This year’s National Book Festival took place on Saturday, August 24, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The event was estimated to be the best attended since the onset of Covid, with festival director Jarrod MacNeil putting the number in the “tens of thousands.” NBF literary director Clay Smith added: “Almost all of the Festival events were entirely full, the signing lines were healthy and long, and the lines to ask questions of our writers were long as well,” which he called “testament to the fact that there are many, many people who still know that writers have a unique insight into the world and will happily seek out that insight.” Here we present a selection of photos of authors and illustrators who gave presentations, read from their books, spoke on panels, and signed books for fans.
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden welcoming guests to the festival on August 24.
Gene Luen Yang (l.), the 2016–2017 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, on stage with Meg Medina, the 2023–2024 National Ambassador, at the National Book Festival’s opening celebration.
Chasten Buttigieg (l.), author of Papa’s Coming Home, spoke with actor Max Greenfield about his new picture book, Good Night Thoughts.
Authors Safia Elhillo (l.) and Tony Keith Jr. at their signing session, following their “Poetry Unlocks Us: YA Novels in Verse” panel, where they discussed Elhillo’s Bright Red Fruit and Keith’s memoir How the Boogeyman Became a Poet.
(From l.): Christine Bollow, Tomi Adeyemi, and Vanessa Le during their YA fantasy panel, “My Heritage Is My Weapon.”
Christopher Paolini signing books for delighted fans.
Kazu Kibuishi (Amulet: Waverider) draws for the crowd at a Story District event.
Steve Asbell reading from his picture book, Flap Your Hands: A Celebration of Stimming.
Peter Brown (r.), author of the Wild Robot series, in conversation with librarian Kit Ballenger; the conversation included info on the forthcoming DreamWorks film adaptation of The Wild Robot.
Hena Khan reading her new picture book, Behind My Doors: The Story of the World’s Oldest Library, illustrated by Nabila Adani.
Jonathan Todd signing a copy of Timid for a fan.
(From l.): moderator Austin Ferraro with authors Andrew Joseph White (Compound Fracture) and K.A. Cobell (Looking for Smoke) at their panel, “Presumed Guilty: YA Thrillers with K.A. Cobell and Andrew Joseph White.”
(From l): Monica Valentine of the Library of Congress moderating the “Let’s Unleash the Words Within Us” panel, with author Barbara Dee (Unstuck) and authors and disability advocates Susan and Lexi Haas (The Year of the Buttered Cat). Lexi is the first person to ever present at the National Book Festival using an augmentative communication device.
(From l.): Susan, Hannah, and Lexi Haas at their STEM District event at the festival.
(From l.) Ashley Dickerson of the Library of Congress moderating the “Love Is a Battlefield: Enemies to Lovers in YA Fiction” panel, featuring Marie Lu (Icon and Inferno) and Hayley Dennings (This Ravenous Fate).
The Dictionary Story creators Oliver Jeffers (l.) and Sam Winston signing copies of their books.
Graphic novelists Vera Brosgol (l.) and Kazu Kibuishi after their joint book signing.
