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BookCon 2026 panels are coming to Popverse — here’s how to watch them all

Missed BookCon? Popverse is bringing the biggest panels online for free.

Guides by Chris Arrant, Editor-in-Chief

Published on Fri Apr 24 2026

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The story of BookCon 2026 didn't end when the show floor closed. It'll live forever in the hearts and minds of those of us who took it all in, as well as here at Popverse, because we — surprise! — filmed all the big panels on the two biggest stages of this year's event. Whether you want to re-live the panels you loved, want to see what you missed because you and your friends were in the Grove, or you couldn't make it but wish you did, Popverse and BookCon will give you the next best thing to being there.

All during BookCon weekend (and a few days after!) we have been lighting, shooting, editing, and uploading panels from the Main Stage and Second Stage of BookCon 2026 here on Popverse. We're doing it for our fellow booklovers, free — although a comment wouldn't hurt!

BookCon 2026 Panel Videos On-Demand

Topic	Panelists	Availability
Game Changing TV: Celebrating Heated Rivalry	Rachel Reid, Jacob Tierney	Watch now
The Depths of Darkness: An Exploration of Dark Fantasy	Holly Black, Marie Lu	Watch now
Spotlight on R.F. Kuang	R.F. Kuang	Watch now
Then/Now: The Evolution of Your Career Since That 1st Book	Meg Cabot, Melissa de La Cruz, Kami Garcia, Ann M. Martin	Watch now
Penning the Perfect Atmosphere: Creating the Riveting Worlds and Emotions of Speculative and Fantasy Novels	Alexis Henderson, Alix E. Harrow, Olivie Blake	Watch now
The Importance and Impact of Dystopian and Fantasy Fiction	Tahereh Mafi, Chloe Gong	Watch now
Beaches, A New Musical - From Page to Stage	Iris Rainer Dart, Jennifer Maloney-Prezioso	Watch now
Horror as a Mirror, Horror as Escape: How Lived Experiences Shape Fictional Fears	Chuck Tingle, Kylie Lee Baker, Tananarive Due	Watch now
You Had Me at Hockey: A Look at One of Sports Romance's Hottest Genres	Rachel Reid, Ngozi Ukazu, Emily Rath, Kate Cochrane	Watch now
Spotlight on Leigh Bardugo	Leigh Bardugo	Watch now
The Language of Love: Crafting Your Favorite Romance Reads	Jasmine Guillory, Casey McQuiston, Tia Williams	Watch now
The Heroines of Romantasy: Crafting Strong Female Leads Finding Love and Facing Danger	Victoria Avyard, Carissa Broadbent, Rachel Gillig, Scarlett St. Clair	Watch now
The Alchemy of YA and New Adult Fantasy	Amelie Wen Zhao, Analeigh Sbrana, Jordan Ifueko, Tracy Deonn	Watch now
Page to Screen	Emily St. John Mandel, Robinne Lee, May Cobb, Andy Weir	Watch now
Into the World of Romantasy: Exploring the Marriage Between Genres	Stacia Stark, Elisa Kova, Adalyn Grace	Watch now

Having trouble viewing these videos? Read our streaming/VOD FAQ to find the answers you need. Want more? Here's our expansive Popverse panel video hub with years of panels from New York Comic Con, C2E2, Emerald City Comic Con, and more.

If you've enjoyed this coverage, please give Popverse a shoutout by tagging us @popversesays on X/Twitter, Instagram, BlueSky, or Facebook.

Here's a list of all the major upcoming prose novels in our favorite genres.

About Bookcon

Dates

Apr 18 - Apr 19

Location

New York City

Visit the event page

Follow Popverse for upcoming event coverage and news

Chris Arrant: Chris Arrant is the Popverse's Editor-in-Chief. He has written about pop culture for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, Marvel, Newsarama, CBR, and more. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. (He/him)