Literati Roundup

It's hard to believe that tomorrow marks twenty years since the Chernobyl disaster, but the folks down at Housing Works Used Books Cafe (126 Crosby St.) have joined forces with the National Book Critics Circle to commemorate the anniversary. Head over there at 6PM to hear a whole host of talented writers reading aloud from Voices From Chernobyl - Gary Shteyngart, Philip Gourevitch, and Tom Bissell to name a few.

On Thursday night (4/27), the music world meets the literary world as Product Shop NYC hosts an "ex-Spin" night for The Reading Festival at Rothko (116 Suffolk St.), starting at 7PM with a $5 cover. The mighty Klosterman himself - along with Marc Spitz, Sarah Lewitinn, Andy Greenwald and Caryn Ganz - will be reading.

On Friday night (4/28), the venerable 192 Books ( 10th Ave. and 21st St. and worth a visit in and of itself) will be hosting Alan Bennett, dramatist and playwright from across the pond, as he reads from his latest book, Untold Stories. The reading starts at 7PM.

And on Saturday (4/29), for the child-friendly set (or, hey, just for the child in you), BAM hosts BAMfamily Book Brunch. Jacqueline Woodson and Hudson Talbott, writer and illustrator of the Newbury Honored Show Way, will read and show slides from the book after a kid-friendly brunch with music from Masauko Chipembere and Mongezi Ntaka. It costs $20 for adults and $15 for children under 16, and that includes lunch, tax, and tip. The brunch starts at 12PM.