John Grisham to attend 2009 National Book Festival

A bevy of bestselling authors will be on hand to make presentations at the ninth annual 2009 National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. The popular event will be held on Saturday, September 26 at the National Mall.

Bestselling authors John Grisham, David Baldacci, John Irving, Julia Alvarez, Judy Blume, Ken Burns, Gwen Ifill and Jodi Picoult will all be attending the festival. Celebrity chef Paula Deen will also be there to present.

The event is organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress, with President Barack Obama and first Lady Michelle Obama acting as Honorary Chairs. Last year, the festival had over 120,000 people attend and is free and open to the public.

“This promises to be one of our most exciting author lineups ever,” said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington in a press release. “This year’s National Book Festival truly offers something for everyone, with books by popular and award-winning authors in many genres and for all age groups.”

Fans will be able to meet and talk to their favorite authors, purchase and have books signed and have photos taken with their favorite PBS storybook characters. C-SPAN will also be broadcasting live over the radio and television from the festival.