Executive Overview
On Saturday, August 22, the Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., transformed the Walter E. Washington Convention Center into an epicenter of literary discourse, scientific curiosity, and civic engagement. Drawing an estimated crowd of 45,000 attendees across three expansive exhibit halls, the annual event highlighted the intersection of storytelling, cutting-edge exploration, and public discourse.
The day’s emotional high point occurred during an address by Commander Reid Wiseman, leader of NASA’s Artemis II mission—the crewed spacecraft designed to orbit the Moon and lay the groundwork for future deep-space travel. Speaking before a packed auditorium of 2,200 people, Wiseman delivered a moving reflection on courage, international cooperation, and scientific curiosity, urging the next generation to pursue ambitious goals across the humanities and sciences.
Among those in attendance was 11-year-old Ishara Lacsina, a homeschooled sixth-grader, competitive figure skater, and podcaster from Wilmington, Delaware. Toting a backpack emblazoned with an astronaut graphic and harboring aspirations of becoming the first woman to walk on Mars, Lacsina spent an 11-hour marathon day embedded at the festival. Operating as the creator and host of Ishara’s Reading Podcast, accompanied by her parents—a science team composed of a biologist mother and physician father—Lacsina conducted high-level interviews with prominent authors, sci-fi writers, botanical scholars, and spiritual leaders.
Lacsina’s experience serves as a case study in how youth-led media, STEM education, and interdisciplinary literacy are reshaping traditional book culture. This report provides a comprehensive chronology of the festival’s events, analyzes key metric data regarding public participation in literary programming, examines official statements from speakers, and outlines the broader outlook for youth engagement in science and literature.
Detailed Chronology: An 11-Hour Literary Odyssey
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| FESTIVAL TIMELINE HIGHLIGHTS |
+--------------------------+--------------------------------------------------------+
| 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Artemis II Keynote Address by Commander Reid Wiseman |
| 10:45 AM - 01:00 PM | Sci-Fi & Speculative Fiction Interviews |
| | • Donna Barba Higuera (The Last Cuentista) |
| | • Geo Rutherford (Spooky Rivers) |
| 01:15 PM - 03:30 PM | Civic, Environmental & Humanities Dialogues |
| | • Dr. Beronda L. Montgomery (When Trees Testify) |
| | • Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde (I Can Learn to Be Brave) |
| 03:45 PM - 05:30 PM | STEM Pavilion & Craft Workshops |
| | • Girls Who Code & Voice Acting (Arthur Dent) |
| | • Creative Writing Mechanics Workshop |
| 05:45 PM - 07:30 PM | Middle-Grade Fantasy & Festival Wrap-Up |
| | • B.B. Alston Interview (Amari Series) |
| | • Departure for Wilmington, DE |
+--------------------------+--------------------------------------------------------+Morning: Space Exploration and the Spark of Curiosity
The festival proceedings opened with Commander Reid Wiseman’s keynote presentation. Speaking to a standing-room-only audience of 2,200, Wiseman recounted the rigorous preparation, psychological resilience, and deep-seated camaraderie required of the four-person Artemis II crew. Wiseman’s speech framed space exploration not merely as a technical undertaking, but as a narrative of collective human curiosity—a message that set the tone for the rest of the day.
For Ishara Lacsina, attending her fifth consecutive National Book Festival and her fourth as an accredited youth interviewer, Wiseman’s address served as the launchpad for an intensive reporting schedule. Lacsina, whose digital platform spans her podcast, a dedicated YouTube channel, and a personal website, structured her coverage around a precise goal: identifying the personal and intellectual sparks that compel authors to write.
Midday: Sci-Fi Realism, Earth Sciences, and Historical Legacy
Navigating through the convention center’s cavernous spaces alongside her production crew—her mother, biologist/immunologist Odessa (acting as videographer), and her father, physician Joshua (providing technical support)—Lacsina launched a series of targeted interviews:
- Donna Barba Higuera: Lacsina met with the 2022 Newbery Medal-winning author of The Last Cuentista. An optometrist by training, Barba Higuera discussed her speculative fiction trilogy centered on a young girl navigating survival on an alien world. When Lacsina pressed her on the root of her passion for storytelling, Barba Higuera explained that stories represent humanity’s ultimate portable artifact—something that can be preserved and carried across light-years even when physical possessions are lost.
- Geo Rutherford: Moving to environmental science and natural history, Lacsina interviewed the author of Spooky Rivers: 25 Strange and Mysterious Rivers That Snake Across Our Planet. Building on her reading of Rutherford’s previous work on limnology (the study of lakes), Lacsina probed into complex hydrologic phenomena, including tidal rivers and the environmental mythos of the Bermuda Triangle. The conversation turned personal when Lacsina asked how growing up with a geographer mother shaped Rutherford’s career—a dynamic that mirrored Lacsina’s own upbringing, as she works on two non-fiction book manuscripts, including one detailing hero scientists in immunology research.
Afternoon: Moral Courage, Humanities, and Practical Craft
As attendance peaked across the convention hall, Lacsina shifted focus toward civic leadership, philosophy, and practical writing skills:
- Dr. Beronda L. Montgomery: Engaging with the author of When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America’s Black Botanical Legacy, Lacsina discussed how natural systems intersect with social history. Dr. Montgomery emphasized that observing nature is fundamentally an act of historical witness, encouraging young scholars to look at the natural world as an enduring archive of human experience.
- Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde: Lacsina interviewed the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, D.C., whose recent work I Can Learn to Be Brave translates complex themes of ethical courage for younger audiences. Bishop Budde, who gained national prominence for her public calls for executive compassion, addressed Lacsina’s inquiry regarding foundational influences, noting that childhood encounters with biographical literature provided her with frameworks for navigating adult crisis points.
Following these interviews, Lacsina visited the Library of Congress Activities Pavilion. In the STEM District, she engaged with interactive exhibits designed to encourage young women to pursue computer science and robotics. She also consulted veteran voice actor Arthur Dent, analyzing the technical variations between vocal performance for standalone podcast production versus long-form audiobook narration.
Lacsina concluded her afternoon learning modules by participating in an intensive creative writing craft workshop focused on character construction and micro-budgeting time for working writers.
"I discovered you don’t have to write for five uninterrupted hours. Sometimes you could just do 20 minutes, stop writing, then just come back to it tomorrow. I think I’m going to try this."
— Ishara Lacsina, Podcaster and Author
Evening: Prioritizing Literary Passions and Marathon Wrap-Up
During the late afternoon, Lacsina made a strategic schedule change. To secure an interview with B.B. Alston, author of the bestselling Supernatural Investigations series, Lacsina opted to leave an address by award-winning performer Cynthia Erivo early.
Alston’s work holds a place of distinction on Lacsina’s personal bookshelf, placed directly adjacent to her Harry Potter collection. Lacsina—who noted her visual kinship with the series’ protagonist, Amari, who features a prominent afro—purchased the latest installment, Amari and the Metalwork Menace, before braving a lengthy signing queue to book the interview.
After 11 continuous hours on the floor with minimal breaks, Lacsina and her family wrapped up their coverage. The team celebrated over a late meal of fish and chips and ice cream before making the drive back to Wilmington, Delaware.
Supporting Context & Metrics
The 2025 Library of Congress National Book Festival demonstrated strong public engagement metrics, highlighting the institution’s success in connecting traditional publishing with interactive digital media.
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| FESTIVAL PARTICIPATION METRICS |
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| Metric Category | Statistical Value |
+-----------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| Total Estimated Single-Day Attendance | 45,000+ Participants |
| Wiseman Keynote Audience Capacity | 2,200 Attendees (100% Capacity) |
| Floor Footprint | 3 Major Halls (Convention Center) |
| Subject Matter Representation | STEM, Sci-Fi, Biography, Children's Lit |
| Youth Podcaster Engagement Duration | 11 Consecutive Hours |
+-----------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+The Intersection of Youth Podcasting and Literacy
Lacsina’s ongoing coverage reflects a broader trend within youth media consumption and creation:
- Peer-to-Peer Literary Advocacy: Youth-led platforms like Ishara’s Reading Podcast serve as effective intermediaries between traditional publishing houses and younger reader demographics.
- Early STEM Integration: Blending classical humanities (interviewing, writing, public speaking) with technical fields (robotics, audio editing, web publishing) creates adaptable skill sets for students pursuing careers in aerospace, engineering, or journalism.
- Homeschooling and Specialized Curricula: Lacsina’s hybrid schedule—combining competitive figure skating, science research, and podcast production—illustrates how customized learning environments can support early career specialization.
Official Statements & Key Quotations
The festival provided a platform for notable insights across space science, literary arts, and public ethics.
On Human Exploration and Inspiration
"I hope [this journey] will inspire any young person to pursue their dreams, no matter how distant they may seem."
— Reid Wiseman, Commander, NASA Artemis II Mission
On the Purpose of Storytelling
"Why did I become a storyteller? Because stories are what we can take with us anywhere, even if we can take nothing else."
— Donna Barba Higuera, Author and 2022 Newbery Medalist
On Environmental Witness and Legacy
"When we were younger, we used to go outside in our backyard to play. We were doing more than having fun with nature. We began to know how trees have witnessed generations after generations of history."
— Dr. Beronda L. Montgomery, Author and Botanist
On Developing Moral Courage
"When I was young, I read biographies of people I admired to see what they had done in challenging moments."
— Mariann Edgar Budde, Episcopal Bishop of Washington, D.C.
On the Essence of the Festival
"The Festival is basically any reader’s dream. If you could think of any kind of book, it’s probably somewhere on the festival premises… And when I get to interview people, I get to know the spark that is why they made a book."
— Ishara Lacsina, Host of Ishara’s Reading Podcast
Future Outlook
The interactions captured at this year’s National Book Festival offer a glimpse into the evolving landscape of public literacy programs and youth engagement:
ISHARA LACSINA'S ROADMAP
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┌───────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────┐
▼ ▼ ▼
SUMMER/FALL 2025 ACADEMIC YEAR LONG-TERM GOAL
┌─────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐
│ Post-Production │ │ Manuscript & │ │ Deep Space │
│ & Podcast │────────►│ Robotics │────────►│ Exploration & │
│ Release Schedule│ │ Development │ │ Mars Mission │
└─────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘- Content Rollout: Over the coming summer and fall months, Lacsina will edit, produce, and syndicate her festival interviews across her podcast feed, YouTube channel, and official website.
- Literary Projects: Lacsina plans to finalize two book manuscripts currently in development—one of which focuses on pioneering figures in immunology—while continuing her training in competitive figure skating and local robotics clubs.
- Future Festival Initiatives: The Library of Congress plans to continue expanding its interactive STEM District and young adult programming, reinforcing the festival’s role as a major hub for cross-disciplinary education.
As space programs like Artemis II push the boundaries of human reach, young creators like Ishara Lacsina demonstrate that the drive to explore, document, and understand our world begins right here on Earth—one book, one interview, and one 20-minute writing session at a time.
