Books Beneath the Bridge will feature a series of literary events at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 1.

The Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy announced recently that its summer reading series will return for a second year, starting on Monday, July 8. For eight consecutive Mondays, Books Beneath the Bridge will feature readings at Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, each sponsored by a different independent bookstore in Brooklyn.

Last year was the first time the series was held, and with great success; more than 2,500 people attended the readings to see authors including Patti Smith, Martin Amis, and Lizz Winstead. Jenn Northington of indie bookstore WORD in Greenpoint (and expanding to its Jersey City location very soon) talks about last summer’s success and her excitement for the program to kick off again:

We’ve been looking forward to the return of Books Beneath the Bridge since our event last year; it was a huge success, and loads of fun—there’s nothing quite like seeing nearly 300 people held rapt by your favorite authors. The series is also one of the best examples I’ve seen of the big things that can happen when independent bookstores and neighborhood organizations team up.

The lineup for events this summer is:

• July 8: James Gulliver Hancock, All the Buildings in New York: That I’ve Drawn So Far – sponsored by Freebird Books
• July 15: Poetry with Sharon Olds and Edward Hirsch – sponsored by Greenlight Bookstore
• July 22: Colum McCann, TransAtlantic – sponsored by powerHouse Arena
• July 29: Proust in the Park, a reading of Swann’s Way in celebration of its 100th anniversary – sponsored by Community Bookstore
• August 5: Five-Borough Blues, featuring authors from all five boroughs – sponsored by WORD
• August 12: Ayana Mathis, The Twelve Tribes of Hattie – sponsored by Book Court

All the events take place at the Granite Prospect seating area on Pier 1 in the park, starting at 7pm, and they’re free to the public.