Schedule
The 2024 Library of Congress National Book Festival will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, August 24, 2024.
A selection of programs will be livestreamed
online and videos of all programs will be available shortly after the Festival.
Search Results: 27 item(s)
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9:00 AM
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Event | lectures and symposia Connecting Communities Digital Initiative: Library Collections for Everyone- Saturday, August 24, 2024 9:00 am - 9:30 am EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)
Since 2021, the Library, through its Of the People: Widening the Path (OTP) program, has provided support to individuals and organizations to create projects by and focused on communities of color. Hear from the Connecting Communities Digital Initiative and the American Folklife Center as they share the amazing work of OTP awardees and how you can also use the Library's vast digital collections. -
Event | lectures and symposia Welcome to Story District with "No More Señora Mimí" by Meg Medina
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 9:00 am - 9:30 am EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)
National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Meg Medina opens Story District programming and reads aloud from her new picture book, "No More Señora Mimí."- Stage: Story District
- Event Type(s): For Children, Story Readings
- Genre(s): Family, Fiction, Hispanic, Picture Book
10:00 AM
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Event | lectures and symposia ¡La Biblioteca del Congreso es para todos!
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 10:00 am - 10:30 am EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)
Súmense a nuestra única presentación en español para tener una visión general de la Biblioteca, sus colecciones, programas y servicios. Entérense de los recursos y datos divertidos disponibles para quienes aman la cultura, la historia y, sobre todo, ¡la lectura!- Stage: Library of Congress Pavilion
- Event Type(s): For Adults, For Children, For Teens, Library Expert Presentations
- Genre(s): Hispanic, Inspiring and Educational
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Event | lectures and symposia Where Can We Find Kindness? with Steve Asbell and Stephanie Seales
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 10:10 am - 10:40 am EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Room 209 (Level 2, South Building)
How do we learn how to be kind to ourselves and to people around us? Steve Asbell demonstrates the way stimming can help every kid with their emotions in “Flap Your Hands,” and Stephanie Seales shows us, through the eyes of a girl, how her father is a role model in their community in “My Daddy Is a Cowboy.” Moderated by Alli Hartley-Kong.- Stage: Room 209
- Event Type(s): Author Presentations, For Adults, For Children, Panels
- Genre(s): Black and African American, Debut, Family, Fiction, Hispanic, Inspiring and Educational, Neurodiversity, Picture Book
10:30 AM
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Event | lectures and symposia Hispanic American Business Icons
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 10:30 am - 11:00 am EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)
Embark on a journey into captivating tales of trailblazing Hispanic American entrepreneurs from the Library collections. Explore sources that document the extraordinary lives of icon Desi Arnaz, the multifaceted Cuban-born entertainer; Federico José Ronstadt, the illustrious Tucson tycoon; Don Prudencio and Carolina Uanue, who created Goya foods; and Don Vicente Martinez Ybor, the Cigar industrialist and founder of Ybor City.- Stage: Library of Congress Pavilion
- Event Type(s): For Adults, For Teens, Library Expert Presentations
- Genre(s): Hispanic, History, Inspiring and Educational, Nonfiction
11:00 AM
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Event | special events Steve Asbell and Stephanie Seales Book Signing
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 11:00 am - 12:00 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)
Steve Asbell signs "Flap Your Hands: A Celebration of Stimming" and Stephanie Seales signs "My Daddy Is a Cowboy" in book signing line 15.- Stage: Book Signing
- Event Type(s): Book Signings, For Adults, For Children
- Genre(s): Black and African American, Debut, Family, Fiction, Hispanic, Inspiring and Educational, Neurodiversity, Picture Book
11:30 AM
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Event | lectures and symposia Let's Talk About the Grown-Ups Who Care for Us, with Meg Medina
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 11:30 am - 12:00 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Room 209 (Level 2, South Building)
When we are kids, we’re sometimes lucky enough to have amazing caregivers. Over time, we have to separate, whether we’re moving on or just getting older. Celebrate the warm, caring people who add to the magic of our childhoods with Meg Medina, the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, in her new book “No More Señora Mimí.” Moderated by Anya Creightney.- Stage: Room 209
- Event Type(s): Author Presentations, For Adults, For Children
- Genre(s): Family, Fiction, Hispanic, Picture Book
12:00 PM
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Event | lectures and symposia "Tina Cocolina: The Queen of Cupcakes" by Pablo Cartaya
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 12:00 pm - 12:30 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)
If you’re a fan of cupcakes, everything pink and delectable fashion, you’re in the right place! Enjoy this read-aloud from from Pablo Cartaya’s picture book “Tina Cocolina: Queen of the Cupcakes,” which has all that and more, including recipes! For more of Cartaya’s work, check out his National Book Festival-featured graphic novel, “Curveball.”- Stage: Story District
- Event Type(s): For Children, Story Readings
- Genre(s): Fiction, Food, Fun and Funny, Hispanic, Picture Book
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Event | special events Meg Medina Book Signing
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 12:15 pm - 1:15 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)
Meg Medina signs "No More Señora Mimí" in book signing line 15.- Stage: Book Signing
- Event Type(s): Book Signings, For Adults, For Children
- Genre(s): Family, Fiction, Hispanic, Picture Book
1:00 PM
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Event | lectures and symposia "My Daddy Is a Cowboy" by Stephanie Seales
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 1:00 pm - 1:30 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)
We can find models of kindness everywhere: people on TV, characters in books or people you live with! Author Stephanie Seales reads aloud from her picture book “My Daddy Is a Cowboy,” which is featured at this year’s National Book Festival.- Stage: Story District
- Event Type(s): For Children, Story Readings
- Genre(s): Black and African American, Debut, Family, Fiction, Hispanic, Inspiring and Educational, Picture Book
1:30 PM
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Event | lectures and symposia Who Dies First?: Horror with Terry J. Benton-Walker, Desiree S. Evans, Saraciea J. Fennell
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Room 204 (Level 2, South Building)
We’ve all encountered the horror tropes: A bored rich kid. A virginal final girl. A token minority character inevitably dying first. Terry J. Benton Walker (“The White Guy Dies First”) and Desiree S. Evans and Saraciea Fennell (“The Black Girl Survives in This One”) discuss their anthologies that slash and dice through horror tropes with moderator B.A. Parker.- Stage: Room 204
- Event Type(s): Author Presentations, For Adults, For Teens, Panels
- Genre(s): Anthology, Black and African American, Fantasy, Fiction, Hispanic, Horror, LGBTQ+, Young Adult
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Event | lectures and symposia Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of "The House on Mango Street" with Sandra Cisneros
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 1:50 pm - 2:35 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Ballroom ABC (Level 3, South Building)
Join us as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Sandra Cisneros’ “The House on Mango Street,” a novel that has become a modern classic and is taught in schools nationwide. Cisneros is in conversation at this event with NPR journalist Rachel Martin.- Stage: Main Stage
- Event Type(s): Author Presentations, For Adults, For Teens
- Genre(s): Family, Fiction, Hispanic, Inspiring and Educational, Literary Fiction, Young Adult
2:00 PM
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Event | lectures and symposia Questing for Peace in Fantasy Worlds with J.C. Cervantes and Zetta Elliott
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 2:10 pm - 2:40 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Room 209 (Level 2, South Building)
Fantasy fans, this is for you! Battles of wits (and witches), vanishing magic, the strength of family ties, a search for peace, and the power that can be found within every kid: it’s all here, in J.C. Cervantes’ series-starter “Daggers of Ire” and Zetta Elliott’s “Dragons in a Bag” series finale “The War of the Witches.” Moderated by Ashleigh Rose.- Stage: Room 209
- Event Type(s): Author Presentations, For Children, Panels
- Genre(s): Adventure, Black and African American, Book Series, Dragons, Family, Fantasy, Fiction, Hispanic, Middle Grade
2:30 PM
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Event | special events Desiree S. Evans and Saraciea J. Fennell Book Signing
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 2:45 pm - 3:45 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)
Desiree S. Evans and Saraciea J. Fennell sign "The Black Girl Survives in This One: Horror Stories" in book signing line 6.- Stage: Book Signing
- Event Type(s): Book Signings, For Adults, For Teens
- Genre(s): Anthology, Black and African American, Fantasy, Fiction, Hispanic, Horror, Young Adult
3:00 PM
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Event | special events J.C. Cervantes and Zetta Elliott Book Signing
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)
J.C. Cervantes signs "The Daggers of Ire" and Zetta Elliott signs "The War of the Witches" in book signing line 7.- Stage: Book Signing
- Event Type(s): Book Signings, For Children
- Genre(s): Adventure, Black and African American, Book Series, Dragons, Family, Fantasy, Fiction, Hispanic, Middle Grade
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Event | lectures and symposia "Let's Talk Books!" Live with Meg Medina, Sam Winston and Oliver Jeffers Event has been updated
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 3:00 pm - 3:30 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)
One of Meg Medina’s projects as the current National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature is an 18-segment video series called “Let’s Talk Books!” In each video, Meg hears from guest authors about their favorite books, their childhoods and career paths as authors. Check out this live “Let’s Talk Books!” with authors Sam Winston and Oliver Jeffers, who join us from the U.K.!- Stage: Story District
- Event Type(s): For Adults, For Children, For Teens, Special Programs
- Genre(s): Fun and Funny, Hispanic, Inspiring and Educational
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Event | special events Sandra Cisneros Book Signing
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)
Sandra Cisneros signs "The House on Mango Street" in book signing line 4.- Stage: Book Signing
- Event Type(s): Book Signings, For Adults, For Teens
- Genre(s): Family, Fiction, Hispanic, Inspiring and Educational, Literary Fiction, Young Adult
3:30 PM
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Event | lectures and symposia A Kid vs. the World: Your Voice Has Power with Anna Lapera and Sherri Winston
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 3:30 pm - 4:00 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Room 209 (Level 2, South Building)
Sharkita may be 12, but she takes care of her younger siblings, their mother often absent. Mani doesn’t want to go to Guatemala, until she starts discovering her family’s stories of activism for women’s rights. See how they find the voice and courage to speak up in Sherri Winston’s “Shark Teeth” and Anna Lapera’s “Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice.” Moderated by Ofelia Montelongo.- Stage: Room 209
