Washington, D.C. – The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy is pleased to announce that First Lady Jill Biden will deliver remarks at the 2023 National Celebration of Reading. The Foundation’s signature biennial event will take place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, October 11, 2023.

Dr. Biden is a community college educator, a military mother, a grandmother, and the author of a New York Times bestselling memoir, “Where the Light Enters: Building a Family, Discovering Myself,” as well as two children’s books. A strong advocate for literacy and education, Dr. Biden previously delivered keynote remarks at the Foundation’s 2021 National Summit on Adult Literacy, where she reflected on the importance of literacy and the legacy of former First Lady Barbara Bush.

“Reading is the foundation of all education. It affects every aspect of our society. And this group, which has done so much to advance literacy in our country, is a powerful testament to First Lady Barbara Bush – how she was able to use her role to change lives for decades to come,” said Dr. Biden at the 2021 Summit.

The National Celebration of Reading brings together members of the Bush family, bestselling authors and entertainers, and special guests to advance the mission of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. In addition to Dr. Biden, this year’s lineup of award-winning authors will include Helena Andrews-Dyer (“The Mamas”), Jeffrey Nussbaum (“Undelivered: The Never-Heard Speeches That Would Have Rewritten History”), Steven Rowley (“The Guncle,” “The Celebrants”), Cheryl Strayed (“Wild,” “Tiny Beautiful Things”), and Rebecca Yarros (“Fourth Wing,” “In the Likely Event”).

For more information on the National Celebration of Reading, visit www.barbarabushevents.org/ncor2023.

About the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy: The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy has been the nation’s leading advocate for family literacy for more than three decades. Established by former First Lady Barbara Bush in 1989, the Foundation is a public charity dedicated to creating a stronger, more equitable America in which everyone can read, write and comprehend in order to navigate the world with dignity. To learn more, visit www.BarbaraBush.org.

The National Celebration of Reading is an external rental presented in coordination with the Kennedy Center Campus Rentals Office and is not produced by the Kennedy Center.