The rumors have been floating around town for a few weeks now, and PW‘s Lynn Andriani has pinned them down: Nielsen is reviving New York Is Book Country, and has deliberately scheduled its September 2008 relaunch on the same date as the Brooklyn Book Festival—but not maliciously, you should understand, because the company is convinced that the two festivals appeal to different demographics. (And wouldn’t you just love to have had that elaborated upon?)
When confronted about the doubled booking, show organizer Tore Erickson told PW “we’re too far along in the process” to change the date, although it remains unclear whether or not Nielsen has the permits it’ll need to run a street fair along Fifth Avenue on that date. As recently as six weeks ago, however, when Nielsen first began to inform publishers of its plans, it hinted at a July date—the official explanation is that “Erickson… worried many New Yorkers would be out of town in July.” Which lends credence to the idea that by “New Yorkers,” Nielsen means people who live between, oh, Canal and, let’s say, 97th.