Downtown Bethesda celebrates the diversity of modern literature by presenting the 13th annual Bethesda Literary Festival from Friday, April 20 to Sunday, April 22.
Bethesda Literary Festival
The 13th annual Bethesda Literary Festival will host an array of local and national authors, journalists and poets, as well as writing contests and poetry contests. Featured literary guests include Thomas Friedman, Marvin and Deborah Kalb, Joby Warrick and Walter Isaacson.
In a weekend that includes more than 20 events, the Bethesda Literary Festival will present fascinating literary personalities who will read their work, talk about their craft and take part in discussions with other writers and audience members. All of the events are free and are held throughout downtown Bethesda.
Events begin at 7 p.m. on April 20, 10 a.m. on April 21, and 11a.m. on April 22.
Managed and organized by the Bethesda Urban Partnership, Inc. (BUP), the festival will feature an array of local and national authors, journalists and poets, as well as writing contests and children’s events. All events are held throughout downtown Bethesda and are free.
The festival features Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author Thomas Friedman, co-author of That Used to be Us; bestselling biographers Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs and Sally Bedell Smith, author of Elizabeth the Queen; former NPR host and current Sirius XM Radio host Bob Edwards, author of A Voice in the Box: My Life in Radio; and distinguished journalists Marvin & Deborah Kalb, co-authors of Haunting Legacy: Vietnam and the American Presidency from Ford to Obama.
Other participating authors include Pulitzer Prize-winning national security reporter with The Washington Post, Joby Warrick, author of The Triple Agent: The Al-Qaeda Mole who Infiltrated the CIA; bestselling fiction author most well-known for Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Judith Viorst; bestselling author of the Goosebumps children’s book series, R.L. Stine; and Maryland Poet Laureate, Stanley Plumly.
Other highlights of the Bethesda Literary Festival include the Reading and Awards Ceremonies for the Essay & Short Story Contest, the Youth Writing Contest and the Bethesda Poetry Contest; a meet-and-greet with over 15 of your favorite authors, and author events for children and teens.
There are many different venues throughout Bethesda however most events take place at the Bethesda Library, The Writer’s Center, Barnes & Noble, and Doubletree Bethesda. All of the event times and locations can be found at www.bethesda.org/bethesda/schedule.