NPC partners with Politics & Prose to showcase best-selling authors at Nov. 19 book fair

The capital region’s premiere holiday book event is back for the 36th year and for the first time the National Press Club Journalism Institute will partner with landmark local book seller Politics & Prose for a night of pols, pundits and prose.

More than 80 authors have signed on to attend the National Press Club’s Book Fair and Authors’ Night on Tuesday, Nov. 19. They’ll be on hand to talk to their fans and sign books at this most exciting literary event of the holiday season. Patrons can browse for books in the Club’s historic ballroom from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

From Alice McDermott’s critically acclaimed first novel in seven years to Mark Leibovich’s inside-the-beltway New York Times bestseller tell-all, to iconic civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis’ graphic novel and Washington Post food editor Joe Yonan’s admonition that we eat our vegetables, volumes on history and politics, mysteries, cookbooks, children’s books and memoirs will fill the tables.

The Book Fair is a fundraiser for The National Press Club Journalism Institute, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The event helps the Institute’s cutting-edge programming and mission, which includes a competitive scholarship program, a focus on promoting diversity among the next generation of journalists, supervised internships, and technological training programs for the novice and seasoned user.

In addition to having a one-stop shopping experience to find holiday gifts for friends and loved ones, visitors to the Book Fair also will have another way to help support the work of the Institute by participating in what has become a staple of the book event -- the annual Book Fair raffle.

A golf package for four, wine tasting, a private art gallery tour for 25 people, dinners at popular D.C. restaurants, a night at a downtown hotel, original works of art, baskets of signed books by award-winning authors, gift certificates and gourmet baskets from area merchants are just a few of the valuable donated items that will be raffled off during the evening.

For the fifth year, the Book Fair is partnering with The SEED Foundation, which helps under-served students prepare for college. The young scholars attend one of two public boarding schools in the District and Maryland. The students select books they believe would enrich their education and patrons can buy them at the fair to help develop the Baltimore SEED School library. A group of students from the SEED school attend the event each year, giving them a chance to meet with authors and attendees.

Admission is $5 for NPC, $10 for non-members.

Sponsors for this year’s event include Brown Capital Management and CQ RollCall.