After last year’s successful return from a pandemic-induced hiatus, the Brooklyn Bookstore Crawl is returning bigger than ever in 2023.
The weeklong crawl from April 22 through April 29 will include 25 bookstores across the borough, from Archestratus in Greenpoint to The Bookmark Shoppe in Bay Ridge. A full list of participating bookstores is available online.
During the week, readers can pick up a passport from any of the participating bookstores, and after collecting five stamps from different stores, can receive a 25 percent off coupon to use at any of the shops. Each stamp also counts as one raffle ticket for a range of literary prizes at the crawl’s afterparty. The latter will take place on Independent Bookstore Day, April 29, at The Center for Fiction in Fort Greene.
Books Are Magic in Brooklyn Heights. Photo by Susan De Vries
On April 29, The Center for Fiction will hold an open house from noon to 5 pm ahead of the 5 pm afterparty, offering visitors access to the members-only second floor that includes a members’ lounge and reading room, fiction library, writers’ studio, and terrace. Guided tours will also be available, and the Haitian Cultural Exchange will host a Haitian Literary Series at the center the same day.
The Brooklyn Bookstore Crawl was conceived by Greenlight Bookstore’s Jessica Stockton-Bagnulo as a way to unite the Brooklyn literary community and celebrate “the vibrant bookstore culture of the borough that’s heralded worldwide as a premier bookish destination,” according to a press release about the event .
“Hundreds of people participated in the 2022 Crawl, showing their appreciation for beloved stalwarts and hidden gems alike, with bookstores reporting their largest day of sales for the year,” the statement said.
Stockton-Bagnulo recently announced she would be closing the second location of Greenlight Bookstore to secure the original location’s longevity.
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