Press release from the issuing company
First-ever two-day festival draws more than 100 award-winning authors
WASHINGTON, – An estimated 200,000 book-lovers gathered on the National Mall this weekend for the first-ever two-day National Book Festival. Organized by the Library of Congress with Honorary Co-Chairs President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, the 2011 event featured presentations and book signings by more than 100 of our nation's bestselling authors, illustrators and poets including Toni Morrison, Hoda Kotb, Dave Eggers, David McCullough, Terry McMillan, Katherine Paterson, Garrison Keillor and Jim Lehrer (visit www.loc.gov/bookfest/authors for a complete list of participating authors).
"For more than a decade, the National Book Festival has given book lovers of all ages the rare opportunity to meet, interact with and be inspired by their favorite authors," said the Librarian of Congress Dr. James H. Billington. "Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and supporters, such as David M. Rubenstein and Target – and the more than 1,100 volunteers who give their time to make this event possible – we can look forward to this beloved celebration of reading and literacy for years to come."
In addition to author appearances and signings, festival-goers were delighted by two action-packed days of photo opportunities with storybook characters, literacy games and special author readings. Authors also signed books for long lines of excited fans. For those who were unable to attend the festival or missed a pavilion, author presentation webcasts are available at www.loc.gov/bookfest, where festival-goers are also invited to share their feedback about the 2011 event by completing an online survey. The theme of this year's festival was "Celebrate the joys of reading aloud".
2011 festival highlights included:
The 2011 National Book Festival is made possible through the generous support of National Book Festival Board Co-Chair David M. Rubenstein; Distinguished Corporate Benefactor Target; Charter Sponsors The Washington Post and Wells Fargo; Patrons AT&T, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, The James Madison Council, the National Endowment for the Arts and PBS KIDS; Contributors Barnes & Noble, Digital Bookmobile powered by OverDrive, Penguin Group (USA), ReadAloud.org and Scholastic Inc.; and--in the Friends category--the Marshall B. Coyne Foundation Inc; the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction; The Hay-Adams and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Thanks also to C-SPAN2's Book TV and The Junior League of Washington.
The Library of Congress, the nation's oldest federal cultural institution, is the world's preeminent reservoir of knowledge, providing unparalleled collections and integrated resources to Congress and the American people. Many of the Library's rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov and via interactive exhibitions on a personalized website at myLOC.gov.
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