McNally Jackson’s Bold Move: A Bookstore Festival Redefining Literary Engagement in NYC
A New Chapter for Literary Culture: McNally Jackson’s Festival Launch
new York City’s beloved McNally Jackson bookstore is shaking up the literary scene with the launch of a twice-yearly festival. Kicking off in Spring 2024, primarily at its Seaport location, the festival is designed to be more than just a series of book launches. The inaugural event, running from May 7 into June, centers on archives, historiography, and legacies.
The festival boasts a diverse program, including talks, a print zine, and a unique “phone-free” closing party at newly hip Irish pub T.J. Byrnes in the financial District, complete with a “secret lineup” and musical guest. The second festival, planned for later in the year, will delve into New York City history and civic life, promising a deep dive into the city’s cultural fabric.
This initiative signals a shift in how bookstores engage with their communities and promote intellectual discourse. Instead of solely focusing on new releases,mcnally Jackson aims to create a space for broader conversations involving diverse voices.
Sarah McNally’s Vision: Beyond the Book Launch
According to founder and owner Sarah McNally, the festival’s goal is to give people “more access to high-level intellectual conversations in the city” with a diverse group of experts including poets, fiction writers, memoirists, architects, academic historians and journalists.
This approach aims to transcend the traditional book launch, wich can often feel exclusive and limited in scope. By bringing together authors with experts from other fields, McNally Jackson hopes to foster richer, more interdisciplinary dialogues. For example, a discussion on Hilma af Klint will feature biographer Julia voss alongside Jodi Hauptman, a MoMA curator, demonstrating the festival’s commitment to cross-disciplinary engagement.
This innovative approach is a direct response to the limitations of the traditional publishing cycle. As Kate Dwyer, director of events, explains, “So often we hear about a book nonstop for two weeks, and then we never hear about it again. This is not a criticism,per se,but there is this sense in publishing that book media and literary events are sort of responsive to the publishing cycle,and we’re really interested in following the culture and taking more of an editorially independent direction.”
Spring Festival Highlights: A Glimpse into the Program
The spring lineup, curated in collaboration with the authors themselves, features a diverse range of discussions:
- Annie Rauwerda, the mind behind the Depths of Wikipedia, will engage in conversation with artist Michael Mandiberg and journalist Stephen Harrison.
- A critical discussion on criticism will feature New York Times critic Parul Sehgal and New York’s Andrea Long chu.
- Literary friendship will be explored by Lincoln Michel, Helen Phillips, Chloe Cooper Jones, and Kevin Nguyen.
Beyond Books: McNally Jackson’s Expanding Role in the Community
McNally Jackson is evolving beyond the traditional bookstore model.Along with book launches and reading groups, they offer writing classes, seminars on classic novels, and even a chess night with Pawn. They are also launching a running club, further solidifying their role as a community hub.
This innovative approach aligns with a broader trend in the bookselling industry, as illustrated by Sean Manning, the publisher who made blurbs optional and envisions Simon & Schuster as “an entertainment company with books at the center” – “the A24 of books, if you will.” McNally and Dwyer share this vision, aiming to “rethink the traditional mechanisms” of book promotion and create a more dynamic and engaging literary experience.
The festival is just one component of this larger strategy. mcnally Jackson plans to host various one-off events throughout the year, ensuring a continuous stream of engaging content beyond the typical new release cycle.
