REEDPOP ANNOUNCES BOOKEXPO ADULT BOOK & AUTHOR BREAKFAST SPEAKERS FEATURING NATION’S TOP VOICES IN LITERATURE AND ENTERTAINMENT INCLUDING FIRST TIME APPEARANCE BY LEGENDARY AUTHOR STEPHEN KING, WITH HIS SON AND CO-AUTHOR OWEN KING
Stephen King to Be Joined By Son Owen King for Special Introduction of Event Featuring Comedian and Actress Whitney Cummings as Host and Astronaut Scott Kelly, Black-ish creator Kenya Barris and Best Sellers Jesmyn Ward and Claire Messud as Speakers
Norwalk, CT, February 7, 2017: One of the most sought-after events at ReedPOP’s BookExpo each year, the 2017 Adult Book & Author Breakfast is shaping up to be the forum’s most exciting yet with the first-ever BookExpo appearance by best-selling novelist Stephen King (Misery, 11/22/63, On Writing). Joined by Owen King, his son and co-author of the upcoming novel Sleeping Beauties, the pair will offer a special introduction to the breakfast, ‘Prologue by Stephen King & Owen King.’ Following their introduction, comedian and actress Whitney Cummings (Whitney, 2 Broke Girls co-creator) will take the BookExpo stage to host the event and discuss her upcoming memoir, I’m Fine… And Other Lies. She will be joined by Captain Scott Kelly (Endurance: My Year in Space, a Lifetime of Discovery), Kenya Barris (This is Basic Sh*t), Jesmyn Ward (Sing, Unburied, Sing) and Claire Messud (The Burning Girl: A Novel), all of whom will speak about their upcoming releases and the inspiration behind their writing.
Taking place Thursday, June 1, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York, the Adult Book & Author Breakfast is one of the many events at BookExpo highlighting the hundreds of authors who participate in the show. This year’s breakfast will bring together some of the industry’s leading voices in adult literature from a diverse group of backgrounds for an insightful and lively discussion. The event’s host, Whitney Cummings, is an acclaimed comedian and actress best known for starring in and creating the sitcom Whitney and co-creating the hit TV series 2 Broke Girls, which is currently airing its 6th season on CBS. She most recently starred in the stand-up comedy special I’m Your Girlfriend on HBO.
She will play host to some of the most anticipated authors of the day. Celebrated astronaut Scott Kelly, a veteran of four space flights and the world record holder for the number of consecutive days spent in space, will discuss his upcoming memoir, Endurance: My Year in Space, a Lifetime of Discovery. Kenya Barris, debuting his personal collection of humorous essays, This is Basic Sh*t, is a writer, producer and creator of numerous television series including ABC’s Black-ish, a sitcom that has been lauded for its ability to address some of today’s most controversial issues in an intelligent, thoughtful and humorous way. Sing, Unburied, Sing author Jesmyn Ward, the winner of the National Book Award and the Strauss Livings Award from the American Academy of Arts & Letters and associate professor of creative writing at Tulane University, has received much praise for her previous works, Salvage the Bones and Where the Line Bleeds. Claire Messud, an acclaimed novelist whose books include the best seller The Emperor’s Children (2006), will debut her latest work, The Burning Girl: A Novel. Her many honors include Guggenheim and Radcliffe Fellowships and the Strauss Living Award from the American Academy of Arts & Letters and she currently teaches fiction writing at Harvard University. Past breakfast speakers have included Faith Salie, Chelsea Handler, Sebastian Junger and Brandon Stanton.
A master of horror and suspense, Stephen King is the author of more than 50 books, most of them worldwide bestsellers. His son, Owen King, is following in his father’s footsteps as author of the novel Double Feature and We’re All in This Together: A Novella and Stories, and the co-author of the graphic novel Intro to Alien Invasion. Sleeping Beauties is the first father/son collaboration for the Kings.
This year’s breakfast will also feature an updated, more interactive format that will showcase more authors than ever before, giving the audience a unique experience to hear the speakers engage with one another and field questions from the audience. Thursday’s Adult Book & Author Breakfast will be followed by the highly-anticipated Children’s Book & Author Breakfast on Friday morning.
“Our Adult Book & Author Breakfast is always a highlight of the show, drawing over a thousand attendees interested in discovering new books and engaging with some of the most prominent authors in literature today. It will be a truly memorable morning,” said Brien McDonald, Event Director for BookExpo. “This event is just one of many at BookExpo this year that furthers our mission to use books as a unifying platform and a place where all voices can be heard. We are working to showcase throughout BookExpo a diverse range of authors who can each offer a unique perspective on both literature and the world around us.”
Full program information can be found below:
THURSDAY, JUNE 1
8:00AM – 9:30AM ADULT BOOK & AUTHOR BREAKFAST (Main Stage)
The Thursday morning breakfast will feature Scott Kelly author of Endurance: My Year in Space, a Lifetime of Discovery (Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House); Kenya Barris, author of This is Basic Sh*t (Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group); Jesmyn Ward, author of Sing, Unburied, Sing (Scribner); and Claire Messud, author of The Burning Girl: A Novel (W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.). Actress and Comedian Whitney Cummings, author of I’m Fine…And Other Lies (Putnam / Penguin Random House), will host. The breakfast will open with a Prologue from Stephen and Owen King, co-authors of Sleeping Beauties (Scribner).
BookExpo, North America’s largest gathering of book industry professionals from around the globe, and BookCon, the consumer extension of the show, combine to make the ultimate event destination for the publishing industry and booklovers worldwide. BookExpo is widely known as the leading business event for publishers, booksellers, librarians, digital content creators, traditional and self-published authors, media, bloggers, rights professionals and movie and television executives who attend to discover new voices, learn about trends shaping the book industry and network with those who have a passion for books and reading. BookCon is the ultimate fan event where storytelling and pop culture collide – offering fans unprecedented access to authors, publishers, celebrities and creators of content that influence everything we read, hear and see.
To register or for more information, please visit www.bookexpoamerica.com.
ABOUT BOOKEXPO
BookExpo is North America’s largest gathering of book trade professionals attracting an audience from around the globe. The event is designed to lead the global publishing industry to its consumer driven future and celebrate storytelling in all its forms. It’s the place where industry, authors and readers converge to define the direction of the publishing industry for years to come. BookExpo provides a focused professional environment to discover emerging authors and the next blockbuster titles, engage with the world’s most influential publishers and learn from industry leaders and peers. BookExpo is organized with the support of association partners including the Association of American Publishers (AAP), the American Booksellers Association (ABA) and the Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR).
ABOUT REEDPOP
ReedPOP is a boutique group within Reed Exhibitions exclusively devoted to organizing events, launching and acquiring new shows, and partnering with premium brands in the pop culture world. ReedPOP is dedicated to celebrations of popular culture throughout the globe that transcend ordinary events by providing unique access and dynamic personal experiences. The ReedPOP portfolio includes: New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) West, East, South and Australia, Emerald City Comicon (ECCC), BookCon, Oz Comic-Con, Comic Con India, Paris Comic Con, Star Wars Celebration, Star Trek: Mission New York, TwitchCon, ComplexCon, UFC Fan Expo and more. The staff at ReedPOP is a fan-based group of professionals uniquely qualified to serve those with whom they share a common passion. ReedPOP is focused on bringing its expertise and knowledge to world communities in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, India and Australia. (www.reedpop.com)
