Running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Mabee Library and Memorial Union in Topeka, the free, all-day event has become one of the state's premier literary gatherings — and this year's lineup gives readers plenty of reasons to make the trip.
Headlining the day is journalist and author Bill Kurtis, whose decades-long career reporting the news have made him a familiar and trusted voice across the country. Kurtis will be on hand to discuss and sign copies of his 2025 memoir, "Whirlwind: My Life Reporting the News," offering festivalgoers a rare chance to hear firsthand from one of broadcast journalism's most recognizable figures. He'll be joined by a lineup of other notable titles on display and for sale, including "Kansas Matters: Twenty-First-Century Writers on the Sunflower State," "Stories from the Phog: Forty Years of Kansas Basketball," and "Opinionated: Kansas Journalists Who Proved Why Commentary Matters, Then and Now" — a collection that speaks to just how deep the well of Kansas storytelling runs.
For readers on the High Plains, there's a distinctly regional highlight to look forward to as well: Garden City author Dennis Raphael Garcia will return to his home state to present "Las Madres: Latinas in the Heartland Who Led Their Family to Success." Garcia, an award-winning author known for uncovering stories of resilience and triumph within his own family history, will take part in the festival's 2 p.m. Family Research and Remembrance panel before meeting readers and signing books throughout the day. "Las Madres" traces three generations of women in Garcia's family — beginning with his great-grandmother, born in Mexico, through his grandmother and mother — and their shared pursuit of security and a better life on the Kansas plains, including the often-overlooked experience of Mexican railroad families in the early 1900s. It's a deeply personal addition to the festival's offerings, and a point of pride for southwest Kansas readers who'll get to see a hometown storyteller take the stage in Topeka.
Beyond the author talks, the festival offers something for the whole family. More than 40 publishers, nonprofits and individual authors will be on hand, alongside food trucks, live music and children's activities to keep younger visitors entertained while the grown-ups browse. The day also includes an awards ceremony for the Kansas Notable Books, selected annually by the State Library of Kansas, along with a presentation from the winner of the Hefner Heitz Kansas Book Award, given by the Kansas Studies Collection at Mabee Library.
What makes this festival particularly exciting is that its impact isn't confined to one Saturday in September. Organizers are expanding the Kansas Book Festival into year-round programming, including author visits to schools around the state and grants awarded to Kansas libraries in need — an effort to keep the spirit of the festival, and a love of reading, alive well beyond festival weekend.
Whether you're coming for Bill Kurtis, eager to hear Dennis Garcia's family story, or simply looking for a fun, free day out with the family, the 15th Annual Kansas Book Festival is shaping up to be a can't-miss celebration of Kansas storytelling. For a full schedule of authors, panels and activities, visit kansasbookfestival.com.
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