2014 National Book Festival

The 2014 National Book Festival was held on Saturday, August 30, 2014, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Our podcast series features one-on-one chats with some of this year's featured authors.

  • Audio Recording
    Louisa Lim: 2014 National Book Festival David Taylor from the Library of Congress speaks with Louisa Lim, who will appear at the 2014 National Book Festival on August 30 in Washington, D.C.BiographyLouisa Lim is an NPR international correspondent based in Beijing. In her book “The People’s Republic of Amnesia: Tiananmen Revisited,” Lim uncovers a tragedy from China’s modern history that has been untold for nearly 25 years. Through eyewitness accounts…
    • Contributor: Louisa Lim - David Taylor
    • Date: 2014-08-27
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    Cokie Roberts: 2014 National Book Festival Karen Jaffe from the Library of Congress speaks with Cokie Roberts, who will appear at the 2014 National Book Festival on August 30 in Washington, D.C.BiographyJournalist Cokie Roberts is a senior correspondent for NPR as well as a frequent guest on various Washington public affairs programs. Roberts is also an accomplished author, with several books to her credit, including “We Are Our Mothers’ Daughters,”…
    • Contributor: Karen Jaffee - Cokie Roberts
    • Date: 2014-08-25
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    Anne Hillerman: 2014 National Book Festival Jennifer Gavin from the Library of Congress speaks with Anne Hillerman, who will appear at the 2014 National Book Festival on August 30 in Washington, D.C.BiographyThe characters Jim Chee, Joe Leaphorn and Bernadete Manuelito, made famous by Tony Hillerman, get a new story line in “Spider Woman’s Daughter,” by Hillerman’s daughter, Anne Hillerman. “Spider Woman” is Anne Hillerman’s first novel, though not her first…
    • Contributor: Jennifer Gavin - Anne Hillerman
    • Date: 2014-08-22
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    Laura and Peter Zeranski: 2014 National Book Festival Agnieszka Pukniel from the Library of Congress speaks with Laura & Peter Zeranski, who will appear at the 2014 National Book Festival on August 30 in Washington, D.C.BiographyHusband-and-wife cooking team Laura and Peter Zeranski have focused on the art of Polish cuisine for almost 40 years. Peter’s mother, Alina Zeranska, encouraged a love for Polish food in the family after publishing “The Art of…
    • Contributor: Agnieszka Pukniel - Peter Zeranski - Laura Zeranski
    • Date: 2014-08-20
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    Nina Khrushcheva: 2014 National Book Festival George Thuronyi from the Library of Congress speaks with Nina Khrushcheva, who will appear at the 2014 National Book Festival on August 30 in Washington, D.C.BiographyAuthor and scholar Nina Khrushcheva is associate professor in the Graduate Program of International Affairs at the New School and a senior fellow of the World Policy Institute, where she is director of the Russia Project. In her part…
    • Contributor: Nina Khrushcheva - George Thuronyi
    • Date: 2014-08-18
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    Liza Donnelly: 2014 National Book Festival Martha Kennedy from the Library of Congress speaks with Liza Donnelly, who will appear at the 2014 National Book Festival on August 30 in Washington, D.C.BiographyAuthor and cartoonist Liza Donnelly is best known for her career with The New Yorker, where she has been drawing cartoons on culture and politics for more than 30 years. Her work has been featured in several notable publications,…
    • Contributor: Liza Donnelly
    • Date: 2014-08-15
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    Theodore Taylor III: 2014 National Book Festival Rosemary Girard from the Library of Congress speaks with Theodore Taylor III, who will appear at the 2014 National Book Festival on August 30 in Washington, D.C.BiographyTheodore Taylor III is a Washington- based artist, designer and photographer. He studied communication arts at Virginia Commonwealth University. Written by Laban Carrick Hill and illustrated by Taylor, “When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the…
    • Contributor: Rosemary Girard - Theodore Taylor III
    • Date: 2014-08-13
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    Billy Collins: 2014 National Book Festival Isabella Hyun from the Library of Congress speaks with Billy Collins, who will appear at the 2014 National Book Festival on August 30 in Washington, D.C.BiographyFormer Poet Laureate (2001-2003) Billy Collins has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Guggenheim Foundation and the New York Foundation for the Arts. Bruce Weber of The New York Times has called Collins “the most…
    • Contributor: Isabella Hyun - Billy Collins
    • Date: 2014-08-11
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    Kate DiCamillo: 2014 National Book Festival Karen Jaffe from the Library of Congress speaks with Kate DiCamillo, who will appear at the 2014 National Book Festival on August 30 in Washington, D.C.BiographyThe National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature of the Library of Congress and the Children’s Book Council, Kate DiCamillo is the recipient of the 2014 Newbery Medal for her latest novel, “Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures.” Her first…
    • Contributor: Karen Jaffe - Kate Dicamillo
    • Date: 2014-08-08
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    Carla Hall: 2014 National Book Festival Jennifer Gavin from the Library of Congress speaks with Carla Hall, who will appear at the 2014 National Book Festival on August 30 in Washington, D.C.BiographyCarla Hall first won the hearts of fans on Bravo’s “Top Chef,” where she was later voted Fan Favorite for her warmth, enthusiasm and delicious food. She is co-host of ABC’s popular lifestyle series “The Chew,” where she shares…
    • Contributor: Jennifer Gavin - Carla Hall
    • Date: 2014-08-06
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    Kai Bird: 2014 National Book Festival David Taylor from the Library of Congress speaks with Kai Bird, who will appear at the 2014 National Book Festival on August 30 in Washington, D.C.BiographyAward-winning author and journalist Kai Bird is best known for his biographies of political figures. Recognized with fellowships from the Thomas J. Watson, Alicia Patterson Journalism and Guggenheim foundations, Bird also co-wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography “American Prometheus: The…
    • Contributor: Kai Bird - David Taylor
    • Date: 2014-08-04
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    David Sibley: 2014 National Book Festival Rosemary Girard from the Library of Congress speaks with David Sibley, who will appear at the 2014 National Book Festival on August 30 in Washington, D.C.BiographyOrnithologist, author and illustrator David Sibley first published “The Sibley Guide to Birds” in 2000, a book that quickly became known as the nation’s supreme and most comprehensive guide to birds. With his recent second edition of “The Sibley…
    • Contributor: Rosemary Girard - David Sibley
    • Date: 2014-08-01
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    Meg Medina: 2014 National Book Festival Roberto Salazar from the Library of Congress speaks with Meg Medina, who will appear at the 2014 National Book Festival on August 30 in Washington, D.C.BiographyAward-winning Cuban-American author Meg Medina is a writer of books for kids of all ages. She prides herself on being about “strong girls, tough circumstances and the connecting power of culture.” In March 2014 she was recognized as one…
    • Contributor: Roberto Salazar - Meg Medina
    • Date: 2014-07-30
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    Bob Staake: 2014 National Book Festival Jennifer Gavin from the Library of Congress speaks with Bob Staake, poster artist for the 2014 National Book Festival on August 30 in Washington, D.C.BiographyBob Staake is a nationally acclaimed illustrator and children’s book author. With an extensive list of publications and design clientele such as Time, McDonald’s, Vanity Fair, Nickelodeon, American Express and countless others, he is known as one of the nation’s…
    • Contributor: Jennifer Gavin - Bob Staake
    • Date: 2014-07-28