Alicia Kort

Although always a city that has prided itself on its literary lineage—home to countless book launches, iconic bookstores and the kind of settings that feel made for both reading and being written about—New York City seems to be undergoing something of a literary revival in recent years. While headlines continue to sound alarms about a loneliness epidemic, New Yorkers are increasingly gathering in bars, cafés and bookstores to listen to authors and writers read aloud to crowds. These literary events, ranging from curated readings and book talks to public discussions and intimate dinners, are popping up all over the city. And it’s not just because Vogue recently declared reading “cool” again. Photograph: Shutterstock Take BookCon, for example. The annual fan convention has been on hiatus since 2020 but just returned to New York City earlier this month after selling out of tickets four months in advance. The event drew 25,000 attendees over the course of two days, with lines stretching around the corner. On a global level, according to a 2024 report by the Berkeley Economic Review, BookTok has also pushed book sales up by 21 percent. It is no surprise, then, that these newly voracious readers actually want to get together to discuss the books that have been enthralling them. “There’s a thirst for community, particularly among younger crowds in their 20s and early 30s, whose social lives were likely impacted by the shift from in-person to virtual learning and work from home req