C-SPAN’s Book TV: Live Festival Coverage and Tote Bags

Books will bring C-SPAN’s Book TV back together with us this year at the Library of Congress National Book Festival. And yes, festival friends, they will offer free tote bags once again this year to help you carry all those books at the Washington Convention Center.

After two years of virtual coverage because of the pandemic, Book TV is back for the 22^nd straight year to provide live, uninterrupted coverage of the National Book Festival on Saturday, Sept. 3.

“As we celebrate this year’s National Book Festival with the theme ‘Books Bring Us Together,’ the Library of Congress’ partnership with C-SPAN’s Book TV will bring together readers across the country, allowing them to enjoy our exciting lineup of authors. We’re proud to join with C-SPAN to extend the reach of the Library of Congress National Book Festival once again so that book lovers from coast to coast can experience this celebration of reading,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden.

Check out the new C-SPAN tote bags you can pick up on your way into the festival!

Book TV coverage of the History and Biography stage, as well as Society and Culture, will air on C-SPAN2 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET, along with author interviews from the C-SPAN set at the festival. The guests and authors the nationwide Book TV audience will see and hear from on Saturday, Sept. 3, include:

• Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden
• David Maraniss, “Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe” at 10 a.m. ET
• Geraldine Brooks, “Horse: A Novel” at 10:45 a.m. ET
• Conversation on women leaders of the civil rights movement with authors Tomiko Brown-Nagin (“Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley”) and Kate Clifford Larson (“Walk With Me: Fannie Lou Hamer”).  Moderated by NPR’s Neda Ulaby at 11:05 a.m. ET
• Clint Smith, “How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America” at 11:50 a.m. ET
• Elizabeth Williamson, “Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth” at 12:25 p.m. ET
• Conversation on creating community in America with authors Gal Beckerman (“The Quiet Before) and Kathryn Judge (“Direct”). Moderated by the Texas Tribune’s Sewell Chan at 12:45 p.m. ET
• Conversation on conspiracies in America with authors Brendan McConville (“The Brethren”) and Elizabeth Williamson (“Sandy Hook”). Moderated by Roswell Encina from the Library of Congress at 1:50 p.m. ET
• Jack Davis, “The Bald Eagle: The Improbably Journey of America’s Bird” at 2:35 p.m. ET
• Conversation on climate change with authors Juli Berwald (“Life on the Rocks”) and Edith Widder (“Below the Edge of Darkness”). Moderated by Liz Neeley at 2:55 p.m. ET.
• Conversation on the modern essay in the age of speed with Morten Høi Jensen (“The Fiction That Dare Not Speak Its Name”), Shawn McCreesh (“The Hatboro Blues”) and Becca Rothfeld (“Sanctimony Literature”). Moderated by Celeste Marcus at 4 p.m. ET
• Will Bunch, “After the Ivory Tower Falls” at 4:45 p.m. ET
• David Rubenstein, “How to Invest: Masters on the Craft” at 5:05 p.m. ET

C-SPAN’s coverage will air on television and streams live online. You can see all of Book TV’s coverage of the National Book Festival over the decades via a dedicated C-SPAN Video Library subpage.

In partnership with the Library of Congress, C-SPAN has been part of the National Book Festival from the first one, Sept. 8, 2001. Book TV’s LIVE coverage has taken the C-SPAN2 audience to the festival’s various venues – U.S. Capitol grounds, a vast tent city on the National Mall (2002-2013), expo-style event in the Washington Convention Center (2014-2019), virtual (2020-2021), and now back to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Join us!