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The Jersey City Book Fair

@bookfairjc

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The inaugural Jersey City Book Fair was on October 3rd, 2026
Produced by @marcpolite & @millicent_ansah24
STAY TUNED: NEXT BOOK FAIR 2027
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📚 ONE WEEK TO GO! 📚 The inaugural Jersey City Book Fair is ONE WEEK AWAY, and we are SO excited to announce the incredible lineup of vendors joining us! As part of the Jersey City Art & Studio Tour (JCAST), we’re proud to be part of a citywide celebration of art, creativity, and community. 🎨📚 📖 ADULT VENDORS Adaryll Moore • Ameerah Shabazz • Ana Bras • Charlotte Hammond • CC Publisher LLC — Carlos Cabrera • Dr. Sarah Webb • Eartha Watts Hicks • Ezekiel Springer • Harlem Writers Guild • Italian American Writers Association • James C. Ellerbe • Jersey City Writers • Kelvin Tirado • Luciana Fisher • Megha Sood • Noel Figuerio — The Anointed Pen • Richard Sand • Savage Writer • Stelton Distro • ESG Best Reads LLC 👧🏾 CHILDREN’S & FAMILY VENDORS Avalon Brown • Christine Limbach • Disha — Buddoo Books • Jersey City Free Public Library • Little Milestones • Small Discoverers •ESG Best Reads LLC • Zozo’s Creations And there’s even more happening throughout the day! 🎤 FEATURED POETRY: Simple N’ Clean (SNC), Ameerah Shabazz, James C. Ellerbe & Isabel Cruz 💬 ADULT AUTHOR PANEL: Every Book Has a Journey: From Inspiration to Publication 👧🏾 CHILDREN’S LITERATURE PANEL: Why Diverse Voices Matter in Children’s Literature: The Power of Representation, Imagination & Belonging 📚 PLUS: Story Hour with Ms. Sheena, Children’s Zone, face painting, community resources & more! 🤎 SUPPORTED BY Jersey City Arts Council • Office of Cultural Affairs • Shine A Light 📚 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH Jersey City Free Public Library & The Common Earth Company 📅 Saturday, October 3, 2026 ⏰ 12 PM–5 PM 📍 Mary McLeod Bethune Life Center 140 Martin Luther King Drive, Jersey City, NJ 07305 🎟️ FREE ADMISSION | 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 FAMILY-FRIENDLY Come meet authors, discover new books, hear poetry, bring the family, and celebrate books, literacy, storytelling, and community. ONE WEEK. WE’LL SEE YOU THERE! 📚🤎 taken in The Bethune Center of Jersey City by @bookfairjc
4
14 days ago
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📚✨ The countdown is on! The Jersey City Book Fair is just 3 months away, and we can't wait to share everything we've been working on. Over the coming weeks, we'll be announcing our headlining authors, featured performers, community partners, panel discussions, and so much more! Before we do, we wanted to share a little more about why co-founders Marc Polite and Millicent Ansah created the Jersey City Book Fair and the vision that inspired this community celebration of books, literacy, and storytelling. 👉🏾 Swipe to learn more. We're still looking for: 📖 Children's book authors 📚 Adult authors 🏛️ Independent bookstores 📝 Publishing companies 🤝 Literacy organizations 🙌 Volunteers ❤️ Sponsors & donations ✨ Community partners The Jersey City Book Fair is completely FREE for the community. Every vendor fee, donation, sponsorship, and partnership directly supports event logistics, programming, featured artists, children's activities, and the resources needed to create an accessible and meaningful literary experience for all. Together, we're building more than a book fair, we're cultivating a community where stories are celebrated, literacy is championed, lifelong learning is encouraged, and every reader belongs. 📚🖤 Interested in getting involved? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at bookfairjc@gmail.com. taken in The Bethune Center of Jersey City by @bookfairjc
7
2 months ago
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The Jersey City Book Fair was such a good vibe and lots of fun!! @bookfairjc I appreciate everyone I met and connected with, especially my fellow authors, volunteers, sponsors and founding organizers @millicent_ansah24 and @marcpolite Photos 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, and 15 courtesy of Expressions by MowZus All other photos by @sunbodyyy_ by @bookfairjc
6
2 days ago
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I’m still taking in everything that happened on Saturday through these beautiful photos by Expressions by MowZus, and before anything else, THANK YOU. ❤️ When Marc Polite and I began planning this inaugural event, our mission was to create a free, welcoming celebration of books, literacy, storytelling, and diverse literary voices. A space where authors, readers, families, educators, artists, and community members could come together and see themselves reflected in literature. And Jersey City showed up! 