PBS Books was honored to host this virtual engagement event with authors Gene Luen Yang and Sabaa Tahir on Facebook Live Thursday, September 10 as part of our exciting partnership with The Library of Congress for the 2020 LOC National Book Festival: Celebrating American Ingenuity.

This year, LOC’s annual Book Festival with the theme “Celebrating American Ingenuity” will be held online between September 25 and 27. The Festival will culminate in a two-hour PBS Books special exploring ingenuity of acclaimed American authors. Hosted by Hoda Kotb, the special will premiere on Sunday, September 27th, from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET (Check your local listing). This event features diverse stories from special guests like Joy Harjo, Salman Rushdie, Madeleine Albright, and John Grisham.

Throughout the month of September, PBS Books is hosting ten events (just like this!) to showcase several talented, ingenious authors featured in this dynamic special. These intimate, moderated Q&As will be deep-dives into the work of some of the most celebrated literary luminaries of our time, all while providing insights into the upcoming festival. The events will be targeted to particular national regions, but are accessible to all audiences.

About the Authors

Gene Luen Yang writes, and sometimes draws, comic books and graphic novels. American Born Chinese, his first graphic novel from First Second Books, was a National Book Award finalist, as well as the winner of the Printz Award and an Eisner Award. His two-volume graphic novel Boxers & Saints won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and was a National Book Award finalist. His other works include the Secret Coders series (with Mike Holmes), The Shadow Hero (with Sonny Liew), New Super-Man from DC Comics (with various artists), and the Avatar: The Last Airbender series from Dark Horse Comics (with Gurihiru). He was the fifth National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and in 2016 he was named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow.

 

Sabaa Tahir is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of An Ember in the Ashes and its sequel, A Torch Against the Night. She grew up in California’s Mojave Desert at her family’s eighteen-room motel. There, she spent her time devouring fantasy novels, raiding her brother’s comic book stash, and playing guitar badly. She began writing An Ember in the Ashes while working nights as a newspaper editor. She likes thunderous indie rock, garish socks, and all things nerd. Sabaa currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.