The Texas Book Festival and the Library of Congress National Book Festival will honor former first lady Laura Bush with a lifetime achievement award, the festivals announced in a news release.
The release says Bush will receive “a Lifetime Achievement Award for Literacy, Libraries, and the Literary Arts, an honor recognizing the First Lady’s extraordinary, enduring leadership in advancing reading, authorship, libraries, and public access to literature.”
Bush, the wife of former President George W. Bush, worked as a librarian and a teacher for many years. As first lady of Texas and first lady of the United States, she championed literacy and reading initiatives. In 1995, she founded the Texas Book Festival with philanthropist Mary Margaret Farabee; the event is now one of the largest book festivals in the country. In 2001, she founded the National Book Festival with Librarian of Congress at the time, James H. Billington.
Marianne DeLeón, CEO of Texas Book Festival, said in a statement, “This award is almost 31 years in the making. Mrs. Bush didn’t just champion books, she built two incredible literary institutions. She made literacy, libraries, and the literary arts central to civic life in Texas and across the country. Thirty years later, Texas Book Festival is thriving because of her vision.”
Bush will be presented with the award at a private gathering on May 14 at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, before a Laura Bush Book Club event featuring author Allison Pataki.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
