New York will receive a free windfall of Irish and Irish American literature as a staggering 7,500 books are due to be given away as part of the third annual Irish Arts Center Book Day at eight locations across the five boroughs. The Give Away will begin at 7.30am this Friday, March 15, 2013.

The Give Away will include books by authors such as Anne Enright, Christine Dwyer Hickey, Colum McCann, James Joyce, Kevin Barry, Sebastian Barry and many more. Highlights of the Book Day will include the Spanish translation of Colum McCann’s National Book Award winner Let the Great World Spin/Que el vasto mundo siga girando and the Chinese translation of Joseph O’Neill’s Netherland.

Presented in association with Speaker Christine Quinn and The New York City Council, NYC Council members and volunteers from Irish Arts Center will hand out books across New York in a city-wide celebration of Irish literature in honour of St. Patrick’s Day, Ireland and the powerful literature that the Irish have contributed to the world.

The Irish Arts Center, founded in 1972, serves as a gateway for other institutions to access first-rate Irish and American culture and is dedicated to projecting a dynamic image of Ireland and Irish America while forging and strengthening cross-cultural partnerships. They are focused on preserving the evolving stories and traditions of Irish culture for generations to come and Irish Arts Center Book Day is a unique and exciting way to do so. 

Rachael Gilkey, director of programming at Irish Arts Center said: “We are so delighted for the third year to be able to give the gift of Irish literature to this great city which has nurtured so many great writers. I’d particularly like to thank New York City Council for sharing our vision and to all the writers and publishers who have so generously donated their works.”

The books are set to be distributed on Friday March 15 starting at 7:30 am at each of the following 8 locations:

BROOKLYN
Location 1: Northeast corner of Havemeyer St. and Broadway at the Marcy Avenue J train station (7:30am to 10:30am)

QUEENS

Location 2: 37th Road “Diversity” Plaza between 74th and 73rd Streets in Jackson Heights. The Roosevelt Avenue station has an entrance right in the middle of the Plaza for the E, F, M, R and 7 trains.
Location 3: Southeast corner of Roosevelt Avenue and 61st Street at Woodside / 61st Street stop on the 7 train
Location 4: Vernon Blvd – Jackson Avenue 7 train stop near New York Irish Center (from 12pm)

THE BRONX
Location 5:  Parkchester 6 Subway station, 177th Street, Bronx, NY

MANHATTAN
Location 6: Washington Heights: Broadway and 168th Street, at the south east corner of Broadway in front of the Columbia University Russ Berrie Medical Pavilion. Near the A, C, 1 Subway lines
Location 7 UWS: 72nd and Broadway outside the 1 train subway station

STATEN ISLAND
Location 8: St. George Terminal Staten Island, 1 Bay Street, Staten Island, NY 10301

Irish Book Day is part of a week-long celebration of St. Patrick’s Day and hundreds of activities at Irish Arts Center and throughout New York. More information on www.irishartscenter.org