nearby to deliver free talks and readings .
The writers say the fest is just as thrilling for them as the audience members, and is a great way to mix and mingle with peers and readers.
“It was magical,” said MariNaomi, who came from Los Angeles to promote her graphic novel “Turning Japanese” — which is about her experiences working in underground hostess bars here and in Japan — and appeared on a panel about taboo relationships in print. “It was super fun to see people on the panels and meet other authors and fans.”
She was especially excited to meet renowned author Salman Rushdie, and said she wasn’t above fan-ning out and asking for a photo.
“I have no shame and asked him to take a selfie with me,” she said.
