Aaliyah Bilal (Temple Folk, 2023 Fiction Finalist) and Karla Cornejo Villavicencio’s (The Undocumented Americans, 2020 Nonfiction Finalist) National Book Award–honored debuts actively resist generalization of the characters and communities they depict, stories too rarely seen in popular contemporary literature. Join Bilal and Villavicencio for readings and conversation that go beyond identity to discuss craft and pop culture, and to celebrate Villavicencio’s new novel, Catalina.

Moderated by Natalie Green, Director of Programs & Partnerships at the National Book Foundation, and presented in partnership with [margins.] Book Festival.

Celebrate 75: Register to watch the 75^th anniversary of the National Book Awards on Wednesday, November 20^th at nationalbook.org/watch.