Past Library of Congress National Book Festivals
Related Resources at the Library
September 30, 2006
Press Contacts: Sheryl Cannady (202) 707-6456, scannady@loc.gov
Public contact: Danny Maiello (202) 271-4347, maiellod@fleishman.com
SPECIAL NOTE: A media repository is available to the press to download background materials, high-resolution images, video and audio sound bites, b-roll and other audiovisual resources, as well as to request interviews with participating authors. This information can be accessed via the Press Registration link at www.loc.gov/bookfest.
2006 National Book Festival Draws More Than 100,000 Booklovers to the National Mall
Washington, D.C. – Today more than 100,000 people from all corners of the country gathered together on the National Mall to celebrate reading at the Library’s sixth annual National Book Festival. Seventy award-winning authors, illustrators and poets were joined by basketball stars, storybook characters, reading promotion partners and booklovers of all ages. Organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress, and hosted by First Lady Laura Bush, this year’s festival is part of the Library’s ongoing efforts to spark the imagination and inspire a passion for reading and learning.
The day offered something for everyone. Highlights include:
- Seventy of the nation's best-selling authors, illustrators and poets discussed their work in various pavilions, including children's authors Judith Ortiz Cofer, Stephenie Meyer, Shelia Moses, Judith Viorst, Richard Peck and Louis Sachar; award-winning illustrators Bryan Collier, Betsy Lewin and Mark Teague; Donald Hall, the recently named 14th Poet Laureate of the United States and poet Dana Gioia, the director the National Endowment for the Arts; and best-selling mysteries and thrillers authors, including Harlan Coben, George Pelecanos, Kathy Reichs, Alexander McCall Smith and Scott Turow.
- Authors in the "Fiction and Fantasy" pavilion entranced festivalgoers with readings from and discussions about their works, including best-selling novelist Khaled Hosseini, Geraldine Brooks and Christopher Buckley; science fiction writers Spider and Jeanne Robinson, and Elmer Kelton, author of more than 40 novels and voted "the best Western author of all time" by the Western Writers of America.
- Authors in the popular "History and Biography" pavilion drew thousands of listeners throughout the day, including Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin, Taylor Branch, Douglas Brinkley, John Hope Franklin, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Nathaniel Philbrick and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Bob Woodward.
- Visitors in the "Home and Family" pavilion were captivated by popular personalities, including television celebrity chef and author G. Garvin, CNBC economics and investments commentator Jim Cramer, Rosalind Wiseman, whose book "Queen Bees & Wannabes" inspired the hit movie "Mean Girls" and Kevin Clash and his beloved character Elmo.
- Authors spent hours signing books, including Andrew Clements, who signed 850 books, and Louis Sachar, who signed 400 books.
- The six national winners of the "Letters About Literature" contest were recognized for their letters to authors who inspired them. They were chosen from among 48,000 entries to read their letters aloud at the National Book Festival. "Letters About Literature" is sponsored by the Library's Center for the Book with support from the project's corporate sponsor Target.
- In the "Let's Read America" pavilion, kids put on their best grins for photo-ops with Elmo, Curious George, Clifford and other favorite storybook characters.
- WNBA star Ruth Riley, NBA star Brendan Haywood of the Washington Wizards, and former NBA All-Star BJ Armstrong from the NBA's "Read to Achieve" program read several books aloud with the help of students from local area schools.
- In the "Library of Congress" pavilion, children were enthralled with interactive games in the Kid's Zone. They used touch-screen computers to interact with the Library's award-winning Web site. They virtually explored the Library's extensive and varied collection of cultural treasures, including ancient manuscripts, motion pictures, folk songs and video games. They even created their own digital art works.
- Also in the "Library of Congress" pavilion, festivalgoers were introduced to the latest film and audio preservation technologies to be used in the Library's planned National Audiovisual Conservation Center set to open in 2007.
- The "Library of Congress" pavilion additionally featured the Library's Veterans History Project, a grassroots effort to document the stories of the nation's war veterans and their families. Two students interviewed Tuskegee Airman Ezra Hill. Interviews were also conducted with Darlene Iskra, the first woman ship commander in the U.S. Navy, and Kevin Hymel, who authored a book on General Patton's personal World War II photographs that were discovered in the Library's collections.
- C-SPAN2's Book TV taped the "History & Biography" authors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., including Doris Kearns Goodwin, John Hope Franklin, Bob Woodward, Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin, which will be re-broadcast throughout the year.
- Target distributed nearly 20,000 bottles of waters and 20,000 festival reading mats; C-SPAN distributed 25,000 bags.
- ยท Barnes & Noble reported that book sales were 20 percent higher than sales at last year's festival.
Librarian of Congress James H. Billington said today's festival "was a magnificent tribute to our nation's award-winning authors and the many ways our country, its citizens and its libraries promote reading in imaginative and inspiring ways."
The National Book Festival is just one of the Library's many initiatives to promote creativity and the joy of reading to people of all ages. This fall, as part of a long-standing partnership with the Ad Council, the Library of Congress will launch a new series of television, radio, print and Web PSAs to promote lifelong literacy. The ads will focus on engaging children in all forms of literacy and demonstrate how reading gives children the opportunity to explore their imaginations.
This year's festival was made possible by the generous support from:
- Distinguished Benefactor: Target
- Charter Sponsors: AT&T, The Amend Group, The Washington Post
- Patrons: AARP, James Madison Council, National Endowment for the Arts
- Contributors: Barnes & Noble, Marshall and Dee Ann Payne, NBA/WNBA, PBS, Penguin Group (USA), Scholastic Inc.
- Friends: Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Humanities
The Junior League of Washington again contributed hundreds of volunteers to help with the National Book Festival.
To learn more about the National Book Festival and to register for the online press room, visit the Library of Congress Web site: www.loc.gov/bookfest.
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