The best book events in NYC this week

This massive festival offers more than 30 events throughout Greenwich Village and brings together an all-star lineup of literary luminaries from across the globe—as well as some home-grown ones—to contemplate change, international politics and the value of free speech. This year's event runs from Wednesday, April 30 through Saturday, May 4. Highlights this year include Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Pulitzer Prize-winner Jennifer Egan, both of whom will be participating in the festival's opening night convening The PEN and the State: The Role of Novelists in Times of Crisis, as well as events ranging from the fun and free (ArtLords Public Mural Day, the return of the House of Speakeasy Bookmobile) to the more serious, with panels exploring gender discrimination in fiction and media erasure in authoritarian times (the latter featuring the great public intellectual M. Gessen).  For a full list of events, visit pen.org/festival.

Need some writing inspo? Gather with fellow writers for this unique writing prompt series that takes place every Tuesday in the back of Pete’s Candy Store. The event kicks off with a guest lecturer who reads a piece of literature meant to inspire and serve as a springboard for writers. Everyone has 30-45 minutes to write and can share what they come up with if they want to.  The free event meets at 5pm every Tuesday.