Schedule

The 2023 Library of Congress National Book Festival will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., on August 12, 2023. A selection of programs will be livestreamed online and videos of all programs will be available shortly after the Festival. Plan your day using our website or download the Festival program and map.

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Thursday August 10, 2023

Event | lectures and symposia

Library of Congress National Book Festival Author Talk: Beverly Gage
Thursday
August 10, 2023
8:00 pm - 9:00 pm EDT Online Only PBS Books, in collaboration with WETA in Washington, D.C., is hosting a conversation with Beverly Gage, author of “G-Man,” to discuss her work and involvement in the Festival. The author will be interviewed by PBS Books' Heather-Marie Montilla.
This event will be livestreamed on pbsbooks.org .
Event Type(s): Partner Events Genres: Biography, General Nonfiction, History, Nonfiction

Saturday August 12, 2023

Event | lectures and symposia

Body Count: Talking About Crime in Our Age of Reckoning with Rebecca Makkai and Sarah Weinman
Saturday
August 12, 2023
9:30 am - 10:30 am EDT West Salon GHI (Street Level, South Building) Which crime victims’ stories get told, retold and obsessed over? What if crime media were instead a catalyst for social change? Rebecca Makkai’s novel “I Have Some Questions for You” examines a fictional, distant murder. Sarah Weinman’s anthology “Evidence of Things Seen” features 14 essays about true crimes and asks readers to think about what justice looks like. Moderated by novelist Angie Kim.
Watch the event recording
Stage: Understanding Stage Event Type(s): Author Presentations, Panels Genres: Fiction, General Nonfiction, History, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Nonfiction, Social Justice, Thriller
Event | special events

Sarah Weinman Book Signing
Saturday
August 12, 2023
11:00 am - 12:00 pm EDT Hall DE (Level 2, North Building) Sarah Weinman signs "Evidence of Things Seen: True Crime in an Era of Reckoning" in book signing line 8. Event Type(s): Book Signings Genres: General Nonfiction, History, Nonfiction, Social Justice
Event | lectures and symposia

"Poverty, by America" with Matthew Desmond
Saturday
August 12, 2023
11:45 am - 12:30 pm EDT Ballroom A (Level 3, South Building) Poverty is expensive, not only for the people experiencing it but for America as a whole. Matthew Desmond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Evicted,” will discuss his new book, “Poverty, by America,” which asks why the richest nation on earth has more poverty than any other nation. Desmond will be in conversation with Frederick Wherry.
Watch the event recording
Stage: Inspiration Stage Event Type(s): Author Presentations Genres: General Nonfiction, History, Nonfiction, Social Justice
Event | lectures and symposia

Yards Between Us: Sports and American Culture with R.K. Russell
Saturday
August 12, 2023
12:00 pm - 12:45 pm EDT East Salon ABC (Street Level, South Building) R.K. Russell’s sports life and personal life collided when he publicly identified as bisexual during his time in the NFL. In “The Yards Between Us,” he aims to shorten the distance between LGBTQ+ professional athletes and American communities. He shares his experience struggling with the secret of his sexuality while on his path towards the NFL. Moderated by Roswell Encina.
Watch the event recording
Stage: Insight Stage Event Type(s): Author Presentations Genres: Black and African American, General Nonfiction, LGBTQ+, Memoir, Nonfiction, Social Justice
Event | special events

Matthew Desmond Book Signing
Saturday
August 12, 2023
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm EDT Hall DE (Level 2, North Building) Matthew Desmond signs "Poverty, by America" in book signing line 9. Event Type(s): Book Signings Genres: General Nonfiction, History, Nonfiction, Social Justice
Event | special events

R.K. Russell Book Signing
Saturday
August 12, 2023
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm EDT Hall DE (Level 2, North Building) R.K. Russell signs "The Yards Between Us: A Memoir of Life, Love and Football" in book signing line 4. Event Type(s): Book Signings Genres: Black and African American, General Nonfiction, LGBTQ+, Memoir, Nonfiction, Social Justice
Event | lectures and symposia

The World Offers Itself to Your Imagination: Nature Poetry with Camille T. Dungy and Joy Harjo
Saturday
August 12, 2023
1:45 pm - 2:45 pm EDT Ballroom A (Level 3, South Building) Throughout time, readers have turned to poetry to connect to the beauty and mystery of the natural world. Join former U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo (“Weaving Sundown in a Scarlet Light”) and Camille T. Dungy (“Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden”) as they discuss how today’s poets write about nature in new and necessary ways. Moderated by NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe.
Watch the event recording
Stage: Inspiration Stage Event Type(s): Author Presentations, Panels Genres: Black and African American, General Nonfiction, Native American, Nature, Nonfiction, Poetry
Event | lectures and symposia

