When Bookworms Go Live: Nonfiction Takes Center Stage at the National Book Festival

What happens when a festival for book lovers meets the unblinking eye of live television? At the National Book Festival, C-SPAN2’s Book TV transforms the quiet act of reading into a national event, broadcasting real-time conversations with authors and thinkers. This annual partnership with the Library of Congress brings viewers into the heart of the festival, capturing candid interviews, spirited panels, and behind-the-scenes moments that rarely make it to the printed page. The lineup spans everything from environmental history to the art of Black writing, and even the cultural stories behind global cuisine. Book TV’s cameras have followed the festival across iconic Washington, D.C. locations for over two decades, adapting from Capitol lawns to virtual streams and now to the bustling convention center. It’s a reminder that nonfiction isn’t just for solitary readers—it’s a living, breathing dialogue, broadcast for all to see. In this literary spotlight, the stories are true, but the energy is unmistakably electric. #NationalBookFestival #BookTV #NonfictionAuthors #Culture