Upcoming Events!

For those of you who missed last week’s fabulous wine tasting, never fear- there are still plenty of ways for you to show your support! Help us continue to bring authors and books into high need classrooms by taking part in our exciting upcoming events.

January 29, 2013 - Behind the Book’s 10th anniversary benefit is tomorrow, and we invite you to join us in celebrating a decade of innovative programs promoting literacy to children and youth in NYC! The event will feature guest speaker New York Times Bestselling author Lee Woodruff, as well as plenty of opportunities to support our programs. Our silent auction is a diverse array of phenomenal items, including a cooking class in your home led by Midnight Chef; a consultation and haircut with Antonio Soddu; a class at Yoga Union with Brette Popper; an artisanal olive oil tasting for two at Eataly; tickets for the New York Yankees and the Daily Show with Jon Stewart; gift certificates to Harlem Flo and Worth New York; and more! Tickets can be purchased here; don’t forget to check out our Facebook event for more information.

February 1 – 7, 2013 - Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and we have the perfect way to celebrate with your special someone while supporting a great cause! For the first week in February, Hanky Panky Intimate Apparel will donate a percentage of their net sales to Behind the Book, helping us bring even more authors and their books into classrooms this year. Be sure to visit their website as soon as this great opportunity starts on Friday!

Upcoming Events!

January 24, 2013 – Tonight, Behind the Book’s Young Executive Board is excited to host our 3rd annual wine tasting! From 6:00-8:30 at Moore Brothers Wine Company, the event will feature hors d’oeuvres, a raffle, a tutored wine tasting, and a reading by  Blueprints for Building Better Girls author and Vanity Fair contributing editor Elissa Schappell. Tickets can be purchased here or at the door, and we look forward to you joining us later tonight!

January 29, 2013 – This Tuesday, Behind the Book invites you to our 10th anniversary benefit; a celebration of a decade of innovative programs addressing the urgent need to engage children and youth in reading and writing! Featuring wine and hors d’oeuvres, silent auction and giving trees, and special speaker and New York Times Bestselling author Lee Woodruff, the night is sure to be a wonderful evening supporting a great cause. The event will take place at Midtown Loft from 6:30 to 8:30 – tickets can be purchased here.

February 1 – 7, 2013 – For the first week of February, Hanky Panky Intimate Apparel will donate a percentage of their net sales to Behind the Book, helping us bring even more authors and their books into underserved classrooms this year. Starting February 1st, show your support for our mission by purchasing any Hanky Panky product here, just in time for Valentine’s Day!

Wine Tasting with Behind the Book and Alex Gilvarry

Last Thursday on the upper floor of Moore Brothers Wine Company, we proved together that wine always tastes better when it is consumed in the company of good friends and good literature.  For the second time this summer, our Young Executive Board has put together a fabulous fundraising event.

Entrance to the event.

The evening began with some major chit-chatting and wine sipping as guests arrived and either found old friends, or met new ones. There were delicious cheeses and fruit provided, and the cute bartender served up vineyard stories and delectable wine samples at a side table.

Bonding over good wine

Terry Moore (aka cute bartender) in action.

Soon, our guest of honor Alex Gilvarry arrived, every bit as charming – and fashion savy! – as his book promised. After Jo and YEB member Aisha spoke briefly of BtheB’s mission, Alex performed a beautiful reading of his novel: From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant is an unlikely story of an up-and-coming Filipino fashion designer, trying to make it on the runways of New York, who accidentally ends up in Guantanamo. Afterwards, we all swarmed to the book signing table, caught hook line and sinker by his snappy style and the sheer quirkiness of the premise.

Alex reading from his novel.

The night ended with an exciting raffle, which included fabulous prizes such as a brownie tin voucher from The Midnight Chef, great books, and gift cards.

