The National Book Festival turns 20 this month — and like every other event that’s had to go virtual, it’s bittersweet. The Library of Congress’ annual gathering, which typically draws more than 200,000 readers to Washington’s convention center, thrives on face-to-face interaction and the serendipitous nature of a live event.
Still, there’s a lot for book fans to love. “We’ve created something that embraces the spirit and feel of what the festival has been in a physical capacity,” says its director, Jarrod MacNeil. “We’re extremely excited and a little nervous. It’s an opportunity for more people to fall in love with the National Book Festival.”
The reimagined event, which is typically one day long, is expanding this year. It opens on Friday, Sept. 25 with a focus on children and teens, and continues Saturday and Sunday. At 9 a.m. on Saturday, on-demand videos — featuring more than 120 authors—will be released on the library’s website and YouTube page. Longtime friends Ann Patchett and Kate DiCamillo are among those who will be chatting with each other; others will appear solo and speak directly to the camera.
The virtual nature of this year’s event allows readers to connect with “real people in their real space,” MacNeil says. His team has been recording authors’ talks for months — an undertaking he describes as both daunting and rewarding.
“We’ve been getting this content, and it’s just like a treasure trove,” he says. “You would never be able to see these authors sitting in their office, where they wrote their amazing works. Or sitting in front of their bookcases, where you can see what they’re reading. It’s been a very intimate experience talking with these amazing individuals and collecting their narratives.”
In previous years, readers had to make tough calls about who to see and who to skip during each time slot. That’s no longer an issue, but staying organized might be. To get the most out of the event, MacNeil suggests planning your schedule ahead of time. For the two weeks leading up to the event, attendees will be able to save the talks they’re interested in, building a game plan for the weekend.
Though the videos will remain online for two months, there’s still good reason to tune in on Saturday and Sunday. Throughout the weekend, the library will offer plenty of opportunities to engage with authors via live online Q&As with John Grisham, Jason Reynolds, Emily St. John Mandel, Mo Willems, and many more participants.
The festival will conclude on Sunday with a two-hour, first-ever PBS special hosted by NBC’s Hoda Kotb. It will feature presentations with a variety of authors, including Madeleine Albright, Leigh Bardugo, and Ann Druyan.
As you start planning your schedule, note that this year’s theme is “American Ingenuity,” and the library has curated three corresponding “timely topic threads.” Here are a few highlights from each to consider adding to your at-home experience.
Democracy in the 21st Century
Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed: The YA powerhouses will discuss their recent collaboration, Yes No Maybe So — a tale of love and activism. It centers on a Jewish boy and Muslim girl who meet while going door-to-door canvassing. The book was inspired by the authors’ experience campaigning together during Jon Ossoff’s 2017 run for Congress representing Georgia’s sixth congressional district, they’ve said. Albertalli previously wrote Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, which inspired the movie Love, Simon, and Saeed is the author of multiple bestselling books. She also cofounded the nonprofit We Need Diverse Books. Albertalli and Saeed will answer readers’ questions live.
Live Q&A Sept. 25, 1 p.m.-2 p.m.
Lincoln, the Presidency, and the Press: “Fake news” might be new lingo, but the battle between the White House and the media is as old as — well, as our founding fathers. In this conversation, multiple authors and historians will describe how the presidents’ relationship with freedom of the press has varied and evolved over the years.
Recorded event available Sept. 26
Big Brother Is Watching: If you’re also tuning in, expect a provocative discussion on surveillance with Barton Gellman, who wrote Dark Mirror: Edward Snowden and the American Surveillance State, and Thomas Rid (Active Measures: The Secret History of Disinformation and Political Warfare). The two authors will be joined by spy novelist David Ignatius.
Live Q&A Sept. 27, 3 p.m.-4 p.m.
Fearless Women
Kali Fajardo-Anstine: In 2019, Fajardo-Anstine’s Sabrina & Corina was a finalist for the prestigious National Book Award. The haunting short story collection is about Latina women of indigenous descent whose lives are shaped by struggles such as domestic violence, alcoholism, and poverty. It’s set in the American West, where Fajardo-Anstine grew up and still lives. After watching her talk, ask your best questions on Sunday from 4 to 5 p.m.
Live Q&A Sept. 27, 4 p.m.-5 p.m.
Melinda Gates: Gates — philanthropist and author of The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World — is a staunch advocate for women’s rights. She’s joining the festival in conversation with businessman David Rubenstein. Perhaps Mr. Melinda Gates — that is, her husband Bill — will tune in along with the rest of us.
Recorded interview available Sept. 26
“I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar”: Gail Collins—the first female editorial page editor of The New York Times—and Megan Twohey, one of the reporters who famously broke the Harvey Weinstein story, will share the “stage” in this interview. Expect a compelling conversation about women and aging in the U.S., and how Twohey’s reporting helped birth the #MeToo movement. It will be moderated by Anna Laymon, executive director of the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission. Collins is also going live from noon to 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Recorded interview available Sept. 26
Hearing Black Voices
Tomi Adeyemi: In 2018, Adeyemi, then 24, wowed readers with Children of Blood and Bone, the first of an epic, West African-inspired fantasy trilogy. During the festival, she’ll talk about the second installation, Children of Virtue and Vengeance. The much-anticipated third is due in 2021.
Recorded interview available Sept. 26
Confronting Racism and Bigotry. Race scholar Ibram X. Kendi — who announced this summer he’s leaving American University to open an antiracist research center at Boston University — will be in conversation with poet Saeed Jones in what promises to be an illuminating discussion. Kendi is the author of How to Be an Antiracist, one of today’s most-recommended books, and Jones released his memoir, How We Fight for Our Lives, in 2019. It explores what it was like growing up black and gay in the South.
Recorded interview available Sept. 26
Colson Whitehead. Whitehead — a marquee American writer —most recently released The Nickel Boys, about Jim Crow-era Florida. Before that, The Underground Railroad won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. He’ll be interviewed by Marie Arana, who’s the festival’s literary director. Prepare your questions, and catch him live on Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon
Live Q&A Sept. 16, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
