LAWRENCE – Paper Plains Literary Festival, Inc., a nonprofit committed to showcasing the diverse literary landscape of the Midwest through a variety of free programs for all ages, has officially dissolved, transferring $11,736.08 in remaining assets to the Kansas Book Festival.

Paper Plains Literary Festival, Inc. was founded in 2019 with the goal of hosting a biennial collaborative, cross-media, diverse and inclusive literary festival celebrating authors and artists from the Great Plains and beyond in Lawrence, Kansas. Though the COVID-19 pandemic interfered with plans to host an in person festival in April of 2020, Paper Plains was able to host virtual festivals in both 2020 and 2021 and an in-person festival in April 2022, featuring award-winning authors Colson Whitehead, Sarah Smarsh, and Angeline Boulley. The Paper Plains Board of Directors decided to dissolve the Festival in 2022 so that festival organizers could focus on other priorities.

“The Paper Plains Literary Festival faced unexpected challenges,” said Festival Director Danny Caine. “But in the end, thanks to the incredible community support we received, we were able to host some pretty amazing events that brought our community together around a love of books, reading, and thoughtful conversation.”

The Kansas Book Festival, founded in 2011, takes place every September in Topeka, Kansas, and is currently hosted by Washburn University’s Mabee Library. Under the direction of Festival Director Tim Bascom, this year’s festival hosted more than 60 authors, including New York Times bestselling author and keynote speaker K.J. Dell’Antonia, with more than 1,600 people in attendance.

“We’re excited to carry on the good work done by the Paper Plains Literary Festival,” said Bascom. “This gift will make the Kansas Book Festival stronger in 2023 and more sustainable in the years to come.” “The Kansas Book Festival is such an exciting opportunity to bring our whole state together around literature and literacy,” shared Paper Plains Board Chair Sarah Bishop and Board Vice Chair Emily Ryan. “We can’t wait to see it continue to grow and expand, and we’re proud that Paper Plains could play a small part in its sustainability and success.”

“We also could not be more grateful for the many, many donors, sponsors, partners, and people who made Paper Plains the joyful experience that it was,” Bishop and Ryan continued. “We loved working with all of you, and we look forward to the opportunity to bring our Lawrence community together around literary events again in the near future.”

More information about the Kansas Book Festival can be found at: https://www.kansasbookfestival.com/