The National Book Festival is a much-anticipated event in Washington, DC, as bookworms from across the area converge on the National Convention Center to attend author talks and book signings. This year, the event is set to outdo itself with all kinds of new programming that aims to show off the Library of Congress’s vast collection beyond books.
The festival is on Saturday, August 22, and headliners include Cynthia Erivo, Ann Patchett, Martin Scorsese, Tayari Jones, Kate McKinnon, and Tia Williams. The theme for this year’s book festival is “America 250: It’s Your Story.” The library’s Literary Director, Clint Smith, says the theme asks attendees to think about themselves as a part of American history.
“It’s not just about reading an old history book,” Smith says. “You are welcome to do that if you want to, but you are living in an important moment in American history right now.”
Programming-wise, repeat festivalgoers will notice a greater emphasis on history—such as a conversation between Beverly Gage and Isaac Fitzgerald, who both wrote books about retracing American history with their footpaths.
There will also be non-book events that showcase the library’s extensive holdings. Martin Scorsese will discuss film preservation and American culture. Cynthia Erivo–who recently published her memoir, Simply More–is hosting an event with the library’s music division. The library’s Veteran History Project is also working with World War Z author Max Brooks to turn veterans’ oral histories into 1930s-style radio play.
The festival will also debut interactive workshops and events. For aspiring writers, there will be an adult fiction-writing workshop where attendees will be given a prompt and receive guidance from a published novelist. NPR’s The Kitchen Sisters will also be hosting a workshop on podcasting.
According to Smith, the goal of expanding programming is to connect attendees with the Library of Congress beyond the festival.
“We want that crowd of about 45,000 people who go to the festival every year to also come to the library,” Smith says. “With the expansion of the festival, we are trying to represent the vastness and richness of the library’s activity and holdings to our audience.”
Smith says the festival’s overarching goal remains the same–to connect book-lovers with new authors. While the main draw for attendees is frequently big names, Smith says he hopes every person who registers seeks out an author they don’t know.
While tickets for the festival are free, ticket registration is required ahead of time. The National Book Festival website also has the full list of the 85 authors who will attend this year’s event.
