The 2009 National Book Festival, sponsored by the Library of Congress and set for Sept. 26 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., this year will have a multifaceted online component, allowing citizens as far away as Hawai'i to get involved.

The online arm will include podcasts of author interviews for download on iTunes or from the Library's Web site, author webasts posted and archived, online chats with autors at wasingtonpost.com, live and taped C-SPAN coverage of lectures and live, real-time updates on Facebook and Twitter or by texting BOOK to 61399 (message rates apply).
Island born children's book author Lois Lowry (the "Anastasia Krupnik" series) will be alongside an impressive lineup of popular and literary writers (John Grisham, David Baldacci, Jodi Picault, John Irving, Judy Blume, even celebrity chef Paula Deen).
For information, go to loc.gov.bookfest