ReedPOP will relaunch BookCon, its consumer book show, in 2026, according to USA Today. The event was retired, along with Book Expo, the trade portion of the show, in 2020 (see "BookCon Retired"). BookCon was added to Book Expo in 2014 (see "ReedPOP Tries Book Fandom"), and now will be a stand-alone consumer event with signings, author talks, panels, workshops, and other book-focused activities.
The first of the re-imagined BookCon events will be a two-day weekend show at the Javits Center on April 18 and 19, 2026.
Even before the Covid pandemic led to the cancellation of ReedPOP's book events in the early 2020s, the convention organizer was already looking at ways to rebuild the show. The trade portion had declined in importance due to the rise of chains and dominance of Amazon, and the consumer portion had gotten a good response during the years it ran as an adjunct event. "The COVID-19 pandemic arrived at a time in the life cycle of BookExpo where we were already examining restructuring our events to best meet our community's needs," ReedPop Event Director Jenny Martin said in a message to attendees posted on social media in conjunction with the 2020 announcement.

In 2026
Posted by Milton Griepp on June 19, 2025 @ 3:37 am CT

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