Irish Arts Center To Give Away 10,000 Free Books City Wide On St. Patrick's Day

Irish Arts Center (IAC), the organization dedicated to projecting a dynamic image of Ireland and Irish America for the 21st century, celebrates St. Patrick's Day with the eighth annual edition of its acclaimed cultural event, Book Day. The initiative-presented this year in association with the New York City Council, New York State Assembly, Literature Ireland, and El Museo del Barrio-exemplifies the Center's commitment not only to putting forward the best of Irish and Irish American culture, but also to creating bridges to other cultures. Beginning at 9am, IAC staff and volunteers will take to the streets across all five boroughs armed with literature by Irish, Caribbean, and American authors, to share one of the great legacies that bridge all cultures-their stories. Included will be works from John Banville, Junot Díaz, Jennifer Egan, Carlos Fuentes, Marlon James, Dorothy Macardle, Eimear McBride, Colum McCann, Frank McGuinness, Michael Schulman, Colm Toíbín, Tiphanie Yanique, William Butler Yeats, and many, many more.

IAC continues its effort to change the narrative of St. Patrick's Day to one that celebrates Ireland's infinite cultural riches, and affinity for storytelling-by passing them on. On Book Day, the public receives thousands of free books by some of the country's-and Irish America's-most acclaimed writers. For this year's Book Day, the Center is teaming with El Museo del Barrio to offer books that are suitable for all ages in English and Spanish, epitomizing IAC's commitment not only to the appreciation of Irish and Irish American culture, but also to fostering fusions of that culture with others from across America and around the world. The free books-including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, children's books, and translated books-will be handed out at 11 locations around New York City.

Rachael Gilkey, IAC Director of Programming and Education, says, "Each year, Irish Arts Center Book Day celebrates the great literary tradition of Ireland and Irish America and the joy of reading with people of all backgrounds. This year we are delighted to welcome El Museo del Barrio to join us in sharing great works by Irish and Caribbean writers."

Literature Ireland, a not-for-profit dedicated to funding the translation of Irish work, has donated hundreds of copies of Colum McCann's Thirteen Ways of Looking in Spanish. In conjunction with Book Day, for the second year, IAC is holding a fundraising drive involving well-known artists sharing pictures of themselves holding up their favorite Irish book, with the tag #GetLit on #IACBookDay. Donations can be made by visiting irishartscenter.org/event/getlit. Leading up to Book Day, people can follow the event on Twitter and Facebook (#IACBookDay) to find out where to grab a free book.

Participating publishers include Alfred A. Knopf, Bellevue Literary Press, Carcanet Press, Catapult, Coffee House Press, Daedalus Books, Doubleday Publishing, Forge, G. P. Putnam's Sons, Harper Collins, Ireland, Literature Exchange, Kensington Books, Nan A. Talese, Peepal Tree Press, Riverhead Trade, Paperbacks, Scribner, Simon & Schuster, Solas Nua, Summer Palace Press, The Moth Magazine, The O'Brien Press, Tramp Press, and Yale University Press.

Confirmed Book Day Locations

For a complete list of Book Day locations, please visit irishartscenter.org/event/8th-annual-irish-arts-center-book-day.

Brooklyn 1: Dekalb B/Q stop, in front of Applebee's

Brooklyn 2: Parkside Avenue Plaza / Parkside Avenue Q stop (corner of Ocean Avenue and Parkside)

Queens 1: Southeast corner of Roosevelt Avenue and 61st Street, at Woodside / 61st Street stop on the 7 train.

Queens: 2: Jackson Heights Post Office (78-02 37th Avenue)

Bronx: Fordham Road and Webster Ave, northeast corner

Staten Island: St. George Terminal Staten Island, 1 Bay Street

Manhattan 1: Church of the Holy Cross (329 West 42nd Street)

Manhattan 2: Corner of 110th Street and Lexington Avenue

Manhattan 3: 72nd Street and Broadway, outside of the 1 train subway station

Manhattan 4: Grand Central (corner of 42nd Street and Park Avenue in front of TD Bank)

Buffalo, Friday, March 16: Downtown; exact location to be announced

About Irish Arts Center

Irish Arts Center, founded in 1972 and based in Hell's Kitchen, New York City, is a national and international home for artists and audiences of all backgrounds who share a passion for the evolving arts and culture of contemporary Ireland and Irish America. We present, develop, promote, tour, and distribute work from established and emerging artists and cultural practitioners, providing audiences with emotionally and intellectually transporting experiences-the results of innovation, collaboration, and the authentic celebration of our common humanity.

Steeped in grassroots traditions, with a commitment to inclusion that dates back to our founding, we provide education programs and access to the arts for people of all ages and ethnic, racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, and an international home for the Irish community to come together and engage with a dynamic global diaspora. The organization considers tradition as a tool for looking forward, to celebrate Irish and Irish American customs while emphasizing cultural fusion and inclusion.

This year, we will break ground on a landmark new permanent home, including a state of the art contemporary, flexible performance and arts space for the presentation and development of work across a range of disciplines; a second, intimate performance space-the renovated historic Irish Arts Center theatre-optimized for the most intimate live music and conversation, recordings, master classes and special events; classrooms and studio spaces for community education programs in Irish music, dance, language, history, and the humanities; technology to stream and distribute the Irish Arts Center experience on the digital platform; a spacious and vibrant avenue-facing café lobby that will be a hospitable hub for conversation and interaction between artists and audiences; and a beautiful new courtyard entrance on 51st Street where the historic Irish Arts Center building and the new facility meet.