Saturday Schedule

Saturday’s Gold Coast Book Fair events take place on the campus of LIU Post in Brookville, in Hillwood Commons and the Humanities Building, and on the Great Lawn. 

Seating at events is first come, first serve. All events are free to attend. All book signings take place immediately after the session, right outside of the event room. A map of the Fair locations will be available soon. Parking is free and ample.

Friday, June 28, 2024

Erik Larson in Conversation with Congressman Steve Israel

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Location: Krasnoff Theater, LIU Post

Historian Erik Larson’s new book, Demon of Unrest, has been #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Join him for an in-depth conversation about the book. Tickets are required and include a signed copy of Demon of Unrest. Read More

Saturday, June 29, 2024

Alice McDermott in Conversation with Susan Isaacs

10:30 am – 11:15 am
Location: Krasnoff Theater, Hillwood Commons

Award-winning author and Pulitzer Prize finalist Alice McDermott makes a special visit to Long Island to discuss her critically acclaimed new novel, Absolution. Book Tickets and free seating tickets are available. Read More

Writing for Page & Screen:
A Novelist and Screenwriter On Craft

10:45 am – 11:30 am
Location: Gold Coast Cinema, Hillwood Commons

What’s it like to write for the page versus the screen? How does one approach storytelling for these different mediums? A conversation with screenwriter Shelby Renjifo. Read More

Storytime: Summer, Magic, and Celebration!

11:00 pm – 12:00 pm
Location: Kids Tent, Hillwood Commons Patio

Kids, gather round as three wonderful authors read us their books! Jackie Azúa Kramer and Jonah Kramer will read us their magical adventure, Manolo and the Unicorn. Valerie Bolling will read I See Color. Read More

Women Who Shaped the Presidency

11:00 am – 11:45 am
Location: Gold Coast Cinema, Hillwood Commons

An exploration the stories of women whose relationships, opinions, and influence shaped the events of American presidencies and, as a result, the course of the nation. Moderated by political commentator and strategist Margaret Hoover. Read More

Writing and Wellness Workshop
with Danielle Bertoli

11:00 am – 11:45 am
Location: Fishbowl, Hillwood Commons

This workshop with the author of Struck Inside Out will include light meditation, breath work, and practical writing prompts to encourage participants to “bloom” into their highest selves as we head toward summer. Read More.

The Wolves of K Street:
Corporate Influence in Washington

12:00 pm – 12:45 pm
Location: Krasnoff Theater, Hillwood Commons

A conversation with Pulitzer-Prize winning investigate journalist Brody Mullins about his explosive new book that dives into the complex true story of how corporate lobbyists overtook Washington and the ensuing backlash. Read More.

The Evolution of Long Island

12:00 pm – 12:45 pm
Location: Humanities Lecture Hall

Long Island historians Laurence Samuel and Bill Bleyer take a big picture look at the evolution of the Island and some of the key moments and events that have shaped its development. They cast an eye ahead to envision where Long Island may be headed. Read More.

Finding Yourself in the Funniest of Places

12:00 pm – 12:45 pm
Location: Fishbowl, Hillwood Commons

Patricia Park gives teen and tween readers the latest installment in the life of Jackie Oh, a Korean American teen who enters the competitive world of a TV cooking show, complete with showboating child actors, gimmicks, and “gotcha” challenges. Read More.

Looking for Love:
Why Romance is Hotter Than Ever

12:00 pm – 12:45 pm
Location: Humanities Lecture Hall

More readers than ever before are picking up romance novels as fast as they can be published. Successful romance writers Caridad Piñeiro, Blue Saffire, and Jeannie Moon share their journeys with the genre and tell us all about their hot new books. Read More.

Storytime: Seashells, Dreams, and Crescent Moons!

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Location: Kids Tent, Hillwood Commons Patio

Two special picture book authors are reading us their stories! Zainab Khan reads us her beautiful new picture book, Noura’s Crescent Moon. Laurie Smollett Kutscera reads us a perfect book for summertime, Maya’s Treasure. Read More.

Calling All Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators!

1:00 pm – 1:45 pm
Location: Fishbowl, Hillwood Commons

The Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators discusses how you can contribute to a more imaginative and inclusive world through the power of children’s literature. They’ll share resources and know-how that can support your creative endeavors to write and publish children’s books. Read More.

Candy Came From Out on the Island

1:15 pm – 2:00 pm
Location: Humanities Lecture Hall

Biographer Cynthia Carr discusses Warhol superstar Candy Darling and the electricity of 1960s and ’70s New York City. Darling grew up in Massapequa lonely and quiet and queer, enchanted by Hollywood starlets. She went on to inspire Lou Reed and the Rolling Stones, and become a fixture on the New York scene. Read More.

Finding Each Other: Novels About Mothers & Daughters

1:30 pm – 2:15 pm
Location: Gold Coast Cinema, Hillwood Commons

In fascinating new novels perfect for book clubs, contemporary writers Melissa Rivero and Caroline Leavitt portray versions of one of the most complex relationships known to humankind: the one between a mother and daughter. Read More.

Make a Book! Creative Workshop for Kids

2:00 pm – 2:45 pm
Location: Fishbowl, Hillwood Commons

Kids, join us for an interactive session with author and illustrator Esther Smith and Jane Sanders as they share their techniques and then show us how to write and draw our own stories! Read More.

Otherworldly Realms: Sci Fi, Horror, and Spaces In Between

2:30 pm – 3:15 pm
Location: Humanities Lecture Hall

Join us on the dark side as two of the best writers of otherworldly realms join us to discuss their new books and the imaginations that spawned them. Nat Cassidy brings us The Nestlings. Cassandra Khaw discusses The Dead Take the A Train. Read More.

Living Your Best Life: Tips From Top Performers

2:45 pm – 3:30 pm
Location: Gold Coast Cinema, Hillwood Commons

Two empowering leaders and entrepreneurs share their secrets for success and self-fulfillment. Darlene Williams, an award-winning personal and professional development consultant and coach, shares The Higher Level Method. Shikha Bajaj delivers profound insights in Own Your Color. Read More.

The Changing Landscape of Children’s Books: How to Keep Kids Reading

3:00 pm – 3:45 pm
Location: Fishbowl, Hillwood Commons

In times of great cultural change and social media tumult, what role do children’s books play in the lives of our children and families? How do we go about selecting the best books for each young reader and encourage a life-long love of reading? Writers and SCBWI members lead this discussion for parents and educators. Read More.

Imagining the Past: Historical Fiction of the Twentieth Century

3:45 pm – 4:30 pm
Location: Humanities Lecture Hall

Two talented historical novelists journey into the past to bring us formidable female characters who each changed the course of history. In Take the Long Way Home, Rochelle Alers takes us grom 1950s Mississippi to Paris and Rome in the ‘60s and ‘70s. In Lady Be Good, Pamela Hamilton shares a moving portrait of a legendary 1930s American socialite. Read More.

Commemorating the Anniversary of D-Day

4:00 pm – 4:45 pm
Location: Gold Coast Cinema, Hillwood Commons

Acclaimed historian Douglas Brinkley sits down with military historian Gary Lewi for a conversation commemorating the anniversary of D-Day. Brinkley’s accomplished work, The Boys of Pointe Du Hoc, recounts the brave men who faced the toughest task to befall U. S. forces during the war: the promontory known as Pointe du Hoc, where six big German guns were ensconced and which was the number one target of the heavy U.S. and British warships poised in the English Channel on D-Day morning. Read More.