Library of Congress, Investigation Discovery Team for "Hardcover Mysteries" Author Event

Public Event Part of 10th Anniversary National Book Festival Activities

The Library of Congress, as part of its special celebration of the 10th annual National Book Festival, will join with the national television channel Investigation Discovery on Monday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. to host a public event at the Library, "Hardcover Mysteries," featuring mystery authors David Baldacci, Sandra Brown and Kathy Reichs, who will discuss their writing careers, the inspirations for their books and the crossover of fact and fiction.

The event will be held in the Coolidge Auditorium of the Library's Thomas Jefferson Building at 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the event will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are available for a small fee through Ticketmaster at (202) 397-7328 or (703) 573-7328. A live webcast of the event will be available at www.investigationdiscovery.com.

James H. Billington, the Librarian of Congress, noted that the National Book Festival - to be held Saturday, Sept. 25 on the National Mall, between 3rd and 7th Streets, rain or shine - will observe its 10th anniversary with special events for book-lovers. "As we celebrate this 'Decade of Words and Wonder,' it's appropriate to get an early start exploring the joys of reading and getting closer to the people who make that wonder possible," Billington said. "Our three authors have been holding their fans spellbound through many a novel, and have brought their stories to films and television."

"With this joint event with the Library of Congress, Investigation Discovery is able to bring to life our new television series Hardcover Mysteries, allowing fans to interact directly with these premier mystery authors," said Henry Schleiff, president and general manager of Investigation Discovery. "We are particularly thrilled to set this exciting event within the Library's historic Thomas Jefferson Building in connection with the 10th Anniversary of the National Book Festival."

Later this fall, Investigation Discovery launches its new television series, also titled "Hardcover Mysteries," in which eight best-selling mystery authors - including Baldacci, Brown and Reichs - discuss the real-life cases that compelled their fascination and inspired their page-turners. Investigation Discovery's "Hardcover Mysteries" television series will premiere Monday, Oct. 11 at 9 PM Eastern time.

David Baldacci, a trial and corporate lawyer-turned-author, has written several original screenplays and short stories, a novella, a series of children's books and 14 novels that were consecutive New York Times best-sellers - including "The Collectors" (2006), which features a crime committed in the Library of Congress. Baldacci's books have been translated into more than 40 languages and have been published in more than 80 countries. He and his wife advocate for literacy across the nation through their Wish You Well Foundation.

Sandra Brown has written 59 New York Times bestsellers, including her most recent novels "Tough Customer" (2010), "Smash Cut" (2009), "Smoke Screen" (2008) and "Play Dirty" (2007). She began writing in 1981 and has seen her work translated into 33 languages.

Kathy Reichs, a forensic anthropologist in addition to her work as an author, has written the Temperance Brennan series of mystery novels on which the television series "Bones" is based. In her scientific work she has assisted in investigations in Montreal and North Carolina, and has aided in identification of remains in several international locales and after the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. More than 70 authors now are slated to appear at the National Book Festival. President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, the First Lady, are honorary chairs of the event.

Authors and illustrators scheduled to participate, listed by the pavilions in which they will appear, include:

· History & Biography: Adele Logan Alexander, Timothy Egan, Jules Feiffer, Wil Haygood, David E. Hoffman, Richard Holmes, James McGrath Morris, Nell Irvin Painter, David Remnick, Steven V. Roberts, Stacy Schiff, Evan Thomas and Gordon S. Wood

· Fiction & Mystery: Isabel Allende, Ken Follett, Diana Gabaldon, Julia Glass, Martha Grimes, Elizabeth Kostova, Anchee Min, Karin Slaughter, Scott Spencer, Peter Straub and Scott Turow

· Poetry & Prose: Elizabeth Alexander, Rae Armantrout, Jonathan Franzen, Gail Godwin, Allegra Goodman, Chang-rae Lee, Thomas Mallon, Orhan Pamuk, Jane Smiley and Natasha Trethewey

· Contemporary Life: Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, Gurcharan Das, Ree Drummond, Bruce Feiler, Jonathan Safran Foer, Spike Mendelsohn, Michele Norris, Richard Rhodes, Henry Petroski, Craig Robinson, Anita Silvey, Harold Varmus and Edward O. Wilson

· Children: Mary Brigid Barrett, Timothy Basil Ering, Jules Feiffer, Mem Fox, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Norton Juster, Pat Mora, Marilyn Nelson, Linda Sue Park, Jerry Pinkney, James Ransome, Judith Viorst and Rosemary Wells

· Teens & Children: M.T. Anderson, Michael Buckley, Suzanne Collins, Margarita Engle, Peter Ferguson, Phillip M. Hoose, Brad Meltzer, Katherine Paterson, Jane Smiley, Jeff Smith and Rebecca Stead

Festival-goers can meet and hear firsthand from their favorite authors, purchase books, have books signed, take photos with PBS storybook characters and participate in a variety of learning activities.

The 2010 National Book Festival is made possible through the generous support of Co-Chairman, National Book Festival Board David M. Rubenstein; Charter Sponsors Target and The Washington Post; Patrons AT&T, Institute of Museum and Library Services, The James Madison Council, the National Endowment for the Arts and PBS KIDS Raising Readers; Contributors Borders, Digital Bookmobile powered by OverDrive, Penguin Group (USA), ReadAloud.org, Scholastic Inc., and the Library of Congress Federal Credit Union; and Friends the Marshall B. Coyne Foundation, The Hay-Adams and National Endowment for the Humanities. Thanks also to C-SPAN2's Book TV and The Junior League of Washington.

The Library of Congress, the nation's oldest federal cultural institution, is the world's preeminent reservoir of knowledge, providing unparalleled collections and integrated resources to Congress and the American people. Many of the Library's rich resources and treasures may be accessed through the Library's website, www.loc.gov, and via interactive exhibitions on myLOC.gov.

Investigation Discovery (ID), America's leading investigation network, is the source for fact-based investigative content about culture, history and the human condition. Providing the highest-quality investigative programming focused on fascinating stories of human nature from the past to the present, Investigation Discovery's in-depth documentaries and series challenge viewers on important issues shaping our culture and defining our world. Investigation Discovery is a network from Discovery Communications, Inc. and is available to over 63 million U.S. households and at www.investigationdiscovery.com.