This is a guest post by Literary Initiatives intern Kevin Lopez Cruz.
The Library of Congress National Book Festival will celebrate its 25th year on September 6, 2025. For this year’s festival information, visit the 2025 National Book Festival website.
To honor the occasion, we are taking the 24 weeks leading up to this year’s festival at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center to highlight two videos each week from past National Book Festivals, from the festival’s first year in 2001 to 2024. Each week, we’ll highlight a past festival year with a video from an adult writer and one from a children’s writer. We hope you enjoy scrolling through the past with us! Check out videos from the first 2001 festival here.
Sir Terry Pratchett (1948–2015) was one of the UK’s most beloved and successful authors, best known for his “Discworld” series. He published his first story at just 13 and left school at 17 to pursue journalism, later debuting as a novelist with “The Carpet People” in 1971. Over his career, Pratchett authored more than 70 books, charming readers worldwide with his wit, imagination and sharp social commentary. His “Discworld” novels, beginning with “The Colour of Magic” (1983), became a cultural phenomenon. Knighted for his service to literature in 2009, Pratchett also bravely shared his journey with Alzheimer’s disease, advocating for awareness and assisted dying rights. He passed away peacefully in 2015.
How did Pratchett come up with his stories? Where did “Discworld” begin? What advice does he offer budding writers? Read on to discover these answers and more in this interview between Cheryl Kennedy and Sir Terry Pratchett.
Pratchett begins speaking at 2:19, and the video unfolds as follows:
- 3:35: Did you have a favorite genre when you read so many books?
- 5:55: Would you agree with the comparisons between you and Tolkien?
- 17:35: Why has it taken so long for your popularity to reach American audiences (when compared to British audiences?)
- 19:05: How did your love for journalism and fiction meld?
- 20:20: What did you learn in journalism that you applied to writing?
- 22:13: What is your advice for budding writers?
- 23:18: What do you think the state of fantasy is in 2007?
- 25:13: If you could have one magical talent, which would it be?
Gene Luen Yang is a renowned graphic novelist and served as the fifth National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature at the Library of Congress. His debut graphic novel “American Born Chinese” was a National Book Award finalist and won both the Printz Award and an Eisner Award. His other notable works include “Boxers & Saints” and “Dragon Hoops.” He has received numerous accolades, including a 2016 MacArthur Fellowship.
Before embarking on his career as a graphic novelist, Yang was a computer science teacher. His advocacy for literacy, especially through comics, continues to inspire young readers.
In this candid and humorous video, Yang shares insights into his personal journey and initial hesitations about pursuing a career as a graphic novelist. He discusses topics such as his parental influence, early encounters with comics, and his shift from wanting to be an animator to becoming one of the most influential voices in graphic literature. The video offers a close look into Yang’s favorite comics, his struggles and the positives he sees in the comics and graphic novel formats.
Yang begins speaking at 2:36, and the video proceeds as follows:
- 2:40: Developing “American Born Chinese”
- 3:35: “Three compelling reasons why comics are a bad medium”
- 6:49: Parents’ influence on Yang’s love of stories and getting into comics
- 8:30: Childhood expectation of becoming an animator
- 9:50: “Fantastic Four” vs. “Superman”
- 11:40: Making comics with classmate and creating their first issues
- 14:30: Losing interest in comics in junior high and getting back into them in high school
- 17:45: Advantage of the comics medium
- 20:30: Q&A Begins
Come back next week for highlights from 2008!
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