Get ready to adjust your summer reading list: The Library of Congress announced a packed line-up of prominent authors who will speak at its 23rd National Book Festival on August 12.
Each year, tens of thousands of readers flock to the one-day event, which is free, doesn’t require tickets, and takes place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. As usual, this year’s festival will feature author talks, book signings, and kids programming across several stages. Plus, Politics & Prose will be on site to ensure readers don’t leave empty handed.
Currently, 78 authors, writers, poets, and illustrators across genres and backgrounds plan to speak to this year’s theme: “Everyone has a story.” A few highlights from this year’s list include actor Elliot Page, who’ll discuss his memoir Pageboy; NFL player R.K. Russell who’ll discuss his new book The Yards Between Us; and teacher/advocate Chasten Buttigieg, who’ll discuss I Have Something to Tell You — For Young Adults.
Of course, plenty of seasoned novelists will speak too. Fans of fiction can anticipate listening to George Saunders, who will share his newest collection of stories in Liberation Day; Amor Towles, who will discuss his bestselling novel The Lincoln Highway; and Elizabeth Acevedo, who will dive into her newest novel Family Lore. Meanwhile, nonfiction readers can expect to hear from Matthew Desmond as he discusses his latest work Poverty, by America and Siddhartha Mukherjee as he discusses The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human.
NPR journalists Ari Shapiro and Mary Louise Kelly will discuss the art of memoir in a talk titled “Our Lives, Considered,” while authors Cheuk Kwan and Anya von Bremzen will discuss the role of food in family stories in a talk titled, “Dig In: What Food Says About Us.” U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón will also make an appearance with poet Camille T. Dungy to explore humankind’s relationship to the natural world in a talk titled, “The World Offers Itself to Your Imagination.”
Other topics, from AI in fiction to society’s fascination with true crime to climate change denial, will also be explored. Take a look at the full author list here.
