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Create Your National Book Festival Experience

Welcome to the 2021 Library of Congress National Book Festival, where you can create your own Festival experience from a variety of programs and formats with an expanded schedule over 10 days, Sept. 17-26.

You can:

Genres

Author events and videos are all organized into one of the following genres:

Authors & Moderators

Explore the full lineup of authors, check out their biographies and discover their featured books.

Learn more about our moderators.

Meet the Library of Congress experts hosting special interactive presentations.

Programs & Schedule

The 2021 National Book Festival takes place Sept. 17-26, with a variety of programs and formats. On Sept. 17 at 10 a.m. ET, 35 video-on-demand programs will become available to watch anytime. The full Festival schedule of live programs features 39 virtual author conversations, nine audience Q&A sessions for children and teens, one in-person event with simultaneous livestreaming, and five interactive presentations with Library of Congress experts. This year, the Festival also features a national television special and related events on PBS, NPR podcasts, and author interviews on Washington Post Live. You can also explore events closer to home with the Festival Near You, which features related programs from local organizations and affiliate Centers for the Book.

All programs livestreaming from the National Book Festival website will be held Sept. 17-26, between noon and 8 p.m. ET on weekends and between 3 and 8 p.m. ET on weekdays. All live programs will include time at the end for audience Q&A. Only one program will livestream at any given time, meaning this year you won’t need to make any tough choices on which program to attend! Check out the schedule online or download a printable pdf (PDF 895KB).

Tickets for In-Person Events

A limited number of free tickets are available for our in-person event at the Library of Congress. To register for the event, click the “Get Tickets” button on the event page. For more information, see the ticketing announcement on the National Book Festival blog.

Your Library of Congress

Library of Congress experts in conservation, copyright, art and literature, comics, and genealogy will host interactive presentations Sept. 20-24 at 3 p.m. ET. Tune in live to learn more about the collections and to ask questions. Find more details on the Festival schedule.

For Educators

A pre-National Book Festival webinar for educators took place on Aug. 25 at 4 p.m ET. The recording is now available here. The webinar is a great way to learn about this year’s Festival opportunities and share ideas about how Festival events can be included in instructional planning. Also, a learning guide for teachers and students to engage with the Festival is available here on the National Book Festival blog.

Partner Events

PBS

Watch a national television special produced with PBS Books, which premieres on Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. ET External. (Check your local listings for broadcast times in your area.) You can also watch the special via online livestream or on the National Book Festival website. In addition, your local PBS station may also sponsor related events with Festival authors.

NPR

Listen to several podcast interviews with Festival authors on the go from NPR. Available on your favorite podcast app and online.

The Washington Post

Tune in to author interviews on Washington Post Live.

Book Sales and Festival Merchandise

Politics & Prose is the official bookseller for the 2021 National Book Festival.

Visit the Library of Congress Shop site External to purchase National Book Festival t-shirts and other items.

National Book Festival Poster

The 2021 National Book Festival poster was designed by Dana Tanamachi, a New York City-based artist, designer and owner of Tanamachi Studio. Learn more about her inspiration for the poster on the Festival blog.

A high-resolution PDF of the poster is available for download from the National Book Festival Poster Gallery. You may take or send the downloadable file to a printing service and print for non-commercial use. Also, a printed version of the poster will be shipped to you with a donation of $25 or more to support the National Book Festival from the Library of Congress donation page (select "National Book Festival") or the Library Shop site External.

The Festival Near You

This year, the Library of Congress brings the National Book Festival closer to home. On each state’s page, you can find events such as watch parties, community conversations, story walks, poetry slams, book club meetings and more, brought to you by local organizations and affiliate Centers for the Book. You can also find information about each affiliate Center’s Great Reads from Great Places book pick and watch the video series. Select a state or territory on the national map, or view all local events to create your personal Festival Near You experience.

Explore the History of the Festival

Since the first National Book Festival on September 8, 2001, the Festival has become one of the most prominent literary events in the United States. Learn more

Discover many of the books featured at the National Book Festival in a new story map, “Around the World in National Book Festival Books.” Inspired by the 2021 National Book Festival’s theme, “Open a Book, Open the World,” this story map brings you on a journey across the globe through a selection of National Book Festival featured books from 2012 to the present.

Accessibility

Captioning is provided for all on-demand videos, live virtual presentations, and in-person ticketed events. Sign language interpreting is provided for all in-person ticketed events. Contact ADA@loc.gov for additional accessibility inquiries.

FAQ & Contact Us

Questions? Check out our FAQ page for answers to some of the most common questions.

To submit author nominations for the next National Book Festival, please complete the author nomination form.

For general questions and comments about the National Book Festival, please use the Contact Us form.

Participate in Your Festival

Create your National Book Festival experience through social media and timely alerts: