August 3, 2009 Authors James Patterson, George Pelecanos, Nikki Grimes, Marilynne Robinson, Daniel Silva Join National Book Festival Lineup; New Social Networking and Interactive Features Engage Book-Lovers Online

Authors James Patterson, George Pelecanos, Nikki Grimes, Marilynne Robinson, Sharon Creech, Daniel Silva and W. Ralph Eubanks will be among the writers and illustrators joining the stellar lineup for the ninth annual National Book Festival, to be held on the National Mall from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26. The event is free and open to the public.

Patterson will present at the Mysteries & Thrillers Pavilion, and also at the Teens & Children pavilion this year. He is the author of the widely popular Alex Cross series of thrillers set in Washington, D.C., and writes novels aimed at teens as well. Authors Daniel Silva and George Pelecanos—the author of 15 crime novels set in and around Washington, D.C.—will present in that pavilion.

Also coming to the Teens & Children pavilion will be authors Nikki Grimes, Sharon Creech and Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah, who will appear with his collaborator, Carmen Agra Deedy. Authors joining the popular Poetry & Prose pavilion include Marilynne Robinson, Julia Glass and W. Ralph Eubanks. These authors are among the more than 70 celebrated writers and illustrators participating in this year’s event. (An updated list of authors follows below).

To provide festival-goers with the latest event news and information, the Library of Congress has added a variety of social networking features, including updates through Twitter and Facebook. To receive up-to-the-minute information for this year’s event such as author activities, day-of event details and much more, follow the Library on Twitter (@librarycongress, hashtag #nbf) or become a Fan of the Library on Facebook (www.facebook.com/libraryofcongress).

Book-lovers will also enjoy the launch, at the festival, of the website Read.gov, which will pull together all of the Library’s literary-promotion programs into a single, accessible platform for readers of all ages.

The Library also will offer a new collection of podcasts, featuring interviews with festival authors. Available free of charge through the Library’s website or on iTunes, these personal interviews make it possible for book-lovers around the country to participate in the event. Event webcasts will also be made available on the Library’s site this year and have been archived from previous festivals.

Don't forget to download and display the festival poster in your home, school, local library and community. It can be found at www.loc.gov/bookfest/2009/poster.html. Right-click it to download.

Members of the media can register for the festival via the online media pressroom and request interviews with authors at www.loc.gov/pressroom.

For more information about this year’s National Book Festival, visit www.loc.gov/bookfest.

2009 NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL AUTHORS:

• Children’s authors Mary Brigid Barrett, Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi, Kate DiCamillo, Shannon Hale, Craig Hatkoff, Nikki Grimes, Steven Kellogg, Lois Lowry, Megan McDonald, Charles Santore (illustrator of the festival poster), Jon Scieszka and David Shannon, and Mo Willems;
• Teens & Children authors Judy Blume, Pat Carman, Sharon Creech, Paula Deen, Carmen Agra Deedy and Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah, Shannon Hale, Liz Kessler, Jeff Kinney, James Patterson, Jerry Pinkney, Rick Riordan, Sharon Robinson and Kadir Nelson, James L. Swanson and Jacqueline Woodson;
• History & Biography authors Dan Balz, Douglas Brinkley, Ken Burns, Dayton Duncan, Kirstin Downey, Annette Gordon-Reed, Gwen Ifill, Haynes Johnson, Sue Monk Kidd, Mark Kurlansky, Jon Meacham, Rickey Minor, Simon Schama, Patricia Sullivan, Ann Kidd Taylor and David A. Taylor;
• Fiction & Fantasy authors Sabiha Al Khemir, Julia Alvarez, Junot Díaz, John Grisham, John Irving, Katherine Neville, Jodi Picoult, Nicholas Sparks, Jeannette Walls, Colson Whitehead and David Wroblewski;
• Mysteries & Thrillers authors David Baldacci, Lee Child, Mary Jane Clark, Margaret Coel, Michael Connelly, Craig Johnson, Walter Mosley, James Patterson, George Pelecanos, S.J. Rozan, Lisa Scottline and Daniel Silva;
• Poetry & Prose authors W. Ralph Eubanks, Julia Glass, Edward Hirsch, Jane Hirshfield, Ana Menendez, Azar Nafisi, student winners in the Poetry Out Loud competition Marilynne Robinson and Kay Ryan, Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress.

The 2009 National Book Festival is made possible through the support of Target, the Distinguished Benefactor; Charter Sponsors PBS KIDS Raising Readers and The Washington Post; Patrons AT&T, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, The James Madison Council and the National Endowment for the Arts; Contributors Borders, Digital Bookmobile powered by OverDrive, the Library of Congress Federal Credit Union, Penguin Group (USA), ReadAloud.org, Scholastic Inc. and USAirways; and Friends The Hay-Adams and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Thanks also to C-SPAN2’s Book TV for providing onsite coverage of the festival and to the Junior League of Washington for providing 400 volunteers for the event.

The Library of Congress, the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution, is the world’s preeminent reservoir of knowledge, providing unparalleled collections and integrated resources to Congress and the American people. Many of the Library’s rich resources and treasures may be accessed through the Library’s website, www.loc.gov, and via interactive exhibitions on myLOC.gov.