Inspired by the success of Chicago Reads, the popular promotional event that designates a single book to be read and discussed citywide, this year's BookExpo America will launch a similar program tentatively titled One Book, One New York with Native Speaker by Chang-Rae Lee (Riverhead Books), a first novel about the Korean-American experience.
The book was chosen by a committee made up of 21 publishing, bookselling and library professionals, including Carl Lennertz of the American Booksellers Association; Marsha Spyros of the New York Public Library; and Daisy Maryles of Publishers Weekly. BookExpo officials were on the committee, but did not vote on titles. The Color of Water by James McBride was the runner-up. BEA will officially launch the program during the week of this year's convention May 1-5.
A broad coalition of businesses and organizations including PW, Library Journal, the New York Times, New York Is Book Country and the New York Public Library have agreed to publicize the event and to organize and support a variety of activities around One Book, One New York. For more information, contact Tina Jordan, director of special events for BookExpo America, at (203) 840-5384.