- Event Type(s): Author Presentations, For Children, Panels
- Genre(s): Black and African American, Debut, Family, Fiction, Hispanic, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade
4:00 PM
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Event | lectures and symposia America's Largest and Least Understood Minority: Marie Arana on "LatinoLand"
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 4:10 pm - 4:55 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, East Salon ABC (Street Level, South Building)
Journalist and writer Marie Arana has taken on a nearly impossible task in “LatinoLand”: write an overview of Latino America. Latino Americans make up nearly 20% of the American population but they are not a monolith or a single group. Join us as Arana talks about her work interviewing and depicting Latino Americans, in conversation with María Peña.- Stage: East Salon ABC
- Event Type(s): Author Presentations, For Adults
- Genre(s): Hispanic, History, Nonfiction
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Event | lectures and symposia Sports and Why We Love Them: Graphic Novels with Pablo Cartaya and Hena Khan
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 4:10 pm - 4:40 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Room 209 (Level 2, South Building)
Team sports demand dedication and grit. Many face even more challenges: pressure from parents, lack of self-confidence or weak teamwork. The hijabi basketball team in Hena Khan’s “We Are Big Time” and Elena, the one girl on the baseball team in Pablo Cartaya’s “Curveball,” find how they can love the game and be excellent in and out of sports. Moderated by Neil Greenberg.- Stage: Room 209
- Event Type(s): Author Presentations, For Children, Panels
- Genre(s): Asian and Pacific Islander, Fiction, Fun and Funny, Graphic Novel, Hispanic, Middle Grade
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Event | special events Anna Lapera and Sherri Winston Book Signing
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 4:15 pm - 5:15 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)
Anna Lapera signs "Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice" and Sherri Winston signs "Shark Teeth" in book signing line 14.- Stage: Book Signing
- Event Type(s): Book Signings, For Children
- Genre(s): Black and African American, Debut, Family, Fiction, Hispanic, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade
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Event | special events Forrest Gander and Ruben Quesada Book Signing
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 4:15 pm - 5:15 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)
Forrest Gander and Ruben Quesada sign "Leaning Toward Light: Poems for Gardens & the Hands That Tend Them" in book signing line 6.- Stage: Book Signing
- Event Type(s): Book Signings, For Adults
- Genre(s): Anthology, Hispanic, Nature, Poetry
5:00 PM
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Event | special events Pablo Cartaya and Hena Khan Book Signing
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)
Pablo Cartaya signs "Curveball" and Hena Khan signs "We Are Big Time" in book signing line 10.- Stage: Book Signing
- Event Type(s): Book Signings, For Children
- Genre(s): Asian and Pacific Islander, Fiction, Fun and Funny, Graphic Novel, Hispanic, Middle Grade
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Event | special events Marie Arana Book Signing
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 5:15 pm - 6:15 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)
Marie Arana signs "LatinoLand: A Portrait of America's Largest and Least Understood Minority" in book signing line 12.- Stage: Book Signing
- Event Type(s): Book Signings, For Adults
- Genre(s): Hispanic, History, Nonfiction
5:30 PM
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Event | concerts and performances Literature to Life: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 5:30 pm - 6:15 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Room 209 (Level 2, South Building)
The literary nonprofit Literature to Life performs great books that inspire readers to reflect on their lives, performances that inspire change and build community. They have performed at the Festival since 2022. This year, we are thrilled they are bringing Erika L. Sánchez’s revered novel “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter” to life.- Stage: Room 209
- Event Type(s): For Adults, For Children, For Teens, Special Programs
- Genre(s): Family, Fiction, Hispanic, Young Adult
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Event | lectures and symposia On Writing and "How the Boogeyman Became a Poet" with Tony Keith Jr.
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 5:30 pm - 6:00 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)
This one is for all you writers, creators, poets, philosophers and storytellers. We invite teens and kids to author Tony Keith Jr.’s reading from his National Book Festival-featured memoir in verse, “How the Boogeyman Became a Poet,” and to join a discussion about how writing helps us discover our innermost selves.- Stage: Story District
- Event Type(s): For Children, For Teens, Story Readings
- Genre(s): Black and African American, Debut, Hispanic, LGBTQ+, Memoir, Social Justice, Young Adult
6:30 PM
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Event | lectures and symposia Poems of the Earth: Tess Taylor, Forrest Gander and Ruben Quesada Event has been updated
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 6:50 pm - 7:50 pm EDT
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Room 204 (Level 2, South Building)
“Leaning Toward Light,” edited by Tess Taylor, is an anthology featuring today’s most notable nature poets, some of whom are joining us at the Festival. Tess Taylor, Forrest Gander and Ruben Quesada discuss poetry that takes stock of the natural world and contributes to it. Moderated by Rob Casper. Note: Book signing before event.- Stage: Room 204
- Event Type(s): Author Presentations, For Adults, Panels
- Genre(s): Anthology, Hispanic, Nature, Poetry