Do you like reading books? Do you prefer the smell of a page to the glow of a Kindle?
Then you might be interested in the National Book Festival scheduled for September 17-26, 2021. The Library of Congress hosts this annual festival, and it is a wonderful event to attend. Due to the pandemic, the festival is virtual this year. To attend, check out the National Book Festival website.
This year, the theme is “Open a Book, Open the World.”
Authors and Genres
The festival hosts many different authors and poets who discuss their books, poetry, writing experiences, and often their lives.
Some of the featured authors and poets are:
- Isabel Allende
- Catherine Belton
- Kristin Hannah
- James Oakes
- Michael J. Fox
- Yusef Salaam
- Chang-rae Lee
- Trisha Yearwood
Authors, events, and videos are organized into different genres:
- Children
- Teens
- Current Events
- Fiction
- History & Biography
- Lifestyle
- Poetry and Prose and Science.
Just click on the link to the genre on the festival website, and you will see all the programs offered in that category.
Live Virtual Events
You can engage with your favorite authors by attending live webinars or watch on-demand videos of interviews of authors or panel discussions on specific topics.
This year, the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, will interview actor and children’s literacy advocate Levar Burton about the power of reading, story, and connection. You can catch this interview airing on PBS as “Open a Book, Open the World: The Library of Congress National Book Festival.” Look out for it on Friday, September 17, starting at 7 pm EDT.
A lecture and symposium on “Copyright: The Engine of Free Expression” will also be held on Tuesday, September 21, at 3 pm. This event will illuminate how copyright affects your work and what it covers. You can also learn about the U.S. Copyright Office and its efforts to encourage creativity.
In Short: Go
Personally, I attended the National Book Festival a few years ago in Washington, D.C. — in person at the time. I enjoyed every minute of the experience. Not only did I hear some famous authors speak about their works, I met new authors to add to my repertory. And I got the opportunity to purchase all of the books featured at the festival.
If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend looking through the events and checking a few of them out!