Wichita Public Library's Local Author Day returns Saturday, August 9 at the Advanced Learning Library. Local Author Day celebrates local writing talent and invites local authors to meet new fans and for readers to learn about authors in Wichita.
A writer's panel will take place from 10:30-11:30 a.m., and from 2-4 p.m., an author expo featuring numerous local authors will provide an opportunity for residents to meet authors and purchase their work.
Local Author Day: Writer's Panel
Saturday, August 9, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Advanced Learning Library - Allison Dondlinger Children's Gallery
Local Author Day is back for another year! As part of our festivities, a panel of authors will share their experiences with writing, publishing, and marketing themselves, not to mention all the ups and downs of publishing a book. Let their experiences inspire and motivate you on your writing journey.
Local Author Day
Saturday, August 9, 2-4 p.m.
Advanced Learning Library - Conference Center
Authors will be on hand with copies of their books available for sale, including both adult and children's titles. This event showcases the talents of our literary community and fosters dialogue between authors and their readers.
Writer's Panel Guests
Prisca Barnes
Prisca Barnes founded Storytime Village, Inc. on the premise that reading is a right for every child. And not only is reading a right, but it is also a catalyst to freedom. Without the ability to read, many children find themselves in shackles that bind them to high dropout rates, higher likelihoods of incarceration, and generally bleaker futures.
Prisca is a passionate advocate for equity in education, social justice, and the importance of literacy to further the economic competitiveness of her local community.
After publishing her first children's book, Prisca became painfully aware of the many underserved children in her local community and state that lacked the quality literacy skills essential for future success in school and life.
Since Storytime Village's beginning in 2009, she has worked to help underserved children thrive through partnerships that provide early childhood development, family engagement around reading, and access to books. Prisca is especially dedicated to improving the disparities in reading proficiency rates that exist by race and income in her state.
Laurie Dove
Laurie L. Dove is the author of MASK OF THE DEER WOMAN, an Instant USA Today Bestseller that The New York Times called a "best new release" and The Seattle Times called "a powerful read for fans of dark, riveting stories rooted in justice and resilience." The novel was selected as a No. 1 Amazon Hot New Release, a BookBub Best New Mystery, a Goodreads Book Recommended by Readers, and was featured in several industry publications, including Library Journal, Publishers Weekly and Shelf Awareness. In addition, The Washington Post called it an "audiobook to whisk you away." Indigenous by birth and adopted by Mennonites, Dove writes about the complexities of identity and belonging, and "sensitively tackles the systemic crisis that has ripped apart so many Native American communities," according to The New York Times. Dove is an award-winning journalist and professor who earned a graduate degree from Harvard University in Creative Writing and Literature. The second novel in the Carrie Starr series arrives Summer 2026. Dove is currently writing a third novel and a screenplay.
J. M. Lee
J. M. Lee was a career high school teacher and coach for forty years, the last twenty-five of which were in the Andover (KS) School District. He and his wife, Teresa, have been married for over forty-three years. They have four children and four grandchildren. They are happily retired and living in Andover, KS, with their dog, Malcolm.
Attention, Authors!
Are you an author interested in sharing your work? Sign up! It's free! All genres are welcome!
Signing up will give you half a table (about 3 ft wide per author) and a table covering to display your books. Please be mindful of your neighbors when planning your space. You are welcome to sell books at the event, but you must take full responsibility for all payments. Tables will fill up fast. Sign up now!
It is free to showcase, but we will need your help getting the word out about the event. Participating authors will receive a digital media packet with shareable images, links, and information.
Sign up
