WU Literary Events – iREAD Lecture, KS Book Festival, KS Book Award

We are pleased to announce the 2026-2027 iREAD selection The Memory Book by Lara Avery. The iREAD lecture will take place at 7 p.m. on Monday, September 21, 2026 in White Concert Hall, Washburn University campus.

For more information, visit www.washburn.edu/iread.

University Library is thrilled to host the 15th annual Kansas Book Festival on Saturday, September 26, 2026 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  This year’s Festival will include author presentations, as well as outdoor performances, food trucks, and exhibitor tents with publishers and authors from around Kansas. The event is free and open to the public! Events are held in Plass Learning Resources Center and the North Plass building parking lot. Exhibitors and performers will be outdoors.

The Festival will be kicked off at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, September 25 in Plass Learning Resources Center, Room 120 by the Hefner-Heitz Kansas Book Award ceremony, sponsored by the Thomas Fox Averill Kansas Studies Collection. The winner, Tim Bascom, will read from his book, Continental Drift: Stories. Learn more about the Hefner Heitz Kansas Book Award.

A complete schedule can be found at www.kansasbookfestival.com.