📚❤️ With 20+ vendors, featured poets, two incredible panels, Story Hour, children’s activities, face painting, community partners, volunteers, and so many attendees, the Bethune Center was filled with books, conversation, creativity, and community. A huge thank you to our panelists and featured performers: ✨ Adult Panelists: @drsarahlwebb, @meghasworld16, @savagewriter973, @cyngracesylvie & @earthatone ✨ Children’s Panel: Emmelyn Deline, Deborah Oriol, Christy Limbach & Disha Mathur ✨ Featured Poets: Simple N’ Clean (SNC), Ameerah Shabazz, & James C. Ellerbe Thank you to Ms. Sheena of the West Bergen Branch for bringing Story Hour to our youngest readers, and to the Bethune Center for being our home. Thank you to @_jcedc & @jerseycityrecreation for your generous swag bags donations. Greatly appreciate our supporters Office of Cultural Affairs, Shine A Light, JCAC & the Jersey City Arts & Culture Trust Fund, our partners West Bergen Branch Library & The Common Earth Company, and @rotaryjerseycity for your generous donation. Thank you @bethunecenter for the space & @jc_artandstudiotour for the support. To every volunteer, thank you for helping with setup, vendors, guests, breakdown, and everything in between! 🎥 Thank you to JPI Films for documenting the day. We can’t wait to see what you captured! And thank you to everyone who shared, attended, supported our authors and poets, brought your children, purchased books, or simply told a friend. And, thank you to my co-founder, Marc Polite. This was our first Jersey City Book Fair, but it is only the beginning. I’m so grateful you all helped bring this vision to life. ❤️📚 taken in The Bethune Center of Jersey City by @bookfairjc
8
3 days ago
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Had the pleasure of performing at the inaugural 2026 Jersey City Book Fair and also creating their staff shirts. Yes, I created them and they were my first clients! DM me if you need shirts made too. by @bookfairjc
3
5 days ago
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It was such a privilege to be a panelist at the inaugural Jersey City Book fair! Even better though, was meeting so many talented local authors, poets, and speakers. ✨ . Kudos to Millie and Marc! Can’t wait to see what’s in store next year. . #jcbookfair #jcast #kidlit by @bookfairjc
7
6 days ago
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Great job JC Bookfest and JCAST! Shout out to @mochamicwithmillie for this amazing event! by @bookfairjc
0
6 days ago
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Had an absolutely amazing time yesterday at the inaugural #jerseycitybookfair hosted by @marcpolite and @millicent_ansah24 at the Mary Bethune Center. Had an amazing discussion with my fabulous #adult #panelists about the inspiration behind our publishing journey.Had a fun time being a #vendor at the fair. Met so many of my Jersey community author friends and also made new ones. The book fair was a strong testament to diversity in Jersey City. Had a wonderful discussion with @solomonforjc JamesSolomon, who supported the fair through his presence. @official_iamsoulsearching_kids @marcpolite @millicent_ansah24 @rescuepoetix @cyngracesylvie @ameerah_shabazz @james.c.ellerbe @poets_with_purpose @drsarahlwebb @savagewriter973 @earthatone @ by @bookfairjc
8
7 days ago
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📚 TOMORROW IS THE DAY! The Jersey City Book Fair is almost here! ✨ We’re in the press! 📰 A huge thank you to Jersey City Times and reporter Andy Milone for highlighting the inaugural Jersey City Book Fair! The article shares our mission, introduces our talented adult and children’s panelists, and highlights our featured poetry performers. Check out the article through the link in our bio! Over the past 48 hours, we have felt so much love and support from our community. ❤️ Thank you to everyone who has reached out to volunteer, contributed in-kind donations, or made individual donations to help bring this event to life. Special thanks to @rotary_jerseycity and all our individual donors for showing up for Jersey City’s literary community. Your generosity means so much! We are grateful to be sponsored by the Office of Cultural Affairs and Shine A Light, supported by the Jersey City Arts Council (JCAC), and funded through the Jersey City Arts & Culture Trust Fund. Thank you to our community partners, Jersey City Free Public Library, The Common Earth Company, and Bethune Center, for helping make this possible. 📚 THE JERSEY CITY BOOK FAIR 🗓️ Saturday, October 3, 2026 ⏰ 12 PM–5 PM 📍 Bethune Center, 140 Martin Luther King Drive, Jersey City, NJ 07305 🎟️ FREE ADMISSION! Join us for over 20 adult vendors, a dedicated children’s and family area, featured poetry performances, adult and children’s author panels, story hour with Ms. Sheena of the Jersey City Free Public Library’s West Bergen Branch, children’s activities, face painting, and more! The Book Fair is part of the Jersey City Art & Studio Tour (JCAST). Event documentation will be provided by Expressions by MowZus and JPI Films. We are incredibly excited to welcome you tomorrow! Come discover new books, meet local authors, support independent creatives, and celebrate the stories that connect us. Bring your family, invite a friend, and help us make this first year a beautiful beginning for Jersey City’s literary community. 📖💛 taken in The Bethune Center of Jersey City by @bookfairjc
