For the fourth consecutive year, the Heartland Book Festival returns to Kansas City, offering readers an opportunity to meet some of the nation’s most acclaimed writers and artists right here at home.
Made possible in part by Missouri Humanities and Missouri Center for the Book, the festival kicks off on Friday, October 2, at Mid-Continent Public Library’s Woodneath Library Center, located at 8900 NE Flintlock Road, Kansas City, Missouri, with award-winning author Tayari Jones. Jones’ novel An American Marriage was a 2018 Oprah’s Book Club selection and won the 2019 Women’s Prize for Fiction. Her most recent book, Kin, has also been met with widespread acclaim, featured among Oprah’s Book Club selections as well as former President Barack Obama’s 2026 reading list.
The Heartland Book Festival continues Saturday, October 3, at the Kansas City Public Library’s Central Library with free workshops, panels, local vendors, and activities for children. Featured presenting authors include:
- New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey in conversation about her latest novel, Broken Rival, with Kansas City-based romance author Sierra Simone.
- Bestselling authors Victoria Aveyard and Soman Chainani recording an episode of their podcast, Plot Twist, and discussing Aveyard’s novel, Tempest.
- Daniel Miyares, critically acclaimed author-illustrator of numerous books for young readers, discussing his graphic novel, How to Say Goodbye in Cuban.
- Giselle Anatol?
Mid-Continent Public Library’s Woodneath Library Center, a historic site on the National Register, is located at 8900 NE Flintlock Road in Kansas City. The Center offers a unique library experience that includes 33 acres of wooded property with trails, an outdoor amphitheater, and an 1855 farmhouse housing The Story Center.
The Kansas City Public Library’s Central Library is located at 14 W. 10th Street in downtown Kansas City’s Library District. The Heartland Book Festival plugs in perfectly to the vibrant downtown culture.
For more information, visit www.heartlandbookfest.org. Free tickets are available now.
