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 Contemporary Life stage of the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival hosted civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis and his aide Andrew Aydin, authors of “March,” a graphic novel trilogy about the three protest marches held in Selma, Alabama, in 1965. Lewis was himself a participant. Andrea Roane, a news anchor for WUSA9, introduced the authors. The Democratic representative from Georgia’s 5th District, Lewis starts by telling the audience that the farm his father owned in rural Alabama is still in the family today. “On this farm we raised a lot of cotton and corn, peanuts, hogs, cows and chickens. I don’t eat too many peanuts today. I ate so many peanuts when I was growing up, I just don’t want to see any more peanuts. Don’t tell the people in Georgia or Alabama.” Q&A begins at 28:15.
The 2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival will celebrate its 20th birthday this year. 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.