We would like to give a special thanks to everyone who came out in support of Behind the Book. It was all of you who made the evening special, and you guys make it possible for us to do the work we do. Thank you also to Alex for a wonderful reading, and of course our lovely sponsors, the Moore Brothers Wine Company (which is so cool it only donates this event space to non-profits for fundraising events) and The Midnight Chef, for the great prizes, drinks, and space. Cheers!

Mica with The Midnight Chef.

Behind Brooklyn: Fun & Finds at the Behind the Book Scavenger Hunt

Map of the Scavenger Hunt route

The Behind Brooklyn scavenger hunt this Sunday was quite an adventure for all our explorers. Our intrepid participants journeyed from Fort Greene to Red Hook, bravely pressing onwards through rain and shine to visit each awesome bookstore, bar and landmark. Some teams won fabulous prizes for their creativity and scavenger prowess, but the journey itself was fun for everyone.

Let’s look at some of the highlights that were captured on camera…

We began the hunt to good music and cold beer at Der Schwarze Kolner Beer Garden, where teams registered with the very friendly Young Executives Board.

Our lovely young executive board!

Busy registration!

When we reached Dean Street, there were a few historic sites that we got to pay homage to. At the old home of Isaac Asimov (author of I, Robot) we got in touch with our inner robot, breaking out some sweet moves on the sidewalk.

Staci and Sasha, doing the robot for extra points.

The game got more intense at Book Court when we had to find four scavenger hunt cards behind, in between and under books. One successful player proudly holds up the cards she found between copies of the new Maurice Sendak book. Another uncovers some more beneath the Helmut Newton suitcase.

Hunting down the cards at Book Court

BtheB staff Mica and Silver, stationed at Book Court

After a quick break for beer at Gowanus Yacht Club, it was time to hop on the Subway to go to Dumbo.

Jo and Sasha outside the Gowanus Yacht Club

Beautiful views from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade

At the very end of the scavenger hunt, we finished at Freebird Books and Goods, where we had a party on the back patio for everyone involved. After traversing Brooklyn, it was great to be able to sit down and talk about the day with our friends and teammates.

At the afterparty on Freebird’s patio

Author Ben Greenman used his expertise as an artist to determine and announce the winners of the creative challenges in the scavenger hunt, while everyone relaxed with free food, and beers courtesy of The Brooklyn Brewery. Local indie band, Grandlake Islands, kindly played for us.

Ben Greenman announcing the winners

The winning team!

The talented Brooklyn band, Grand Lake Islands, playing for us

Thank you to all our wonderful Event Sponsors, who hosted, donated prizes, and made it possible: Der Schwarze Kolner Beer Garden, Freebird Books & Goods, Idlewild Books, PS Bookshop, Book Court, Greenlight Bookstore, Gowanus Yacht Club, Alma Restaurant, Midnight Chef Cookies, Water Street Restaurant & Lounge, Chelsea Piers, Waterfront Wines & Spirits,Brooklyn Industries, New York Beer Company. Thanks to The Brooklyn Brewery for the great beer, Grandlake Islands for their beautiful music, and Lisa Marie Anastasio for her graphics art contribution.

And of course, a shout-out to our fabulous Young Executive Board members, who painstakingly planned out the route and organized the event, and many thanks to everyone who came out to support Behind the Book!

Because we care about the young folk

Hello everyone! We’ve been away a while, but we’ve been hard at work. Our Young Executive Board, particularly, has been stirring things up.

The Young Executive Board in a breakfast meeting

Grown to a robust 14 members since its creation last fall, the YEB is a bright and eclectic group of young professionals in diverse fields, all of whom have one thing in common: their commitment to education. We’ve got folks in publishing, advertising, and finance, lawyers, students, and teachers: all investing time and energy to further Behind the Book’s mission to produce more readers.

The group was formed as an effort to bring young people into our fold, and to infuse Behind the Book’s work with a fresh energy. So far, they are doing wonderful work with networking, diversifying individual giving, creating corporate awareness, and organizing new fund-raising efforts, such as the upcoming Spoken Word and Music Benefit “Speaking Volumes.”