The National Book Festival 2005

The 2005 National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress and hosted by Mrs. Laura Bush, was held on Saturday, September 24, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

"The National Book Festival is a great way for families and friends to share the creative works of some of America's most-loved authors," Mrs. Bush said. "Readers of all ages can listen to favorite writers speaking about their books, have books autographed, meet many storybook characters and enjoy a day on the National Mall."

The National Book Festival Gala and an opening author's breakfast ceremony helped kick off the 5th Annual National Book Festival: A Celebration of Creativity. This year's festival featured more than 80 award-winning authors, illustrators and poets, who discussed their work in various pavilions such as "Fiction & Fantasy," "Mysteries & Thrillers," "History & Biography," "Children," "Teens & Children," "Poetry" and "Home & Family."

Participants included novelists John Irving, Tom Wolfe, and Sue Monk Kidd; mystery and thriller writers Sandra Brown and Jeffery Deaver; nonfiction writers David McCullough, Robert L. Carter and Thomas Friedman; veteran journalists Andrea Mitchell and Robert MacNeil; children's author Pat Mora, pioneer astronaut and children's author Buzz Aldrin; teen authors Meg Cabot and R.L. Stine; science fiction writer Neil Gaiman; and poet Dana Gioia.

This year, The Library of Congress and First Book joined together to place millions of books into the hands of children and families displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The "Book Relief" project was represented in the Pavilion of States at the National Book Festival. First Book is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to give new books to children in need across the country. Further details about "Book Relief" are available on the Web sites of First Book, The National Book Festival, and The Center for the Book.

The 5th National Book Festival recognized reading programs and resources in libraries across the country in the different pavilions on the National Mall. Representatives from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and American trusts and territories discussed their reading and literacy promotion programs in the "Pavilion of the States." In the "Teens & Children" pavilion, star players from the National Basketball Association's "Read to Achieve" program helped present awards to national student winners of the Library's "Letters About Literature" reading and writing program. The Library's pavilion also featured the Veterans History Project, a grassroots effort to document the stories of veterans from World War I through the current conflicts and those who supported the war effort on the home front.

In addition to authors, the event featured a number of popular personalities in the "Home and Family" pavilion, including television news journalist and host Leeza Gibbons; Univision television host Myrka Dellanos; and celebrity home designer and television host Chris Madden.