The Library of Congress has unveiled the lineup for its 2026 National Book Festival, taking place in Washington, D.C., next month.
Wicked actor Cynthia Erivo is scheduled to talk about her memoir, Simply More: A Book for Anyone Who Has Been Told They’re Too Much, while legendary director Martin Scorsese will talk about “his filmmaking philosophy and the importance of preserving the nation’s film heritage while screening select film clips.”
Ann Patchett, winner of the 2026 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction, will talk about her latest novel, Whistler, while U.S. Poet Laureate Arthur Sze will discuss Transient Worlds: On Translating Poetry. Tayari Jones, author of Kin, is scheduled to appear, as are comedian and children’s book author Kate McKinnon (The Jungle of Carabanana), Tia Williams (The Missed Connection), and Jenny Lawson (How To Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay).
Other fiction writers set to make appearances include Andrew Sean Greer (Villa Coco), Karan Mahajan (The Complex), Tom Perrotta (Ghost Town), and Maria Semple (Go Gentle). Other authors of nonfiction on the schedule include Patrick Radden Keefe (London Falling), Sarah M.S. Pearsall (Freedom Round the Globe), Kai Bird and Susan Goldmark (American Scoundrel), Pamela Colloff (Catch the Devil), and Isaac Fitzgerald (American Rambler).
Authors of books for young readers scheduled to appear include Daniel Nayeri (The Sweetness of Lemons), Chanel Miller (The Moon Without Stars), Kadir Nelson (Basket Ball), Traci Chee (Kindling), and Randy Ribay (Nest of Tongues).
The National Book Festival was established in 2001 by former first lady Laura Bush and then–Librarian of Congress James H. Billington.
This year’s festival will be held on Aug. 22 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington. The full lineup of authors is available at the Library of Congress website.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
