NWP Participates in National Book Festival

By: NWP Staff
Publication: The Voice, Vol. 7, No. 5
Date: November-December 2002

The National Writing Project participated in the Library of Congress’s second National Book Festival on October 12, an all-day celebration of books and reading held on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. As a new member in the Library’s Center for the Book reading promotion partnership program, NWP joined about 75 other education-related organizations at the festival. The event was co-hosted by first lady Laura Bush and showcased approximately 60 nationally recognized authors and storytellers.

“We are thrilled to be working with the Center for the Book and to have participated in this year’s National Book Festival,” said NWP Executive Director Richard Sterling. “The center promotes literacy on a national and international level and seems a natural partner for the writing project.”

Established in 1977 within the Library of Congress, the Center for the Book promotes books, reading, libraries, and literacy. The center’s reading promotion partners network includes more than 90 national and international organizations interested in cosponsoring literacy promotion projects. “Telling America’s Stories,” the Library of Congress’s reading promotion theme for 2001-2003, was also the theme of this year’s book festival. Several thousand adults and children attended the event, which featured readings, musical performances, and book-signings. NWP supporters distributed information on writing project programming at the festival’s “Great Ideas for Reading” pavilion.

For more information on the Center for the Book and the 2002 National Book Festival, please visit http://lcweb.loc.gov/loc/cfbook/.