The 2012 Library of Congress National Book Festival closed up shop Sunday evening – leaving more than 200,000 delighted book-lovers thrilled to have heard from and met their favorite authors, stoked up with new titles to read, and exhilarated by two days of gorgeous fall weather there on the National Mall.
Nice light show, but no rain, for NBF12
One couple even got engaged in the book-signing line for graphic novelist Craig Thompson!
I may be biased, but I’m also in a position to know: as the project (operational) manager for the festival, I can attest that things did indeed run smoothly, and there were few hang-ups or hitches.
That was largely the result of a great team at the Library of Congress (thanks, gang!) and no fewer than 1,200 volunteers who trained specially to provide information, service and safety to the hordes of happy guests. Thanks to all you volunteers, from the Library, the general public and the Junior League of Washington – it wouldn’t have happened without you. Happy hundredth anniversary to the JLW, by the way …
No fewer than 126 authors, illustrators and poets came to the National Mall for this year’s festival, more than at any of the Library’s past 11 festivals.
Authors included Nobel-winner Mario Vargas Llosa, T.C. Boyle, Patricia Cornwell, Robert Caro, Jeffrey Eugenides, U.S. Rep. John Lewis, Michael Connelly, Christopher Paolini, Junot Diaz, Thomas Friedman, Walter Isaacson, Charlaine Harris, Mike Lupica, Lois Lowry, Jeff Kinney and R.L. Stine; and a wildly popular author named John Green (“Books are like tweets, except longer”) who thanked the 1,800 people who waited in line for him.
Nothing as big as the National Book Festival can happen, however, without a few lost items. We suspect some little one is missing the Hello Kitty toy pictured below, dropped in the Let’s Read America Pavilion near the stuffed steed of festival sponsor Wells Fargo. That your Kitty? Email me at jgav@loc.gov.
Kitty wants to come home
September 24, 2012 at 9:13 pm
OUtstandly good job! I very much enjoy the lectures and signings as well as meeting various people mingling on the Mall at the Festival who I would probably never meet otherwise. I had a delightful time and I thank you all very much. I’m looking forward to next year.
September 25, 2012 at 11:10 am
The Book Festival was an amazing experience – it’s one of those times where you feel so lucky to live in DC! I was wondering when the webcasts for 2012 will be put up on the website? Or maybe they are already up and I can’t seem to find them?
September 25, 2012 at 12:22 pm
Thank you for your comment! The webcasts will go up gradually over the next several weeks — we have to process them properly. Sorry about the delay, but we fit them into our overall workflow.
October 3, 2012 at 6:08 am
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