“What tastes like home?”
That simple prompt at the 26th annual National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., got people talking and writing— sharing their own home-inspired foods.
We asked attendees at the 2026 National Book Festival to share a food-related memory or recipe on one of our custom recipe cards, transforming them into a vibrant crossroads of memory and culture. The activity sparked a fascinating mix of reactions—some attendees knew their answer instantly, while others paused, reflecting on their family traditions and the complex challenge of choosing a single dish. Favorites like varieties of chili including Cincinnati style, mom’s, and beans only emerged as a clear crowd-pleasers. Other foods foremost in festivalgoers’ minds: barbeque, fresh bread, and desserts like brownies, pies, and cake!
This culinary storytelling unfolded on August 22 at the large-scale event originally launched in 2001 by former First Lady Laura Bush. With over 80,000 registered visitors flooding the festival, our Roadmap to Reading table buzzed with energy around our deeply rooted in foodways selections for the Great Reads from Great Places books: Diane Flynt’s, Wild, Tamed, Lost, Revived: The Surprising Story of Apples in the South covering how southern apple orchards shaped both Virginia and American history and children’s author Dionna L. Mann’s Mama’s Chicken and Dumplings.
The afternoon brought excitement when Mann joined the table in person. A steady stream of readers, kids and elementary school teachers, greeted Mann, who flashed a warm, welcoming smile for every fan visiting the booth. Bringing sharp wit and quick humor to their conversations, she chatted while signing her heartwarming novel set in the 1930s.
Adding to the celebration, acclaimed fellow Virginia author Amber McBride stopped by the table to greet attendees and speak with the team. Her visit highlighted the deep sense of community that defines the commonwealth’s literary scene—a space where celebrated creators and enthusiastic readers converge to honor the power of the written word and the comfort of shared stories.
Flynt was unable to attend the event, but we shared her signed bookplates with attendees who purchased her book.
