¡Gente! Let’s go to the National Book Festival 2024 this Saturday!
It’s here! Every year, the National Book Festival is ready to fill our bookish hearts with a full day of panels and events with our favorite authors. This year’s theme is “Books Build Us Up.”
This Saturday, August 24th, 2024, the Walter E. Washington Convention Center will open its doors at 8:30 a.m. to all book aficionados and a handful of forced family members who will end loving their day, too. The festival will run from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and it’s free and open to the public. A selection of programs will also be live-streamed. Learn more here.
Like in other years, I will attempt to attend all Latine events, including the one I’m moderating! (Well, I’ll for sure be attending that one!) Check my previous pieces here: 2022 & 2023.
So, if you are looking for the Latine/a/o/x events, here is your guide:
The National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Meg Medina, will kick off the event right at 9 a.m. at the Story District Stage, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building) with “Welcome to Story District with “No More Señora Mimí.” Bring your kids! Learn more here
¡La Biblioteca del Congreso es para todos!
Afterward, head to the Library of Congress Pavilion to listen to Library of Congress Public Affairs Specialist María Peña in her session. This is the only Spanish-speaking event at the festival, so don’t miss it! Hall DE (Level 2, North Building). 10 a.m. More info here. Stay in the same room to learn about Hispanic American Business Icons at 10:30 a.m. More info here.
Meg Medina will wow us again at 11:30 a.m. in room 209 with her talk, “Let’s Talk About the Grown-Ups Who Care for Us.” More info here. Meg Medina will return to the Story District stage at 3 p.m. with her session, “Let’s Talk Books!” Live with Meg Medina, Sam Winston, and Oliver Jeffers.”
Meg Medina’s events are great for children and families, as is the Cuban-American storyteller Pablo Cartaya’s session, “Tina Cocolina: The Queen of Cupcakes.” His event will take place at 12 p.m. at the Story District Stage. You can find more info here. Later in the afternoon, Pablo Cartaya will talk about sports and graphic novels with Hena Khan in room 209 at 4:10 p.m.
Stephanie Seales, the California-born daughter of Panamanian immigrants, will participate in two events for children and the whole family. The first one, “Where Can We Find Kindness?” will be at 10:10 a.m. in room 209. She will also read from her new book, “My Daddy is a Cowboy,” at 1 p.m. on the Story District Stage.
Honduran American Saraciea J. Fennell will join the Who Dies First? Horror panel with Terry J. Benton-Walker and Desiree S. Evans. Join them in Room 204 at 1:30 p.m. to discuss horror tropes and learn more about their anthologies.
Right at 1:50 p.m. on the Main Stage, Latina and Chicana icon and author Sandra Cisneros will celebrate the 40th anniversary of “The House on Mango Street.”This book changed many lives. Make sure to arrive on time to get a good seat!
Around the same time, J.C. Cervantes will dazzle us with her fantasy storytelling and panel, “Questing for Peace in Fantasy Worlds.” Room 209 at 2:10 p.m.
Later, the event of the day, the one I will be moderating is “A Kid vs. the World: Your Voice Has Power.” I know you were dying to know more about it! I’ll be interviewing my Macondista friend, Anna Lapera, and Sherri Winston. Our panel will be in room 209 at 3:30 p.m.
We’ll discuss their Middle-Grade novels, “Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice” and “Shark Teeth.” We’ll talk about the inspiration behind their stories and how they found their voice! Don’t miss it! And if you go, take some pics and tag us on Instagram @ofe23, @annalaperawriter & @iamsherriwinston.
Right after our panel, at 4:10 p.m., María Peña will retake the stage. This time, María will interview journalist and writer Marie Arana about her book “LatinoLand.” You will find them at the East Salon ABC on the Street Level, South Building.
Even if you are exhausted by this time, don’t miss the evening events! At 5:30 p.m. in room 209, Literature to Life will perform the YA novel by Erika L. Sanchez, “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter.” More info here.
And last but not least, you can close the night with poetry. “Poems of the Earth: Tess Taylor, Forrest Gander and Ruben Quesada” will be at 6:50 p.m. in room 204. They will discuss poetry that takes stock of and contributes to the natural world.
If you want more details, you can find everything here, including the book signing times, non-Latine events, and all the festival info. Here is some advice from the literary director at the Library of Congress, Clay Smith, about How to NBF.
Bonus: this is a non-Latine event, but as a “New Girl” fan, I definitely want to go!
Max Greenfield, aka Schmidt, will present his children’s book, “I Don’t Want to Read This Book,” at 10:00 a.m. on the Story District Stage!
And that’s it, friends. See you on Saturday! I’ll be the tall Mexican girl/lady in a black dress and colorful Converse (yes, I know what I’ll be wearing!); say hi or hola!
