NPR is honored to once again partner with The Library of Congress at the National Book Festival, an annual event that convenes authors and thousands of booklovers to create more informed and inspired communities. The festival takes place on September 6-9 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
NPR hosts and journalists such as Michel Martin, Regina Barber, Scott Simon, Andrew Limbong, Eric Deggans, Justine Kenin, and B.A Parker will moderate conversations with some of the nation's most prolific and creative authors. The event is free and open to the public. A selection of programs will be livestreamed online and videos of all programs will be available shortly after the festival.
Keep an eye out for the NPR bookmarks crafted specifically for this occasion!
Join NPR's hosts and journalists as we celebrate the joy of books and reading through in-depth conversations that connect readers with authors:
Transcendent Takes on Black Cultural History with Honorée Fanonne Jeffers and Imani Perry
Moderated by B.A. Parker, co-host of NPR's "Code Switch" podcast
Blackness is constantly at the intersection of past and present, exuberance and trauma. Honorée Fanonne Jeffers explores the tensions between Black women's public and personal lives in her essay collection "Misbehaving at the Crossroads" and Imani Perry chronicles the associations between Black identity and the color blue in "Black in Blues."
When: September 6 at 2:00pm ET
Where: Walter E. Washington Convention Center - Ballroom A (Level 3, South Building)
Pirates, Demons and Other Good Guys: Joe Abercrombie and Shannon Chakraborty's New Epics
Moderated by Regina Barber, host of NPR's Short Wave
Perilous adventures through dystopias and distant lands can be connected through, if nothing else, their bloodiness, boisterousness, and… comedy? Amina al-Sirafi and Brother Diaz follow their ambitions through journeys of epic proportions, encountering (and sometimes working with) the supernatural. Join Joe Abercrombie ("The Devils") and Shannon Chakraborty ("The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi") as they discuss their new darkly funny fantasy adventures in conversation with Regina Barber.
When: September 6 from 3:30 - 4:30pm ET
Where: Walter E. Washington Convention Center - Room 146 (Street Level, North Building)
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on Her New Novel, "Dream Count"
Moderated by Michel Martin, co-host of NPR's Morning Edition
What happens when your dreams really do come true? Can the happiness that comes along with it actually last? Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's newest novel, "Dream Count," intertwines the stories of four women at different stages of life as they search for meaning and question the decisions they've made so far.
When: September 6 from 4:00 - 4:45pm ET (tentative)
Where: Walter E. Washington Convention Center - Ballroom BC (Level 3, South Building)
Daniel Mendelsohn's New Translation of "The Odyssey"
Moderated by Eric Deggans, NPR's TV Critic
Despite modern technology, we still face many of the same problems as the ancients—including getting seriously lost. Is there anything the Greeks can teach us about wayfinding, perseverance, and even justice? Join classicist Daniel Mendelsohn as he discusses his new English translation of "The Odyssey" and how he approached bringing new life to one of our oldest stories.
When: September 6 from 5:00 - 5:45pm ET
Where: Walter E. Washington Convention Center - West Salon GHI (Street Level, South Building)
Horror in Hostile Worlds: Agustina Bazterrica and Stephen Graham Jones
Moderated by Andrew Limbong, Art Desk Reporter and NPR Book of the Day co-host.
The past is full of horrors. Too bad the present isn't better. A woman in a convent in Agustina Bazerrica's "The Unworthy" and a Blackfeet named Good Stab in Stephen Graham Jones' "Buffalo Hunter Hunter" face-off with the buried past and the tidal pull of violence in the present.
When: September 6 from 5:00 - 6:00pm ET.
Where: Walter E. Washington Convention Center - Room 146 (Street Level, North Building)
John Green on His Latest Book, "Everything Is Tuberculosis"
Moderated by Scott Simon, co-host of NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday and Up First
Did you know the world's deadliest disease is . . . tuberculosis? In his new book "Everything Is Tuberculosis," John Green explores the history of the disease and the ways it has shaped our modern world, from fashion to urban planning. When we already have a cure, why is tuberculosis still the world's deadliest disease? And what can we do to help?
When: September 6 from 5:40 - 6:15pm ET.
Where: Walter E. Washington Convention Center - Ballroom BC (Level 3, South Building)
The Future Is...Avoidable: Dystopias with Laila Lalami, Nnedi Okorafor and Helen Phillips Moderated by Justine Kenin, Editor of All Things Considered
What would future dystopias controlled by algorithms and robots entail? In worlds where robots roam post-apocalyptic Nigeria (Nnedi Okorafor, "Death of the Author"), society runs on facial recognition (Helen Phillips, "Hum") and our dreams are under surveillance (Laila Lalami, "The Dream Hotel"), these authors explore how futuristic technology affects our autonomy in a world perhaps not too far away.
When: September 6 from 6:30 - 7:30pm ET.
Where: Walter E. Washington Convention Center - West Salon GHI (Street Level, South Building)
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