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Festival Information

The 23rd annual Library of Congress National Book Festival will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, August 12, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (doors open at 8:30 a.m.). The event is free and open to the public. A selection of programs will be livestreamed online and videos of all programs will be available shortly after the Festival. Attendees may expect enhanced safety and security measures when entering the Convention Center.

Getting Here

The National Book Festival is held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, located at 801 Mt. Vernon Place NW, Washington, D.C. The center is conveniently located near the Mount Vernon Square Metro station on the Yellow and Green lines. For additional information and route planning, visit the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority website at www.wmata.com External.

Parking: Multiple parking garages are located around the Walter E. Washington Convention Center with hourly and daily rates. For more information, visit the Walter E. Washington Convention Center site External.

Plan Your Day

Plan your day with the filterable Festival schedule on our website. You can also view and download the Festival program PDF and Festival map. Note that any last-minute schedule adjustments will only be updated on the website and will not be reflected in the Festival program PDF.

If you aren’t able to attend in person, learn more about how to experience the Festival online with our virtual attendee guide.

There are a variety of dining options available within and around the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Discover food options available within the Convention Center. For more information, visit their website External.

Book Sales and Festival Merchandise

Politics and Prose is the official bookseller for the 2023 National Book Festival, and will be selling books at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and on its website. Visit the Library of Congress Shop at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center or online to purchase National Book Festival t-shirts and other items external link.

National Book Festival Poster

The 2023 National Book Festival poster was designed by fine artist, illustrator and writer Lisa Congdon.

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. A limited number of printed posters will be available at the information stations on the street level and second level of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Also, you may request to have a printed poster shipped to you with a donation of $25 or more to support the National Book Festival by selecting “I’d like to receive a 2023 National Book Festival poster!” when making your donation.

Explore the History of the Festival

Since the first National Book Festival on Sept. 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 with the story map, “Around the World in National Book Festival Books.” This story map brings you on a journey across the globe through a selection of featured books from 2012 to 2021.

Accessibility

We want the festival to be fun for everyone! ASL interpreting services and CART services will be provided during scheduled presentations. If you need additional assistance, the Accessibility & Information station will offer access to ASL interpreters, assistive listening devices (ALDs), braille programs and other special services. Contact ADA@loc.gov for additional accessibility or accommodations inquiries.

Download the braille program and read more about available services

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: