Kansas Book Festival returns for its 12th year on Sept. 16th
Hosted by Washburn University, this event will take place in Topeka.
The Kansas Book Festival returns to Washburn University for its 12th year on September 16th. The event boasts over 42 authors, many being Kansas City natives.
While the festival officially begins Saturday, September 16th at 9 a.m. there are two pre-festival events that anyone can attend. Thursday, September 14th at 7 p.m. author and NPR commentator Lawrence Goldstone will speak on the American struggle against racial segregation based on his book Separate No More: The Long Road to Brown v. Board of Education.
Friday, September 15th at 4 p.m. author Catherine Browder, winner of the 2023 Hefner Heitz Kansas Book Award, will share stories from her book Resurrection City, a book about the 2011 triple disaster that devastated Northeastern Japan.
“Our goal is to unite authors and readers in a more personal way,” says director Tim Bascom. “Being an author is much different than other forms of media, there’s less connection.”
The Kansas Book Festival will not only include books, but live performances from local musicians, art tents for the kids, food trucks, and exhibitors.
This is the first year the book festival will be expanding, with a group of authors traveling to Abilene, Kansas on Sunday, September 17th as a start to the Kansas Book Festival West.
Bascom wants visitors to know the Kansas Book Festival is meant for everyone. They have invited authors with every genre in mind, including children’s literature, sports, poetry, non-fiction and many more.