1
9 days ago
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📚🚨 THE JERSEY CITY BOOK FAIR BANNERS ARE UP! 🚨📚 We’re officially 11 DAYS AWAY from the inaugural Jersey City Book Fair, and you may have already spotted us around the city! 👀 We’ve put up Book Fair banners at different locations throughout Jersey City, but we’re not telling you where just yet… 👀 CAN YOU GUESS WHERE? Swipe through the banners and check out the clues after each one. Then drop your guesses in the comments! ⬇️ And if you happen to spot one of our banners while you’re out and about, take a picture, tag us, and let us know where you found it! 📸 📚 11 DAYS TO GO! Join us for an afternoon celebrating books, literacy, storytelling, and community featuring: 📖 Authors & booksellers 🎤 Poetry performances 💬 Adult & children’s panels 📚 Story Hour 🎨 Children’s programming 🧘🏾‍♀️ Wellness & yoga 🤎 Community organizations ✨ And more! 📅 Saturday, October 3, 2026 ⏰ 12 PM–5 PM 📍 Mary McLeod Bethune Life Center 140 Martin Luther King Drive, Jersey City, NJ 07305 🎟️ FREE ADMISSION 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 FAMILY-FRIENDLY 🤝 STILL WANT TO BE PART OF IT? Our vendor spots are officially CLOSED, but we’re still welcoming: 🙋🏾‍♀️ VOLUNTEERS- Help with setup, check-in, children’s programming, event support, and more. Community service hours are available. 💛 DONATIONS- Help us support the Book Fair and continue creating accessible literary and cultural programming in Jersey City. Interested in volunteering or making a donation? 📩 DM us or email bookfairjc@gmail.com 12 days. The banners are up. The Book Fair is coming! 📚🤎 Now tell us… CAN YOU GUESS WHERE? 👀 taken in The Bethune Center of Jersey City by @bookfairjc
2
19 days ago
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📚 THE JERSEY CITY BOOK FAIR IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE OUR 2026 CHILDREN’S LITERATURE PANEL! Marc Polite and Millicent Ansah are excited to welcome an incredible group of authors, educators, and community advocates for “Why Diverse Voices Matter in Children’s Literature: The Power of Representation, Imagination & Belonging.” Swipe to meet the Children’s Panelists joining us at the inaugural Jersey City Book Fair! ➡️ ✨ MEET THE PANELISTS: 🌟Disha Mathur 📍 Hoboken, NJ | Founder of Buddoo Books and author of Maya Loves the Sun, creating inclusive children’s books that spark connection, conversation, and curiosity. 📚 Emerlyn Deline-Johnson 📍 Jersey City, NJ | Multidisciplinary artist, author, public servant, and youth advocate passionate about creativity, literacy, children’s programming, and community. 📖 Deborah A. Oriol, “Ms. Debbie” 📍 Jersey City, NJ | West Bergen Branch Library Manager with 30+ years at JCFPL, dedicated to literacy, learning, community programming, and connecting people to books. @jclibrarynj ✨ Christy Limbach 📍 Jersey City, NJ | Children’s author of Asher the Dino: Mommy Goes to Work, attorney, and storyteller exploring feminism and equity through child-friendly storytelling. We’re excited to bring together voices that highlight the importance of representation, access, imagination, and belonging in children’s literature. 📅 Saturday, October 3, 2026 ⏰ 12 PM–5 PM 📍 Mary McLeod Bethune Life Center 140 Martin Luther King Drive, Jersey City, NJ 07305 🎟️ FREE ADMISSION Bring the family, discover new books, meet children’s authors, enjoy Story Hour, explore the Children’s Zone, and celebrate the power of stories to help children see themselves, learn about others, and explore the world around them. 📚🤎 taken in The Bethune Center of Jersey City by @bookfairjc
3
24 days ago
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📚 20 DAYS TO GO! | WHY BETHUNE? As we count down to the inaugural Jersey City Book Fair, we wanted to share a little more about why we chose the Mary McLeod Bethune Life Center as our home for this first chapter. For us, where an event happens matters. So does who has access to it. ✨ Quality arts and cultural programming should be accessible to everyone. 🏘️ Every neighborhood deserves opportunities to gather, learn, create, and connect. 📖 Communities deserve spaces where stories and diverse voices can be celebrated. 💛 And yes, everyone deserves access to spaces that inspire connection, creativity, and belonging. We’re proud to bring the Book Fair to Greenville and partner with a community space that welcomes residents and families. 👉🏾 SWIPE THROUGH to learn more about why this matters to us and why we chose Bethune. 📍 WHERE TO FIND THE BOOK FAIR Mary McLeod Bethune Life Center 140 Martin Luther King Drive Jersey City, NJ 07305 🚕 Journal Square: About 15 minutes by cab, Uber, or Lyft 🚌 Bus: 87 to MLK & Fulton — right across from the Center 🚊 Light Rail: MLK Drive + approximately 15-minute walk 🎟️ FREE & Family-Friendly 📅 Saturday, October 3, 2026 ⏰ 12–5 PM Come explore books, meet authors, hear poetry, bring the family, and spend an afternoon celebrating literature and community. 📚🤎 20 days. We’re counting down! taken in The Bethune Center of Jersey City by @bookfairjc
2
a month ago
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