PBS Books was honored to host a virtual engagement event with author Kali Fajardo-Anstine on Wednesday, September 9 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 Author

Kali Fajardo-Anstine is a National Book Award Finalist and the author of Sabrina & Corinaa finalist for the PEN/Bingham Prize and The Story Prize, and was longlisted for the Aspen Words Literary Prize. Sabrina & Corina was also awarded the 2020 Reading the West Award in Fiction from the Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers Association and has been shortlisted for the 2020 Saroyan International Prize. Fajardo-Anstine is the 2019 recipient of the Denver Mayor’s Award for Global Impact in the Arts. Her fiction and essays have appeared in O, the Oprah MagazineThe American Scholar, Boston Review, Bellevue Literary Review, The Idaho Review, Southwestern American Literature, and elsewhereKali has been awarded fellowships from Yaddo, MacDowell Colony, Tin House, and Hedgebrook. She has an MFA from the University of Wyoming and is from Denver, Colorado. Her work has been translated into multiple languages, including Spanish, Japanese, and Italian.