Cook Tales and Cocktails From the Library of Congress
Saturday
August 12, 2023
2:45 pm - 3:15 pm EDT Hall DE (Level 2, North Building) The recent publication “American Feast: Cookbooks and Cocktails from the Library of Congress” traces the lip-smacking evolution of food and drink from the colonial period to the present. Join authors Zach Klitzman and Susan Reyburn for a discussion on rare and landmark cookbooks as well as the surprising culinary treasures their research uncovered.
Watch the event recording
Stage: Library of Congress Pavilion Event Type(s): Library Expert Presentations Genres: Book Series, General Nonfiction, History, Nonfiction
Event | special events

Beverly Gage Book Signing
Saturday
August 12, 2023
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm EDT Hall DE (Level 2, North Building) Beverly Gage signs "G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century" in book signing line 8. Event Type(s): Book Signings Genres: Biography, General Nonfiction, History, Nonfiction
Event | special events

James Kirchick Book Signing
Saturday
August 12, 2023
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm EDT Hall DE (Level 2, North Building) James Kirchick signs "Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington" in book signing line 9. Event Type(s): Book Signings Genres: General Nonfiction, History, LGBTQ+, Nonfiction
Event | lectures and symposia

Behind the Scenes With Black Writers with Jericho Brown, Camille T. Dungy and Tiphanie Yanique
Saturday
August 12, 2023
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm EDT East Salon ABC (Street Level, South Building) Black culture and identity have greatly influenced how Black creatives interpret the world. “How We Do It: Black Writers on Craft, Practice and Skill,” edited by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Jericho Brown, is an anthology in which Black writers explore how they approach the creative process. Contributors Camille T. Dungy and Tiphanie Yanique join Brown at this event.
Watch the event recording
Stage: Insight Stage Event Type(s): Author Presentations Genres: Black and African American, Caribbean, General Nonfiction, Inspiring and Educational, Nonfiction
Event | lectures and symposia

Medicine and the New Human with Siddhartha Mukherjee
Saturday
August 12, 2023
4:15 pm - 5:00 pm EDT Ballroom A (Level 3, South Building) In his new book “The Song of the Cell,” physician and author Siddhartha Mukherjee, also the author of “The Emperor of All Maladies,” takes the reader back to the discovery of cells, the ways that discovery revolutionized medicine and the remarkable new therapies science is unleashing to combat cancer and other illnesses. Moderated by David M. Rubenstein.
Watch the event recording
Stage: Inspiration Stage Event Type(s): Author Presentations Genres: Asian and Pacific Islander, General Nonfiction, History, Nonfiction, Science
Event | lectures and symposia

Dig In: What Food Says About Us with Cheuk Kwan and Anya von Bremzen
Saturday
August 12, 2023
4:45 pm - 5:45 pm EDT East Salon ABC (Street Level, South Building) Food: it’s stuff on a plate but also something that tells others about what’s in our hearts and our minds. In “Have You Eaten Yet?,” Cheuk Kwan interviews Chinese restaurant owners and workers, showcasing their resilience and multifaceted identities. From Mexican to Japanese, Anya von Bremzen’s “National Dish” reveals the complex history of six iconic national cuisines. Moderated by The Washington Post’s Daniela Galarza.
Watch the event recording
Stage: Insight Stage Event Type(s): Author Presentations, Panels Genres: Asian and Pacific Islander, General Nonfiction, History, Inspiring and Educational, Nonfiction
Event | special events

Camille T. Dungy Book Signing
Saturday
August 12, 2023
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm EDT Hall DE (Level 2, North Building) Camille T. Dungy signs "Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden" and "How We Do It: Black Writers on Craft, Practice and Skill" in book signing line 5. Event Type(s): Book Signings Genres: Black and African American, General Nonfiction, Inspiring and Educational, Nature, Nonfiction
Event | special events

Jericho Brown Book Signing
Saturday
August 12, 2023
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm EDT Hall DE (Level 2, North Building) Jericho Brown signs "How We Do It: Black Writers on Craft, Practice and Skill" in book signing line 4. Event Type(s): Book Signings Genres: Black and African American, General Nonfiction, Inspiring and Educational, Nonfiction
Event | special events

