U.S. Book Festival Closes With $5M Gift for Future

The National Book Festival is closing with the announcement of a $5 million gift to continue the event for at least the next five years on the National Mall.

The Library of Congress announced Sunday that philanthropist David Rubenstein, the co-founder and co-CEO of The Carlyle Group, is donating $1 million per year for the next five years to support the festival. In 2010, Rubenstein also gave $5 million.

In a statement, Rubenstein says the festival has brought the joy of reading to hundreds of thousands of people.

Organizers say this year's festival drew more than 200,000 visitors on Saturday and Sunday. It included book talks and signings by 112 authors, poets and illustrators. This year's authors included Khaled Hosseini, who wrote "The Kite Runner,'' among other writers.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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