Literary enthusiasts and young readers across Kentucky will have the opportunity to join in the celebration of the National Book Festival as the event expands with a statewide tour in August featuring two reknowned Kentucky authors. Two events have been scheduled in Northern Kentucky.
This year, the festival is set to include a special tour featuring Kentucky’s own Brittany Thurman and Crystal Wilkinson, who will visit 15 libraries across the state, engaging with communities and inspiring a love for reading.
The National Book Festival, an annual literary event organized by the Library of Congress, celebrates books and authors from across the nation. Wilkinson and Thurman have been chosen to represent the Commonwealth at the 2024 National Book Festival. Wilkinson’s Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts and Thurman’s Forever and Always will be the featured works from Kentucky in Washington, D.C.
By extending the National Book Festival celebration to Kentucky, the festival aims to highlight the state’s rich literary heritage and promote literacy and education among its youth.
“The National Book Festival is an incredible celebration of reading and writing, and we are thrilled to bring that celebration to Kentuckians throughout the state,” said Kentucky Humanities Executive Director Bill Goodman. “Kentucky is fortunate to have a long history of brilliant literary talent and Crystal Wilkinson and Brittany Thurman are an integral part of the state’s literary legacy. This tour provides an amazing opportunity for people of all ages across the Commonwealth to interact with them and participate in discussions of their work.”
The National Book Festival’s Roadmap to Reading is made possible by generous support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the National Endowment for the Humanities with additional support from Chief Officers of State Library Agencies. The tour in Kentucky was developed as a partnership with the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, the Kentucky Book Festival, the Kentucky Center for the Book, and Kentucky Humanities.
The tour will cover 15 libraries throughout Kentucky, ensuring readers from across the state have the chance to participate.
Northern Kentucky stops include:
• August 11, Brittany Thurman, Boone County Public Library, Burlington, 2 p.m.
• August 27, Crystal Wilkinson, Kenton County Public Library, Erlanger, 7 p.m.
Kentucky Humanities