For
the second consecutive year, Detroit Public TV and PBS Books are
partnering with the Library of Congress to produce a primetime special,
“Open a Book, Open the World,” for the
National Book Festival. It premieres this Sunday on PBS stations across
the nation.
LeVar
Burton will serve as host of the hour-long program, highlighting the
remarkable lineup of authors, poets and writers at the 2021 Library of
Congress National Book Festival.
The program will offer a timely celebration of the power of books and
discussions on some of the major topics of the day.
Books
have been a lifeline for so many of us during this most difficult year.
They have offered us an escape from the pandemic but also advice on how
to cope with its challenges. This
exciting program, which Detroit Public TV is proud to have produced,
will indeed open the world and open our hearts to the healing power of
literature.
Besides being broadcast on local PBS affiliates, the program will be available on
PBS.org and the PBS video app.
Speaking
to the theme of the prime-time special, Librarian of Congress Carla
Hayden said, “Books open the world to us, fuel our imaginations and show
us our common humanity, especially
as we confront huge challenges in society.”
Burton,
a longtime champion of reading, hosts the show from his public library
in Los Angeles with Hayden appearing at the Library of Congress in
Washington, D.C. The program will
feature 20 of the nation’s leading literary voices discussing their
newest books and addressing what “Open a Book, Open the World” means to
them.
“I’m
proud and honored to join Dr. Carla Hayden to explore the National Book
Festival,” Burton said. “A good book can take you on a journey. After
the last year, we’re all ready to
plot a new course, and books can be an amazing compass.”
Authors featured in the special are:
·
Michael J. Fox, actor, film producer and activist, on his book, “No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality.”
·
Tana French, American Irish writer known as the “First Lady of Irish Crime” on her book, “The Searcher.”
· Diane von Furstenberg, world-renowned fashion designer and entrepreneur, on her new book, “Own It: The Secret to Life.”
· Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft Corp. and founder of Breakthrough Energy for clean technologies, on his book, “How
to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need.”
·
Roxane Gay, essayist and novelist, on her co-authored book, “The Sacrifice of Darkness.”
·
Annette Gordon-Reed, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, discussing her book, “On Juneteenth.”
·
Amanda Gorman, author of “The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country,” on how books have opened the world
for her.
·
Adam Grant, organizational psychologist, on his book, “Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know.”
·
Yaa Gyasi, PEN/Hemingway Award-winning novelist, on her book, “Transcendent Kingdom.”
·
Mishal Husain, BBC News anchor, who wrote “The Skills: From First Job to Dream Job ― What Every Woman Needs to Know.”
·
Kazuo Ishiguro, Nobel Prize-winning novelist, on his book, “Klara and the Sun.”
·
Chang-rae Lee, PEN/Hemingway Award winner, on his book, “My Year Abroad.”
·
Silvia Moreno-Garcia, novelist in several genres, including horror and noir, on her books, “Mexican Gothic” and “Velvet
Was the Night.”
·
Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, on his book, “The Committed.”
·
Lupita Nyong’o, Oscar-winning actress and activist, on her children’s book, “Sulwe.”
·
Christopher Paolini, fantasy and science fiction writer, on his book. “To Sleep in a Sea of Stars.”
·
Sarah Pearse, novelist of horror, on her debut book, “The Sanatorium.”
·
Angie Thomas, writer of international bestsellers for young people, on her book, “Concrete Rose.”
·
Martha Wells, Hugo and Nebula award-winning writer, on her book, “Fugitive Telemetry.”
·
Isabel Wilkerson, historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, on her book, “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.”
Full interviews with each author will be featured in on-demand videos through the National Book Festival website at loc.gov/bookfest,
to
be released Sept. 17.
To
create the broadcast, the Library of Congress collaborated with PBS
Books, a national programming initiative produced by Detroit Public
Television.
Again
this year, because of the pandemic, the National Book Festival itself
will be a virtual event with an expanded 10-day schedule, from
Sept.17-26. For more information and a complete
calendar of activities, visit the festival
website.
In
the days leading up to the National Book Festival, PBS Books is
producing live virtual interviews with many of its authors, including
Christopher Paolini, Viet Than Nguyen, Brit
Bennett, Meg Medina, Annette Gordon-Reed and Maria Hinojosa, among
other celebrated writers. These author talks can be viewed at
PBSBooks.org.
Rich Homberg
President and CEO - Detroit Public Television
