Fundraiser

 A Night for the History Books: Bill Kurtis Remembers

The Kansas Book Festival invites you to A Night for the History Books: Bill Kurtis Remembers, an evening with beloved journalist, documentarian, and author Bill Kurtis. For the 60th anniversary of Kurtis’s historic WIBW broadcast of the 1966 Topeka tornado, the Kansas Book Festival is asking the author of Whirlwind (University Press of Kansas 2025) to sit down with WIBW to speak on his legendary career, his foray into writing, and his memories of Topeka on that fateful day and beyond. A Night for the History Books will take place in the A/B Ballroom of the Washburn Memorial Union at 6:00 pm on Monday, June 8, which will mark 60 years to the day since the 1966 tornado.

Beyond his journalistic accolades, radio fans may know Bill Kurtis as the judge and scorekeeper of NPR’s Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!. After their conversation, Kurtis and company will take the hot seat in a fun gameshow that asks them to nail down Kansas facts and fiction, with a little help from the audience. This event will also feature items from the Kansas Historical Society archive and a meet-and-greet with Bill Kurtis for our biggest supporters.

All proceeds from the event will benefit the 2026 Kansas Book Festival, a free celebration of literary life taking place on Saturday, September 26. This year, the festival will feature over 40 Kansas-connected and bestselling authors, a vendor fair, food trucks, children’s activities, and the first annual Kansas Book Festival Book Parade.