Schedule
The 2022 Library of Congress National Book Festival will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, Sept. 3, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (doors open at 8:30 a.m.). A selection of programs will be livestreamed online and videos of all programs will be available shortly after the Festival. View and download the Festival program; note that any last-minute schedule adjustments will only be updated on the website and will not be reflected in the Festival program PDF.
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Monday August 22, 2022
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Event | lectures and symposia Library of Congress National Book Festival Author Talk: Mitch Albom- Monday, August 22, 2022 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm EDT
- Online Only
PBS Books, in collaboration with Philadelphia's WHYY, is hosting a conversation celebrating the Library of Congress National Book Festival with Mitch Albom, author of “Tuesdays with Morrie,” to discuss his work and involvement in the Festival. The author will be interviewed by former Michigan Radio host Cynthia Canty.- Stage: Pop Lit
- Interests: Inspiring and Educational, Memoir, Nonfiction, Partner Events
Saturday September 3, 2022
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Event | lectures and symposia Nick Offerman Goes Where the Deer and the Antelope Play
- Saturday, September 03, 2022 10:00 am - 11:00 am EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall D (Level 2, North Building)
Nick Offerman feels a particular affection for the Land of the Free—not just for the people but to the land itself: the bedrock, the topsoil, and everything in between. In “Where the Deer and the Antelope Play,” Offerman travels through America to talk to people who inhabit the land about what that means to them. Moderated by National Park Service ranger Millie Jimenez.- Stage: Main Stage
- Interests: Adventure, Fun and Funny, Inspiring and Educational, Memoir, Nature, Nonfiction
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Event | lectures and symposia Heal Thyself?: Mental Illness and Me with Rachel Aviv and Daniel Bergner
- Saturday, September 03, 2022 10:35 am - 11:20 am EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Ballroom B (Level 3, South Building)
Despite recent efforts to destigmatize mental illness, it’s still not something everyone feels free to discuss. Why is that? And what effect does America’s health care system have on how mental health is treated? Rachel Aviv, author of “Strangers to Ourselves,” and Daniel Bergner, author of “The Mind and the Moon,” have been thinking about these questions. Moderated by Bethanne Patrick.- Stage: Society & Culture
- Interests: Book Launch, Debut, Health and Wellness, Inspiring and Educational, Memoir, Nonfiction
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Event | lectures and symposia Past Pain, Future Hope: Perseverance in Literature with Tomás Q. Morín and Morgan Talty
- Saturday, September 03, 2022 10:50 am - 11:50 am EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, East Salon ABC (Street Level, South Building)
Tomás Q. Morín and Morgan Talty’s new books feature characters who contend with life’s challenges—sometimes well, sometimes not so well. Morgan Talty’s “Night of the Living Rez” is a collection of stories set in a Native community in Maine, while Morín’s “Let Me Count the Ways” is a memoir about his OCD as a mechanism to survive childhood. Moderated by Tope Folarin.- Stage: Writers Studio
- Interests: BIPOC Authors, Debut, Family, Fiction, Hispanic Interest, Literary Collections, Memoir, Native American Interest, Nonfiction
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Event | lectures and symposia The 25th Anniversary of "Tuesdays with Morrie" with Mitch Albom
- Saturday, September 03, 2022 11:05 am - 11:50 am EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Ballroom A (Level 3, South Building)
"Tuesdays with Morrie" is one of the bestselling memoirs of all time, even now, 25 years after its original publication. Written by Mitch Albom, the book recounts several visits to Albom’s former college professor and mentor, Morrie Schwartz, in the final months of Schwatz’s life. Join Albom as he reflects on Morrie’s lasting contributions to the world. Moderated by David M. Rubenstein.- Stage: Pop Lit
- Interests: Inspiring and Educational, Memoir, Nonfiction
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Event | lectures and symposia Ruby Bridges Talks About Her New Picture Book!
- Saturday, September 03, 2022 11:30 am - 11:55 am EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall A (Lower Level)
Ruby Bridges was just six years old when she made history as the first Black student to integrate an elementary school in the South. In “I Am Ruby Bridges,” she tells the story of that day. Moderated by Andrea Davis Pinkney. Bridges is unable to appear in-person; their recorded interview airs onscreen and Pinkney will be there live to answer questions. -
Event | lectures and symposia Deaf Utopia with Nyle DiMarco
- Saturday, September 03, 2022 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall D (Level 2, North Building)
Before becoming the actor, producer, advocate, and model that people know today, Nyle DiMarco was half of a pair of Deaf twins born to a multi-generational Deaf family in Queens, New York. In his new memoir “Deaf Utopia,” DiMarco shares stories, both heartbreaking and humorous, of what it means to navigate a world built for hearing people. Moderated by Jonathan Capehart.- Stage: Main Stage
- Interests: Debut, LGBTQ+, Memoir, Nonfiction
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Event | concerts and performances Literature to Life Presents a Performance from Richard Wright's "Black Boy"
- Saturday, September 03, 2022 2:50 pm - 3:35 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall A (Lower Level)
Join us for a performance of Richard Wright’s “Black Boy,” presented by Literature to Life. Actor Tarantino Smith brings the book to life before your eyes: one person telling the story, performing all of the characters, and transforming an important work of American literature into a live theatrical experience. This production was adapted and directed by Wynn Handman. -
Event | lectures and symposia Under Water: Climate Change and Me with Juli Berwald and Edith Widder
- Saturday, September 03, 2022 2:55 pm - 3:40 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Ballroom B (Level 3, South Building)
The planet’s future isn’t just a public issue—for some, it’s a personal crusade. In “Life on the Rocks,” Juli Berwald describes her admiration of coral reefs and relates their uncertain future to her life. In “Below the Edge of Darkness,” Edith Widder details her fascination with bioluminescence, using it as a lens to understand optimism, communication, even her own health. Moderated by Liz Neeley.- Stage: Society & Culture
- Interests: Animals, Memoir, Nature, Nonfiction, Science
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Event | lectures and symposia My Body, Not My Self: Wrestling with Identity with Diana Goetsch and Sarah Ruhl
- Saturday, September 03, 2022 3:40 pm - 4:35 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, East Salon ABC (Street Level, South Building)
Who hasn’t at some point felt like their body isn’t the same as the person, the soul inhabiting that body? In “This Body I Wore,” Diana Goetsch chronicles a full account of her trans life. In “Smile,” Ruhl shares her story after suffering partial face paralysis that left her incapable of accurately communicating her feelings. Moderated by Rob Casper.- Stage: Writers Studio
- Interests: Health and Wellness, Inspiring and Educational, LGBTQ+, Memoir, Nonfiction
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Event | lectures and symposia How Ya'll Doing?: Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well-Lived with Leslie Jordan
- Saturday, September 03, 2022 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall D (Level 2, North Building)
When actor Leslie Jordan learned he had gone viral, he had no idea what that meant. Now, in “How Ya’ll Doing?,” he recounts how his life has changed and does what he does best: tell stories that make us laugh. For this program, Jordan will be in conversation with the actor who played his mortal enemy on the original “Will and Grace,” Megan Mullally.- Stage: Main Stage
- Interests: Fun and Funny, LGBTQ+, Memoir, Nonfiction
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Event | lectures and symposia Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop with Danyel Smith
- Saturday, September 03, 2022 5:35 pm - 6:20 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Ballroom C (Level 3, South Building)
With a career in media and journalism spanning nearly three decades, Danyel Smith—host of the music podcast Black Girl Songbook—masterfully chronicles formerly unrecognized stories of Black women who shaped America’s music scene. Sidney Madden will join Smith to discuss "Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop."