About

The Kansas Book Festival began in 2011 at the Kansas State Capitol. After fifteen years, three executive directors, and a pandemic, we are now proud to be hosted at Washburn University, where we are sponsored by the Mabee Library. Every year in late September, the Festival features Kansas-connected authors at all stages of their careers, from award-winning to emerging, spanning the worlds of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children’s books. Our exhibitor area features 40+ publishers, nonprofits, and individual authors, and guests are invited to dine at local food trucks, listen to live music, and bring the whole family to enjoy children’s activities. We also host an award ceremony for the Kansas Notable Books selected annually by the State Library of Kansas, as well as a presentation by the winner of the Hefner Heitz Kansas Book Award, granted by the Kansas Studies Collection at Mabee Library. The Kansas Book Festival is now expanding to year-round programming, including arranging author visits to local schools and awarding grants to Kansas libraries in need.