New York Book Forum is a nonprofit tax-exempt organization. NYBF is dedicated to building bridges between the entire book publishing world and the public with an emphasis on the importance of reading and promoting literacy. The Forum’s target membership extends beyond those who have worked in some capacity in the book world to include all who embrace and celebrate reading. It is our plan to hold regular informational forums, sponsor book competitions, and facilitate educational opportunities that enhance book creation, production, and distribution across all formats. We envision these activities as helping to promote literacy. At New York Book Forum, reading comes into focus!

Our organization is comprised of volunteers who work to support our mission statement. We have several committees currently: Program, Literacy, Education, and Communications. All are welcome to participate. For more details, feel free to reach out to any Board Member to hear more details.

Board of Directors

Peggy Samedi

Peggy Samedi, President

president@newyorkbookforum.org

Penguin Random House

Brigid Black Headshot

Brigid Black, Vice President

vice.president@newyorkbookforum.org

Simon & Schuster

Mel Cowher, Treasurer

finance@newyorkbookforum.org

Lakeside Book Company

Carol Bystrom, Secretary

secretary@newyorkbookforum.org

Library of America

Richard Bretan

Corporate Communications

info@newyorkbookforum.org

W.W. Norton & Company

Irene Chan

Chair, Program Committee

events@newyorkbookforum.org

Scholastic, Inc.

Martha Hanson Headshot

Martha Hanson

Chair, Membership 

Committee

Simon & Schuster

Karen Romano Headshot

Karen Romano

Chair, Literacy Committee

W.W. Norton & Company

Janet McCarthy Grimm Headshot

Janet McCarthy Grimm

Immediate Past President

Lindenmeyr Book Publishing

Papers, retired

Andy Hughes Headshot

Andy Hughes

Penguin Random House,

retired

Michael Wettstein

Phoenix Color

Alison Gervais

Abrams Books