National Book Festival
The 2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival will connect with audiences across the country for an interactive, online celebration of “American Ingenuity” for the festival’s 20th year, featuring new books by more than 120 of the nation’s most-renowned writers, poets and artists. The festival also will showcase the many ways our national library embraces all subjects in its unparalleled collection.
During the weekend of Sept. 25-27, virtual stages at loc.gov/bookfest will offer on-demand videos, live author chats and discussions, options to personalize your own journey through the festival with particular themes, and book buying possibilities through the festival’s official bookseller, Politics & Prose, with a limited number of commemorative book plates signed by authors. The Library is in discussion with broadcast partners to ensure broad access to the festival. Subscribe to the festival blog for updates on plans for the festival.
New to this year’s festival is an opportunity for festivalgoers to take a deeper dive into timely topics engaged by many books across the festival’s stages. Attendees are invited to follow three threads that weave through the festival and offer a more profound appreciation for the subjects. They are:
- “Fearless Women”: Books by and about strong women and resolute trailblazers.
- “Hearing Black Voices”: Books that showcase Black voices across all genres, affirming their contributions to American culture.
- “Democracy”: Books that assess the state of democratic principles here in America and around the globe.
Another new feature added to the 2020 festival is a new virtual stage called Family, Food & Field, which will include authors whose books cover such topics as food, home, sports, television and current issues, such as the Me Too movement.
More information on the authors whose books are part of these timely topic threads will be found on the festival website in the weeks before the event.
Participating Pulitzer-related authors include:
- 2011 History winner Eric Foner
- Former Board member Nicholas Lemann
- 2009 Biography winner Jon Meacham
- 2006 General Nonfiction and 2020 Biography finalist George Packer
- 1998 General Nonfiction winner Jared Diamond
- 2008 National Reporting winner and 2014 Public Service contributor Barton Gellman
- 1993 Biography finalist Walter Isaacson
- 2020 Fiction finalist Ann Patchett
- 2017 and 2020 Fiction winner Colson Whitehead
- 2012 Poetry winner Tracy K. Smith
- Board member Gail Collins