Ahwal Al-Ma'rifa – Special

Organizers of the 2026 National Book Festival have announced that the Library of Congress will host the festival on Saturday, August 22, at the Washington Convention Center. This year’s festival will feature an expanded range of Library of Congress programs celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America, while showcasing the Library’s resources beyond books, including film, music, veterans’ history, audio recordings, and American folklore. It will also offer a rich and diverse storytelling experience, with attendees hearing conversations throughout the day with more than 80 writers representing a wide range of literary genres. This will provide visitors with an opportunity to explore the extensive collections and year-round programs of the Library of Congress.

Robert R. Newlen, Acting Librarian of Congress, said: “The National Book Festival organized by the Library of Congress has become one of the country’s favorite literary traditions, and we are proud to continue hosting this popular festival in August 2026. Every year, book lovers of all ages gather to celebrate reading in the nation’s capital.”

The festival is free and open to everyone, running from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. It will offer a full day of conversations with dozens of authors, poets, and illustrators from a variety of fields about their latest books, as well as book signings with the participating authors. The festival will also feature readings, giveaways, and activities for children and young adults, along with opportunities to purchase books from the festival’s official bookseller.

In addition to the diverse conversations with authors, the festival will offer a wide range of family-friendly activities, workshops, and interactive programs suitable for all ages. These include storytelling in the Story District; hands-on activities connecting science and storytelling in the STEM District; educational opportunities in the Workshop Space; presentations by Library experts highlighting innovative work taking place at the nation’s libraries; and a literary journey across the country in the Reading Roadmap area.

The main-stage events will be livestreamed on the Library of Congress website at loc.gov/bookfest. Videos of the presentations will also be made available shortly after the festival on loc.gov and the Library’s YouTube channel.

Among the festival’s participants are:

Cynthia Erivo (Memoir) – The award-winning actress, singer, author, and producer will share her new memoir, “Simply More: A Book for Anyone Who’s Ever Been Told They’re Too Much.”

Martin Scorsese – The award-winning filmmaker, whose five films are included in the National Film Registry, will discuss his filmmaking philosophy and the importance of preserving the nation’s cinematic heritage, while presenting selected film clips.

Kate McKinnon (Middle Grade) – McKinnon will discuss “The Secret of the Purple Pearl,” the second installment in the “Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science” series, which became a New York Times bestseller.

Ann Patchett (Fiction) – The recipient of the 2026 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction will offer insights into her New York Times bestselling novel “Whistler.”

Arthur Sze (Poetry) – The award-winning American poet will explore his distinctive body of work, along with his personal guide to translated poetry, “Transitory Worlds: On Translating Poetry.”

Frank Miller (Memoir) – The award-winning comic-book writer, artist, novelist, illustrator, screenwriter, filmmaker, and producer, known for works including “Sin City” and “300,” his Marvel Daredevil comics, and the miniseries “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns,” will discuss his new memoir, “Push the Wall,” which also serves as a masterclass for aspiring creators.

Tia Williams (Romance Fiction) – The acclaimed romance novelist, whose book “The Perfect Find” was adapted into a Netflix film starring Gabrielle Union, will make her festival debut with “The Accidental Connection.”

Douglas Brinkley and Annette Gordon-Reed (History) – The award-winning historians return to the festival to explore their contributions to the National Geographic book “1000 Days in America: An Illustrated History of the Moments That Shaped a Nation” in a special live recording of C-SPAN’s “American Book Club.”

Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Fiction) – The award-winning author will make her second festival appearance with her new suspenseful and mysterious novel, “The Conspiracy.”

Jeff Bennett (History) – The Peabody Award-winning journalist, anchor, and managing editor of “PBS NewsHour” will discuss his first book, “Black Out Loud: The Revolutionary History of Black Comedy from Vaudeville to ’90s Sitcoms.”

Michael Feinstein (Memoir) – The singer and pianist will discuss his experience working with Liza Minnelli on her memoir, “Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!”

Isaac Fitzgerald (History) – The bestselling author and frequent guest on “TODAY” will make his festival debut with “The American Wanderer: Walking the Johnny Appleseed Trail.”

The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, providing access to the creative record of the United States, as well as extensive materials from around the world, both at its physical facilities and online. It serves as the primary research arm of the United States Congress and is home to the U.S. Copyright Office.