Topeka – Kansas First Lady Mary Brownback today announced the first annual Kansas Book Festival will take place on Saturday, September 24th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Kansas Historical Society in Topeka. The festival will showcase current authors and books and will promote the importance of reading. It is open to the public at no charge. “We believe we’ve created an event that will promote literacy and encourage a life-long love of reading. It is my hope that the Kansas Book Festival will help bring authors, publishers and illustrators together with the people of Kansas for years to come,” said Brownback.

More than 30 authors will take part in the festival, including Alexandra Robbins, author of the New York Times’ bestseller The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth: Popularity, Quirk Theory, and Why Outsiders Thrive After High School and Clare Vanderpool, Kansas’ first Newbery Medal winner and author of Moon Over Manifest as well as many of the 2011 Kansas Notable Book winners. The awards ceremony for the Kansas Notable Book winners will take place at noon.

Festival organizers are now seeking vendors interested in participating in the festival. Vendor categories include authors, publisher, bookstores, food items, goods and services. For event information, sponsor information, vendor information, or how to feature your Kansas company or Kansas-related product at the festival, visit www.kansasbookfestival.com.

For more information, contact:

Sherriene Jones-Sontag
785.368.7138 (office)
785.338.3015 (mobile)
media@ks.gov