Welcome to our ongoing celebration of the Library of Congress National Book Festival. Each weekday, we will feature a video presentation from among the thousands of authors who have appeared at the National Book Festival and as part of our new year-long series, National Book Festival Presents. Mondays will feature topical nonfiction; Tuesday: poetry or literary fiction; Wednesday: history, biography, memoir; Thursday: popular fiction; and Friday: authors who write for children and teens. Please enjoy, and make sure to explore our full National Book Festival video collection!
The years that Patricia Cornwell spent working at the Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner have informed the accuracy and realism of her novels. Her Kay Scarpetta books, set mostly in Virginia, have sold more than 100 million copies.
Cornwell came to the Fiction & Mystery stage of the 2012 Library of Congress National Book Festival to talk about “Red Mist,” the 19th Scarpetta novel. Ned Martel, then Style editor of The Washington Post, introduces Cornwell, who begins her discussion at 2:20. She starts taking questions at 7:50. Cornwell lets the audience know that following her appearance at the festival she would be flying to London to continue her research into the identity of Jack the Ripper.
The 2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival, which is free for everyone, will be held on Saturday, Aug. 29. You can get up-to-the-minute news, schedule updates and other important festival information by subscribing to this blog. The festival is made possible by the generosity of sponsors. You too can support the festival by making a gift now.