Celebrating it’s 14th year, the National Book Festival moves to the Washington Convention Center this Saturday, offering twelve hours of bibliophila! (The National Park Service says the hordes of eager readers, some 200,000, was damaging the lawn.)
Started in 2001 by librarian and First Lady Laura Bush with support from the Library of Congress, the National Book Festival has grown steadily, from a small fair set on the east lawn of the U.S. Capitol near the Library of Congress, to multiple tents on the National Mall, to the convention center.
The NBF was slow to discover the popularity of graphic novels, but that changed in 2012 with the first graphic novel pavillion. It returns this year, along with the first night session of events!
But… most exciting and intriguing of all? A special reception at the White House, hosted by honorary chairs President and Mrs. Obama! (Is it considered gauche to present the President with a graphic novel at a formal event?)
Can’t get to DC? C-SPAN2’s Book TV will have live coverage!
Sweet Golda Meir! There’s an Activity Badge!
Here’s a listing of the various graphic novel creators appearing during the day! The complete schedule can be found here!
- Special Evening Presentations
- Saturday, August 30
- 6:00 pm – 9:45 pm
Liza Donnelly (“Women on Men”), Jeff Smith (“Bone”), Bryan Lee O’Malley (“Seconds: A Graphic Novel” and the “Scott Pilgrim” stories), Raina Telgemeier (“Sisters”), and Vivek Tiwary and Kyle Baker (“The Fifth Beatle”) will speak and sign their books for fans at an evening Graphic Novels Super Session, with Michael Cavna, author of The Washington Post’s Comic Riffs blog, as master of ceremonies—part of the first-ever nighttime activities in the 14-year history of the National Book Festival. This year’s festival theme is “Stay Up With a Good Book.”
Time | Author | Signing |
---|---|---|
6:00 pm-6:35 pm | Raina Telgemeier | 7:00 pm-8:00 pm |
6:45 pm-7:20 pm | Bryan Lee O’Malley | 8:00 pm-9:00 pm |
7:30 pm-8:05 pm | Vivek Tiwary | 8:30 pm-9:30 pm |
7:30 pm-8:05 pm | Kyle Baker | 8:30 pm-9:30 pm |
8:15 pm-8:50 pm | Liza Donnelly | 9:00 pm-10:00 pm |
9:00 pm-9:45 pm | Jeff Smith | 7:30 pm-8:30 pm |
..
Presentation
- Contemporary Life
- Saturday, August 30
- 12:45 pm – 1:30 pm
Book Signing
- Saturday, August 30
- 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Jules Feiffer At the 2014 National Book Festival
Presentation
- Picture Books
- Saturday, August 30
- 4:40 pm – 5:10 pm
Book Signing
- Saturday, August 30
- 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Gene Luen Yang At the 2014 National Book Festival
Presentation
- Teens
- Saturday, August 30
- 4:40 pm – 5:10 pm
Book Signing
- Saturday, August 30
- 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Dav Pilkey At the 2014 National Book Festival
Presentation
- Children
- Saturday, August 30
- 11:20 am – 11:50 am
Book Signing
- Saturday, August 30
- 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Jeffrey Brown At the 2014 National Book Festival
Presentation
- Children
- Saturday, August 30
- 10:00 am – 10:30 am
Book Signing
- Saturday, August 30
- 11:00 am – noon
Jeff Smith At the 2014 National Book Festival
Presentation
- Graphic Novels Super Session
- Saturday, August 30
- 9:00 pm – 9:45 pm
Book Signing
- Saturday, August 30
- 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Liza Donnelly At the 2014 National Book Festival
Presentation
- Graphic Novels Super Session
- Saturday, August 30
- 8:15 pm – 8:50 pm
Book Signing
- Saturday, August 30
- 9:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Kyle Baker At the 2014 National Book Festival
Presentation
- Graphic Novels Super Session
- Saturday, August 30
- 7:30 pm – 8:05 pm
Book Signing
- Saturday, August 30
- 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Vivek Tiwary At the 2014 National Book Festival
Presentation
- Graphic Novels Super Session
- Saturday, August 30
- 7:30 pm – 8:05 pm
Book Signing
- Saturday, August 30
- 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Bryan Lee O’Malley At the 2014 National Book Festival
Presentation
- Graphic Novels Super Session
- Saturday, August 30
- 6:45 pm – 7:20 pm
Book Signing
- Saturday, August 30
- 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Raina Telgemeier At the 2014 National Book Festival
Presentation
- Graphic Novels Super Session
- Saturday, August 30
- 6:00 pm – 6:35 pm
Book Signing
- Saturday, August 30
- 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Further podcasts from 2014…
Jennifer Gavin from the Library of Congress speaks with Bob Staake, poster artist for the 2014 National Book Festival on August 30 in Washington, D.C.
…and beyond!
2013
Jennifer and Matthew Holm appear at the 2013 Library of Congress National Book Festival.
Graphic novelist Gilbert Hernandez appears at the 2013 Library of Congress National Book Festival.
Graphic novelist Jaime Hernandez appears at the 2013 Library of Congress National Book Festival.
Jonathan Hennessey appears at the 2013 Library of Congress National Book Festival.
Fred Chao appears at the 2013 Library of Congress National Book Festival.
Cartoonist Lynda Barry appears at the 2013 Library of Congress National Book Festival.
2012 (first Graphic Novel pavillion)
Craig Thompson
Jennifer Gavin from the Library of Congress speaks with author Craig Thompson, who will appear at the 2012 Library of Congress National Book Festival on Sept. 22-23, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Graphic novelist Craig Thompson appears at the 2012 Library of Congress National Book Festival.
At the 2012 Library of Congress National Book Festival, Hope Larson, Anita Silvey and Leonard Marcus discuss the classic book “A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeleine L’Engle upon its 50th anniversary.
Sheryl Cannady from the Library of Congress speaks with author Jeff Kinney, who will appear at the 2012 Library of Congress National Book Festival on Sept. 22-23, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
2011 (Graphic Novels Super Session)
Mark Pett & Gary Rubinstein perform at the 2011 National Book Festival.
Kazu Kibuishi appears at the 2011 National Book Festival.
Author and illustrator Harry Bliss appears at the 2011 National Book Festival.
Graphic novelist Eric Wight appears at the 2011 National Book Festival.
Cartoonist Richard Thompson appears at the 2011 National Book Festival.
Kazu Kibuishi appears at the 2011 National Book Festival.
Poster artist Jon J Muth appears at the 2011 National Book Festival.
Allen Say appears at the 2011 National Book Festival.
2009
Children’s author and illustrator Mo Willems appears at the [2009] National Book Festival.
2006
Author Mo Willems speaks at the 2006 National Book Festival.
2005
Illustrator Harry Bliss at the 2005 National Book Festival
Author Neil Gaiman at the 2005 National Book Festival.
Also, Neil himself reflects on his experience at the NBF.
2004
David Macaulay speaks at the 2004 National Book Festival.
2002
And in 2000 (before the National Book Festival existed):
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