Leading Historians, Novelists, Poets and Children’s Writers Among Authors to be Featured in 2018 National Book Festival
Lineup Includes Madeleine Albright, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jon Meacham, Junot Diaz and U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith
Dozens of best-selling authors, leading historians, American poets and children’s writers will be featured speakers at the 2018 National Book Festival, the Library of Congress announced today. This year’s festival will be held Saturday, Sept. 1, from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
This year’s schedule includes a wide-ranging mix of authors and genres.
History and Biography
• Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will discuss her new book, “Fascism: A Warning,” a history of fascism in the 20th century and how its legacy shapes the world.
• Presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin will speak about her new book, “Leadership in Turbulent Times,” an examination of leadership based on four presidents she has studied most closely.
• Historian Jon Meacham will discuss his new book, “The Soul of America,” about critical times in our history when hope overcame fear and division.
• Alexander Hamilton biographer Ron Chernow is back with a new biography of Ulysses S. Grant.
Poetry and Writing
• Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith will join the festival for a conversation with former Poet Laureate Robert Hass about the making of poetry.
• Best-selling author Amy Tan will discuss her new memoir, “Where the Past Begins,” delving into memories of her traumatic childhood, the inspiration behind her fiction writings and the workings of her mind as a writer.
Children and Teens
• Children’s author and Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Diaz will discuss his debut picture book, “Islandborn,” about a girl who can’t remember the island where she immigrated from – so she imagines it with help from family and friends.
• Matt de la Peña and Loren Long will discuss their new children’s book, “Love.”
• Leigh Bardugo will speak about her series, “Six of Crows,” a young adult best-seller.
• Jacqueline Woodson, the Library of Congress National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, will discuss two new books she has been writing.
Novelists
• Isabel Allende will discuss her novel “In the Midst of Winter.” The story is about an academic who rear-ends a car driven by an undocumented immigrant and an adventure that unfolds.
• Dave Eggers tells the true story of a young Yemeni American man’s quest to resurrect the ancient art of Yemeni coffee but is trapped by civil war in his new book, “The Monk of Mokha.”
• Jennifer Egan will discuss her historical novel “Manhattan Beach,” set in the docks of Brooklyn during World War II when a girl becomes the first female diver on the squad.
Additional authors—including the Main Stage lineup—and other details of the festival will be announced in the coming months. More information and updates will be available on the National Book Festival website at loc.gov/bookfest/.
The National Book Festival is made possible by the generous support of private- and public-sector sponsors who share the Library’s commitment to reading and literacy, led by National Book Festival Co-Chairman David M. Rubenstein. Charter sponsors include the Institute of Museum and Library Services, The Washington Post and Wells Fargo; Patron sponsors The James Madison Council, the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities; PBS is the Champion-level sponsor; Contributor-level sponsors National Geographic and Scholastic Inc.; and, in the Friends category, Booklovers Circle members, Marshall B. Coyne Foundation Inc., Dollar General Literacy Foundation, Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction administered by The University of Alabama School of Law, J.J. Medveckis Foundation, Timothy and Diane Naughton, Reading Is Fundamental and Small Press Expo (SPX). Those interested in supporting the National Book Festival can contact the Library at devofc@loc.gov.
Later this summer, the National Book Festival app will be updated with complete presenter, schedule and wayfinding information for iOS or Android smartphones. Follow the festival on Twitter @librarycongress with hashtag #NatBookFest.
The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States—and extensive materials from around the world—both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov, access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov, and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.