Larry McMurtry, Terry McMillan, Jennifer Egan, Eoin Colfer, Amy Chua, John Sayles, Joyce Carol Oates, Craig Thompson, Walter Mosley and Rachel Hawkins will headline the Brooklyn Book Festival this September, organizers announced last week.

More than 100 authors have signed on for the sixth annual festival, the largest free literary event in New York City. It drew more than 20,000 people last year.

This fall's festival will happen on Sunday, Sept. 18 inside Borough Hall, St. Francis College and the Brooklyn Historical Society, and outside on stages in Borough Hall Plaza, and will feature the usual mix of themed readings and timely and lively panel discussions, as well as new offerings such as an expanded children's area with authors, workshops, food, and stroller parking, and special programming for teens and exhibitors.

The festival said it will host a panel with the 2011 Pulitzer Prize recipients from Brooklyn, including Egan, Jesse Eisinger and Jake Bernstein.

And for the second straight year, Bookend events will be held throughout the borough over a long literary weekend. From Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 15-18, sites including BAM, the Bushwick Book Club, and the Greenlight Bookstore will host author appearances, film screenings, literary games, and more.

As the 'Creative Capital of New York City,' Brooklyn is the perfect host for one of the world's most prestigious free literary festivals, and that's why I officially re-name our borough 'Book-lyn' not just for the Festival on Sunday, Sept. 18, but for the four days of incredible events this year celebrating the character -- and characters -- of our diverse literary community, Borough President Marty Markowitz said in a statement.

For a fuller list of participating authors, and updates to it, check www.brooklynbookfestival.org.

Edward B. Colby is the Books editor of the International Business Times. He can be reached at e.colby@ibtimes.com.

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