Tiphanie Yanique Book Signing
Saturday
August 12, 2023
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm EDT Hall DE (Level 2, North Building) Tiphanie Yanique signs "How We Do It: Black Writers on Craft, Practice and Skill" and "Monster in the Middle: A Novel" in book signing line 6. Event Type(s): Book Signings Genres: Black and African American, Caribbean, Fiction, General Nonfiction, Inspiring and Educational, Nonfiction
Event | special events

Siddhartha Mukherjee Book Signing
Saturday
August 12, 2023
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm EDT Hall DE (Level 2, North Building) Siddhartha Mukherjee signs "The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human" in book signing line 10. Event Type(s): Book Signings Genres: Asian and Pacific Islander, General Nonfiction, History, Nonfiction, Science
Event | lectures and symposia

"You: The Story" with Ruta Sepetys
Saturday
August 12, 2023
5:40 pm - 6:25 pm EDT Room 204 (Level 2, South Building) The most powerful aspect of a story is your voice—without it there is no story. In her new book “You: The Story: A Writer’s Guide to Craft Through Memory,” Ruta Sepetys teaches aspiring writers how to dig deep into their memories and masterfully explore them on the page in a personal, authentic way. Moderated by Alexa Patrick with teen moderator Abigail Sears.
Watch the event recording
Stage: Discovery Stage Event Type(s): Author Presentations, For Teens and Adults Genres: General Nonfiction, Inspiring and Educational, Nonfiction, Young Adult
Event | special events

Anya von Bremzen Book Signing
Saturday
August 12, 2023
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm EDT Hall DE (Level 2, North Building) Anya von Bremzen signs "National Dish: Around the World in Search of Food, History and the Meaning of Home" in book signing line 7. Event Type(s): Book Signings Genres: General Nonfiction, History, Inspiring and Educational, Nonfiction
Event | lectures and symposia

"AphroChic": Celebrating the Black Family Home with Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason
Saturday
August 12, 2023
6:00 pm - 6:45 pm EDT East Salon ABC (Street Level, South Building) If there’s one place to find rich generational history besides a museum, it’s a house. Follow Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason as they explore the intimate spaces of Black family homes from their smart new design book, “AphroChic: Celebrating the Legacy of the Black Family Home.” Moderated by The Washington Post’s Robin Givhan.
Watch the event recording
Stage: Insight Stage Event Type(s): Author Presentations Genres: Black and African American, General Nonfiction, Inspiring and Educational, Nonfiction
Event | special events

Cheuk Kwan Book Signing
Saturday
August 12, 2023
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm EDT Hall DE (Level 2, North Building) Cheuk Kwan signs "Have You Eaten Yet: Stories from Chinese Restaurants Around the World" in book signing line 6. Event Type(s): Book Signings Genres: Asian and Pacific Islander, General Nonfiction, History, Inspiring and Educational, Nonfiction
Event | special events

Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason Book Signing
Saturday
August 12, 2023
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm EDT Hall DE (Level 2, North Building) Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason sign "AphroChic: Celebrating the Legacy of the Black Family Home" in book signing line 5. Event Type(s): Book Signings Genres: Black and African American, General Nonfiction, Inspiring and Educational, Nonfiction
Event | special events

Ruta Sepetys Book Signing
Saturday
August 12, 2023
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm EDT Hall DE (Level 2, North Building) Ruta Sepetys signs "You: The Story: A Writer's Guide to Craft Through Memory" in book signing line 10. Event Type(s): Book Signings, For Teens and Adults Genres: General Nonfiction, Inspiring and Educational, Nonfiction, Young Adult

Thursday August 24, 2023

Event | lectures and symposia

Library of Congress National Book Festival Author Talk: Matthew Desmond
Thursday
August 24, 2023
8:00 pm - 9:00 pm EDT Online Only PBS Books, in collaboration with WTTW in Chicago, is hosting a conversation with Matthew Desmond, author of “Poverty, By America,” to discuss his work and involvement in the Festival. The author will be interviewed by PBS Books' Heather-Marie Montilla.
This event will be livestreamed on pbsbooks.org .
Event Type(s): Partner Events Genres: General Nonfiction, History, Nonfiction, Social Justice

All Genres
Adventure
Asian and Pacific Islander
Biography
Black and African American
Book Series
Caribbean
Debut
Family
Fantasy
Fiction
Fun and Funny
General Nonfiction
Graphic Novel
Guatemalan
Hispanic
Historical Fiction
History
Horror
Inspiring and Educational
LGBTQ+
Literary Fiction
Memoir
Mexican
Middle Grade
Mystery
Native American
Nature
Nonfiction
Picture Book
Poetry
Romance
Science
Science Fiction
Social Justice
Thriller
Young Adult