Poets Wear Prada Brings Style and Books to NY Rainbow Book Fair

New York, NY, March 30, 2016 --(PR.com)-- Hoboken-based boutique publishing house Poets Wear Prada showcases its Pride with a stylish suite of Queer poetry books at the 8th Annual New York Rainbow Book Fair, America’s longest-running LGBT book fair, and the largest LGBT book event in the country. The small literary press, known for its beautifully designed poetry chapbooks and many notable Queer authors, will be tabling with radical lesbian feminist poet Chocolate Waters and Eggplant Press.

Poets Wear Prada with be at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, from 12:00pm to 6:00pm, Sunday, April 9, 2016 for the event. Published authors of the press Austin Alexis, Joel Allegretti, Geer Austin, Roxanne Hoffman, Jee Leong Koh, Michael Montlack, John J. Trause and Chocolate Waters will be on site through-out the day to meet and greet book and poetry lovers, and to sign books. They will also be reading from their latest books at the fair’s Poetry Salon and at the Main Reading events. More information about reading schedules, books signings, and the Rainbow Book Fair is available on the fair’s website: http://rainbowbookfair.org.

Poets Wear Prada’s books and their authors continue to attract attention in literary circles and mass media worldwide. The literary press published the debut collections of Austin Alexis, author of “Privacy Issues” (Broadside/Lotus Press, 2014), recipient of the 20th annual Madgett Poetry Prize; and Jee Leong Koh, author of “Steep Tea” (Carcanet Press, 2015), finalist for a Lambda Literary Award, and selected by "The Financial Times" as one of four works for its Best Poetry List of 2015. The company’s founder and authors will be available for interviews to the press during the book fair.

Publisher and founder Roxanne Hoffman, who has curated the Rainbow Reading at Pisces Café in Babylon, New York and poetry events for the Fresh Fruit Festival, recalls a time when poets were reluctant to participate in LGBT-labeled events for fear of being “outed” and often consciously avoided publishing works on gay or lesbian themes. “It was dangerous. People were afraid of us. Especially in the eighties with the outbreak of AIDS. I almost made the mistake of outing over fifty friends – maybe ten years ago -- before catching myself to re-address an email invitation, blind copy, for a Fresh Fruit Festival event I was asked to help curate. My partner offered to help edit the invitation and suggested an upfront apology to any recipient who might take objection to our invitation.”

Poets Wear Prada participated at the very first Rainbow Book Fair, in 2009 at the LGBT Center, and tables almost every year. Hoffman observes several changes at the fair over the years. “I'm delighted that now there are not only a multitude of self-announced LGBT authors, thousands of books and magazines on LGBT themes, but major publishers as well as small independent presses tabling at this event. Hundreds of people, queer or just curious, stop by to chat and buy books, and new authors pitch their books and ask about publishing. Community busts bullying and intolerance, and you can't have community with going public. And there is nothing more public than publishing ’cause then you’re in print. And with every shared story our community glows brighter.”

Poets Wear Prada editors and staff seek to expand the company’s business outreach during the event and welcome discussions about new objectives with publishers, authors, libraries, book retailers, literary agents, book and poetry lovers, and the media.

After the fair, libraries and book stores can address their inquiries to Roxanne Hoffman. Book and poetry lovers in the United States can order books published by Poets Wear Prada at favorite local brick & mortar book shops, and worldwide at all major online book retailers including Amazon.com, BN.com and Abebooks.

A catalogue of Poets Wear Prada books and the publisher's address are available on the company’s website: http://poetswearprada.com.