National Book Festival
national book festival annual literary festival held washington dc united state organized sponsored library congress founded laura bush james h billington first lady texas laura bush librarian founded texas book festival mary margaret farabee support robert martin director librarian texas state library archive commission volunteer goal festival honor texas author promote joy reading benefit state public library first texas book festival took place november first lady united state laura bush worked librarian congress james h billington create national book festival news conference announcing inaugural event billington said must try every way send message reading critical life life nation first national book festival took place september library congress east lawn u capitol event featured awardwinning author illustrator storyteller across country including stephen ambrose natalie babbitt robin cook billy collins sue grafton larry l king david levering lewis david mccullough walter mosley katherine patterson richard peck gary soto scott turow additional activity included booksignings musical performance storytelling panel discussion demonstration illustration new technology fifteen nba player attended representative national basketball association national reading campaign read achieve first national book fair attracted visitor center book provides great read great place book list festival featured author illustrator storyteller across country hosted visitor west lawn u capitol national mall new addition festival pavilion state highlighted regional book national book festival attracted crowd national mall two new pavilion home family poetry added event national book festival attracted crowd visitor well known author illustrator poet participating author included tiki barber mary brigid barrett jan brett geraldine brook sandra brown dan chiasson eleanor clift philippa gregory steven kellogg katherine paterson salman rushdie bob schieffer jon scieszka alexander mccall smith r l stine gordon wood laura bush served honorary chair festival barack obama michelle obama served honorary cochairs year national mall national book festival moved indoors walter e washington convention center people attended national book festival following event national park service implemented new protocol requirement avoid damage grass national mall stephen lorenzetti park service deputy superintendent planning national mall memorial park said new procedure make sure grass survives make expensive event take place worked closely library allow festival continue reasonable cost showed might use walkway roadway end library decided affordable move different venue respect decision jennifer gavin project manager library congress national book festival confirmed reason change venue saying spent month working park service see could make work looked cost — considerable — decided festivalgoers would better served moving convention center move indoors allowed festival expand nighttime event cookbook demonstration screening film adaptation book literary director library congress clay smith highlight past festival beginning library congress website national book festival take place august main stage speaker include sandra cisneros james sa corey doris kearns goodwin max greenfield tamron hall abby jimenez casey mcquiston james mcbride james patterson lish steiling rebecca yarros many event livestreamed every year since library affiliate choose book celebrate book festival library’s roadmap reading list great read great place since available center book website year festival commission artist design event poster lu ann barrow carol dyer joey manlapaz floyd cooper jerry pinkney gennady spirin mercer mayer jan brett charles santore peter ferguson jon j muth rafael lópez suzy lee bob staake peter de sève yuko shimizu roz chast gaby dalessandro marian bantjes rodrigo corral dana tanamachi gail anderson lisa congdon laci jordan book united state national book festival official site national book festival poster gallery national book festival – bush white house archive