Harlem Book Fair- Saturday, July 24, 2004 - More than 40,000
Expected to Attend Largest Event for Black Authors
and Book Lovers In The Country!
New York is First Stop in National Tour -Freeport LI.,
San Diego Cal., Phoenix AR, Oakland Cal. and Cleveland Ohio

(AFRICAN AMERICAN NEWSWIRE)New York City, NY July 12, 2004, More than 40,000 attendees and over 200 African American Authors are expected to convene in Harlem on Saturday, July 24, 2004, from 12 Noon to 7:00pm at the 6th annual Harlem Book Fair. This is a free community event. The Harlem Book Fair, will feature over 300 exhibit booths, four stages, celebrity authors, book selling, storytelling and a variety of musical entertainment that will run a two-block stretch on 135th street between 5th Avenue and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd.

The program of activities will also include an opportunity for attendees to be a part of the studio audience for the author panel discussions that will take place at the Schomburg Center for Research and Black Culture and air live on C-SPAN's Book TV. A total of 15 free author panel discussions will take place during the day and cover topics ranging from the state of affairs of the Black church to a host of other topics where authors will discuss every day life issues facing Black America. www.qbr.com/hbf2004/panels.htm
This year the book fair will expand it's base to include a Christian Book and Sound Stage Pavilion, where well-known and self-published authors of faith will be on-hand to meet and greet the audience and engage in up-close and personal discussion and book signings. Max Rodriguez, Publisher of QBR - Black Review of Books and founder of the Harlem book fair has teamed up with Legacy, a company whose principals have spent more than 15 years creating and producing marketing concepts, public relations tools, special events and audience development strategies that have a particular focus on the African American and Christian community.

Harlem Book Fair 2004 Features 5 year old Child Poet Autum Ashante Appearing on Children's Stage and Available for Interviews
The Harlem Book Fair is also proud to present Atum Ashante, a 5 year old child prodigy who has appeared on the Ellen Degeneres show and has rubbed elbows with Steve Harvey, Jay Leno, Ralph Carter and Gary Byrd. She is a poet in the 2nd grade, on the honor roll who speaks 3 languages and has appeared at more than 20 venues. Read an interview of her on http://www.nypoets.com/homepage/october/autum.htm.

Harlem Book Fair - 2004 - National Tour Embraces Christian Authors and Gospel Artists - Brand Expanded to Now Include Christian Book Pavilion and Sound Stage -Harlem Book Fair Partners with Legacy Communications - Specialist in the African American Christian Market
Harlem Book Fair Sponsors DoubleDay/Random House takes center stage in the Christian Book Pavilion and Sound stage when they present four noted African American Christian authors at the Harlem Book Fair. Coordinated by the Vice President, Executive Editor of the Doubleday Broadway Publishing Group, Janet Hill who also heads their African American Imprint - Harlem Moon www.randomhouse.com , the audience will hear presentations from: Dr. Rev. Arlene Churn - The End is Just the Beginning, Andria Hall Host of the Hallmark's channel: America at Worship www.americaatworship.tv/ourhost.jsp and author of This Far by Faith and The Walk at Work, Norma Jarrett - Sunday Brunch and Brenda Rhodes Miller - Laying of Hands.
Ministering in music on the Christian sound stage will include: the Evangelist Valerie Boyd, The 2004 - McDonald's Gospelfest winners, Kathy Mahon, David Bratton and the Spirit of Praise and The New Jersey Choral Choir.
New York has the largest population of African American Christians in the country with more than 2 million. So this is a huge market for publishers of African American Christian Books, notes Jane Best, Vice President and Director of Marketing for Legacy Communications and Executive Producer of the Christian Book Pavilion and Sound Stage, which partnered with the Harlem Book Fair this year. According to the Christian Book Sellers Association, the sales of Christian books now amounts to more than 4 Billion dollars a year, and between those figures and the popularity of and sale of Gospel Music, we saw the new addition of the Christian Book Pavilion and Sound Stage as a logical brand expansion for the Harlem Book Fair. The Harlem Book Fair will also salute African American Pastor John Boyd, Sr., Pastor of The New Greater Bethel Ministries. Pastor Boyd's business prowess and economic empowerment initiatives has transformed Queens Village, New York. He also founded a gospel record label and a book publishing company, that boasts of work from the noted African American Christian Book/CD seller Valerie Boyd and Juanita Bynum. Pastor Boyd's son John Boyd, Jr., founded Kingdom Kids- a Christian Children's Books company. http://www.ngbm.org/
"Because of the mass marketing to African American churches and the limited amount of Christian recreational opportunities that exist, we expect the attendance to double from 30,000 to 60,000, notes Best. Our phones are ringing off the hook, and because of the inclusion of the Christian Books Pavilion and Sound stage, we have gone from selling 200 exhibitor's booths last year, to approximately 300 this year! - One need only to look at the outpouring of African American Christians at the T.D. Jake's MegaFest two weeks ago, where there was reportedly more than 250,000 in attendance. enjoying serious preaching and recreational activities designed for Christian families. Christians enjoy "coming out and celebrating their joy in the Lord with other like minded Christians. This is an opportunity for them to do so," notes Best. You can e-mail Legacy Communications at: LegzPro@aol.com

Harlem Born Author, Screenwriter and Founder of the Poconos Film Festival Bridget Davis, Will meet her Role Model Dr. Maya Angelou - recipient of the 2004 Wheatley Book awards - Whom she credits with saving her life

Bridget Davis - 43, Author, Screenwriter and Producer of the Poconos Film Festival looks forward to finally meeting her role model Dr. Maya Angelou, whom she credits with saving her life. With pools of her mother's blood left behind on the housing project floor, Bridget age 13, thought her mother who had just suffered a violent domestic attack would surely die. She contemplated jumping to her own death, only to mention this the next day to a teacher, who gave her Maya Angelou's Book, I know Why the Cage Bird Sings. "I went home and read that book all night long. When I finished Dr. Angelou's book, I knew that I could go on living, in spite of what ever tomorrow would bring. It is because of Dr. Angelou, that I decided to live and am now a writer. As successful as life has become for me, I shall always try to encourage my readers to have the faith to overcome their mountains in life as I have. It can be done." www.Pocono Mountains Film Festival 2004 http://aolsearch.aol.com/aol/redir?src=websearch&

Joseph Jett Jets Into Action to Remove the Veil in His Book Broken Bonds at the Harlem Book Fair 2004
Former Kidder Peabody Wall Street Wiz Joseph Jett of Joseph Jett Capital reemerges at the Harlem Book Fair with a tell all no holds barred book - Broken Bonds. Mr. Jett will also discuss and unveil his new investment venture designed to empower Blacks nationwide.http://www.jettcapital.com

J L King Gets Down and Dirty as He discusses, Love, Lust and Lies at the Harlem Book Fair 2004

Best Selling Controversial Author J L King (On the Down Low: A Journey Into the Lives of Straight Black Men Who Sleep With Men) participates in a lively panel discussion with the Harlem Book Fair Audience on the subject of Love, Lust and Lives with Michael Baisden (God's Gift to Women) as moderator and Darren Coleman (Before I Let Go), Crystal McCrary Anthony (Homecourt Advantage), Earl Sewell (Taken for Granted), Tia Williams (The Accidental Diva). This Panel will be Presented by Heather Covington Harlem Book Fair Advisor and President of Disilgold.com. For other panels see: http://www.qbr.com/