PBS stations nationwide will air an hour-long television special hosted by LeVar Burton on September 12, at 6 pm ET (check local listings), to celebrate and introduce the 2021 Library of Congress National Book Festival. The Library of Congress Federal Credit Union is proud to be an underwriter of the program.
The 2021 National Book Festival, which runs from September 17- 26, will feature more than 100 authors, poets and writers in a range of formats — all celebrating the festival theme, “Open a Book, Open the World.” The PBS television broadcast will feature 20 of the National Book Festival’s leading literary voices discussing their newest books and speaking to the power of reading.
"We are honored to once again support the Library of Congress National Book Festival PBS prime-time special," said Marsha King, President/CEO of Library of Congress FCU. "We believe the library community advances America's great story. This is just one of the ways we give back to a community that gives so much to the world."
The Library is collaborating with PBS Books, a national programming initiative produced by Detroit Public Television, to create the National Book Festival broadcast. Burton, a longtime champion of reading, will host from his public library in Los Angeles with the Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden appearing at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. PBS will distribute the broadcast to public television stations nationally.
“We’re proud to collaborate once again with PBS and public television stations nationwide to celebrate the power of reading from our national library. This year, our stellar cast of authors, conversations on timely topics, and new ways to engage will allow everyone to enjoy a personalized National Book Festival how, when and where they want to experience it,” said Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden. “This program would not be possible without the support of our generous underwriters, which include the Library of Congress Federal Credit Union.”
The broadcast will feature an impressive group of authors, including the following:
- Michael J. Fox, actor, film producer and activist, on his book “No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality.”
- Tana French, American Irish writer known as the “First Lady of Irish Crime” on her book “The Searcher.”
- Diane von Furstenberg, world-renowned fashion designer and entrepreneur, on her new book “Own It: The Secret to Life.”
- Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft Corp. and founder of Breakthrough Energy for clean technologies on his book “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need.”
- Roxane Gay, essayist and novelist, on her co-authored book “The Sacrifice of Darkness.”
- Annette Gordon-Reed, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, discussing her book “On Juneteenth.”
- Amanda Gorman, author of “The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country,” on how books have opened the world for her.
- Adam Grant, organizational psychologist, on his book “Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know.”
- Yaa Gyasi, PEN/Hemingway Award-winning novelist, on her book “Transcendent Kingdom.”
- Mishal Husain, BBC News anchor, who wrote “The Skills: From First Job to Dream Job―What Every Woman Needs to Know.”
- Kazuo Ishiguro, Nobel Prize-winning novelist, on his book “Klara and the Sun.”
- Chang-rae Lee, PEN/Hemingway Award winner, on his book “My Year Abroad.”
- Silvia Moreno-Garcia, novelist in several genres, including horror and noir, on her books “Mexican Gothic” and “Velvet Was the Night.”
- Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, on his book “The Committed.”
- Lupita Nyong’o, Oscar-winning actress and activist, on her children’s book, “Sulwe.”
- Christopher Paolini, fantasy and science fiction writer, on his book “To Sleep in a Sea of Stars.”
- Sarah Pearse, novelist of horror, on her debut book, “The Sanatorium.”
- Angie Thomas, writer of international bestsellers for young people, on her book “Concrete Rose.”
- Martha Wells, Hugo and Nebula award-winning writer, on her book “Fugitive Telemetry.”
- Isabel Wilkerson, historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, on her book “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.”
Full interviews with each author will be featured in on-demand videos through the National Book Festival website starting September 17.
The National Book Festival is made possible by sponsors including Festival Vice Chair the James Madison Council; Charter sponsors The Washington Post, Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities; Additional generous support from the Library of Congress FCU, Tim and Diane Naughton and Capital Group; Presenting Partner NPR; and Media Partner The New Republic.