Events DC and The Library of Congress Kick Off the 15th Annual National Book Festival Sparking Digital Conversations and Local DC Restaurant Engagement
Wasgington, DC (PRWEB) September 04, 2015 -- Events DC welcomes the return of the Library of Congress National Book Festival on Saturday, September 5 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center to celebrate the Festival’s 15-year anniversary and 200 years since the Library of Congress acquired Thomas Jefferson’s personal library.
The Festival programming kicks off at the Convention Center at 10:00 a.m. with doors open to the public beginning at 9:00 a.m. The Festival includes a roster of more than 175 authors, poets and illustrators throughout 18 pavilions with diverse programming including youth activities, discussions on the global economy and immigration, Latin American literature, an international circus for kids, science, romance novels and more. This year’s Festival started off with a Twitter pre-party that invited book-lovers to engage with the Festival in an online conversation between authors, sponsors and festival-goers. The Library’s first-ever Twitter party generated nearly 575,000 impressions from notables such a Scholastic, NPR, NBC and the Politics and Prose.
“Events DC is excited to take part in another year of the National Book Festival and to be able to share the Library of Congress’ commitment to reading and literacy,” said Gregory A. O’Dell, president and CEO of Events DC. “The National Book Festival remains a treasured festival for Washington, DC and it is an honor for us to roll out the red carpet and welcome local residents and visitors to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. We’re also pleased that attendees will be able to enjoy local restaurants and diverse entertainment options in the city.”
An exciting addition for 2015 is the digital conversation between National Book Festival attendees and the DC restaurant scene. Events DC marketing partner, the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW), is working to help Festival attendees immerse themselves in both books and food. When dining around the city, attendees are encouraged to take a photo of their favorite meal and post them on social media using Festival hashtag #NatBookFest15 and a catchy caption using a literary reference, line from a book, or title of a book to describe their dining experience. The composer of the best caption will win a $100 gift card to a top DC restaurant compliments of RAMW.
The 2015 Library of Congress National Book Festival brings about the most extensive year yet.
This year’s festival theme, "I cannot live without books," is a quote from Thomas Jefferson found in a letter written to his friend John Adams in 1815 following the sale of his personal library to the Library of Congress. Jefferson’s collection featured 6,487 books and was sold to replenish the Library that was burned by the British during the War of 1812. Celebrating the 200th year of this sale, the Library of Congress remains the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution and the largest library in the world.
"We're delighted to offer the public a bigger and better National Book Festival this year. The Festival has always grown in leaps and bounds from year to year, but in this 15th anniversary year, especially, it promises something for everyone: 18 pavilions, 13 subject areas, and more than 170 renowned authors in every field. We look forward to welcoming all of you book lovers out there," said Marie Arana, co-director of the Library of Congress National Book Festival.
Due to the resounding success of the Festival’s move inside to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center from the National Mall for a second year, the Festival’s program of activities will continue to feature nighttime activities for attendees to enjoy.
The Convention Center is accessible via Metro on the Red Line (Gallery Place) and the Green and Yellow Lines (Mount Vernon Square/7th Street/Convention Center).
For more information about the Library of Congress National Book Festival visit its website at http://www.loc.gov/bookfest. The Library of Congress also has a free smartphone app designed to help attendees get the most out of their all-day festival experience. The app can be found on ITunes, Google Play or online at https://event.crowdcompass.com/natbookfest15/. To find out more about supporting the National Book Festival contact the Library at devofc(at)loc(dot)gov.
Library of Congress National Book Festival
The National Book Festival is funded by private donors and corporate sponsors who share the Library’s commitment to reading and literacy. Since 2010, National Book Festival Board Co-Chairman David M. Rubenstein has been the festival’s lead benefactor and has pledged funding for the festival for five more years. Charter Sponsors include AARP, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, The Washington Post and Wells Fargo; Patron sponsors, The James Madison Council and the National Endowment for the Arts; the Contributor-level sponsors are C-SPAN2’s Book TV, The Junior League of Washington, Jacqueline B. Mars, National Geographic, PBS Book View Now, Scholastic Inc. and WAMU 88.5 FM; and, in the Friends category, Australia Council for the Arts, the Marshall B. Coyne Foundation Inc., The Embassy of Peru in the United States of America, Georgetown University’s Department of Spanish and Portuguese, the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, The Hay-Adams, the Inter-American Development Bank, The Jefferson Hotel, Susan Carmel Lehrman, the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute with support from board chair Roger A. Strauch, the Mensa Education & Research Foundation, the Mexican Cultural Institute, Lissa Muscatine and Bradley Graham, the National Endowment for the Humanities, NPR, Small Press Expo and Split This Rock. Those interested in supporting the National Book Festival can contact the Library at [email protected].
The Library of Congress, the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution, is the world’s preeminent reservoir of knowledge. Many of the Library’s rich resources and treasures may be accessed through its website, http://www.loc.gov.
About Events DC
Events DC, the official convention and sports authority for the District of Columbia, delivers premier event services and flexible venues across the nation's capital. Leveraging the power of a world-class destination and creating amazing attendee experiences, Events DC generates economic and community benefits through the attraction and promotion of business, athletic, entertainment and cultural activities. Events DC oversees the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, an anchor of the District's hospitality and tourism economy that generates over $400 million annually in total economic impact, and the historic Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square. Events DC manages the Stadium-Armory campus, which includes Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium and surrounding Festival Grounds, the non-military functions of the DC Armory and Maloof Skate Park at RFK Stadium. Events DC also built and now serves as landlord for Nationals Park, the first LEED-certified major professional sports stadium in the United States. For more information, please visit http://www.eventsdc.com.
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Jamilia Walker, Events DC, http://www.eventsdc.com, +1 2022493341, [email protected]
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