The 10th annual Brooklyn Bookstore Crawl returns April 19-26, inviting bookworms on a literary journey through as many as 26 independent bookstores across the borough.
Inspired by similar bookstore-led events in cities like Seattle and Washington, D.C., the crawl celebrates Brooklyn’s literary spirit and cultural diversity. Participants can pick up a “Bookstore Crawl Passport” at any of the participating indie shops and collect stamps or signatures as they visit throughout the week. Customers who stop by at least five stores will receive a 25% off coupon valid at any participating location.
The 2025 Brooklyn Bookstore Crawl features a mix of longtime neighborhood staples and recently opened shops, each offering a unique experience for readers and adding to the borough’s rich literary landscape.
Jessica Stockton Bagnulo, owner of Greenlight Bookstore and a Bookstore Crawl organizer, said she hopes the event helps participants discover new stores, genres and neighborhoods.
“Brooklyn has a truly incredible diversity of bookstores, and they all need the support of the readers who value them,” Stockton-Bagnulo said in a statement. “The families and friend groups having fun trekking across the borough during this week in April are also making it possible for Brooklyn’s literary culture to thrive for years to come.”
The seven-day event culminates April 27 with the 12th annual Independent Bookstore Day, a nationwide celebration of independent bookstores. Festivities at each location include exclusive merchandise, giveaways, activities and more.
This year, the Center for Fiction in Downtown Brooklyn will host the Bookstore Crawl Afterparty on April 27 from 5 to 7 p.m. The event invites literary enthusiasts to mingle with fellow book lovers, enjoy music and refreshments, and win prizes, including bookstore swag.
Some longtime participants, including Cafe con Libros, return to this year’s lineup, alongside new additions like 826NYC & The Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co., Hive Mind Books, Liz’s Book Bar and The Nonbinarian Bookstore.
The Nonbinarian Bookstore, an expansion of the Nonbinarian Book Bike, is a trans+ led, volunteer-powered queer bookstore and community space.
This year’s Independent Bookstore Day ambassador, poet Amanda Gorman, called independent bookstores “vital parts of our communities and bastions of literature.”
Gorman, the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate, recited her poem “The Hill We Climb” at the 2021 inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
“We must work together to support local booksellers everywhere so that they can continue to thrive and champion books on a local level with the personal touch and human connection that we all need, now more than ever,” she said.
For a list of participating stores and more information, visit brooklynbookstorecrawl.com.
