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 Kansas Authors Club in Wichita is hosting Petals & Poems at the Koi Pond Pavilion at Botanica this month. You are invited to attend this interactive poetry experience.
April 8 6pm - April Pameticky 7pm - Kevin Rabas April 15 6pm - Jeanice Davis 7pm Clarence Carvel April 22 6pm Julie Ann Baker Brin 7pm Traci Brimhall
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 There is no charge for entering the Youth Writing Contest by Kansas Authors Club. Our contests are open to all youth, grades 3-12, residing in the state of Kansas AND to all student members of the Kansas Authors Club, regardless of residence. Four Age Divisions: Grades 3-4; Grades 5-6; Grades 7-8; Grades 9-12.
Four Categories: Category #1 Poetry (to 40 lines; any form, including rhymed verse, free verse, haiku, classical form, song lyric); #2 Fiction (to 800 words; short story, chapter of a novel, drama); #3 Nonfiction (to 800 words; essay, research paper, factual narrative or drama based on real events and people); #4 Art (any medium, no AI work will be accepted) must be submitted as an image, JPG or PDF preferred. Note: All art submissions will be considered for the cover of the Youth Awards Book, regardless of place awarded. The recording of the March program by Linzi Garcia is now available for viewing by members at this link. (Member sign-on required.)
Save the Date: Saturday, April 18, 20216, 1:30 p.m.  Program: Why Kansas Stories Matter
Presented by Ken Spurgeon Kansas has been overlooked, at times. Considered the flyover state or an area to pass through, but many writers have found success and deep interest with the Sunflower state. In this presentation, Ken Spurgeon discusses why Kansas matters to him and why it is an area that provides a wonderful canvas for storytelling. Ken Spurgeon serves as assistant professor of history at Friends University. He received his Bachelor of Art and Master of Art degrees in History from Wichita State University, while also completing hours in Secondary Education Social Studies. He has taught at Central High School in Burden, KS, and at Northfield School of the Liberal Arts and has been a director of instruction and education at Cowley College. His master’s thesis, “A Kansas Soldier at War,” later became a book published by the History Press in 2013. In 2004, he founded Lone Chimney Films Inc. and has written or co-written and directed three documentaries and a docudrama. Two of his films have earned the Western Heritage Award (Wrangler), and three have aired on PBS stations. Kansas writer A.D. Childers will be our featured story-teller at the Topeka Chapter of Kansas Authors Club's open mic on Wednesday, March 25 at Round Table Bookstore. Sign-up begins at 6 p.m. She will begin reading at 6:15. The public is invited!  A.D Childers, who also writes short fiction as Alisha Davis, is a Kansas-born writer and educator. She loves a good mystery, especially with a paranormal twist. Childers holds a Masters in Creative Writing for Educators from Fairleigh Dickinson University and is active with several writing groups in her area. She loves working with writers, and her students consistently inspire her with their creativity and brilliance. Her debut novel, The Switch Point, was named a 2025 Kansas Notable Book. March is prose/storytelling month Sign-up for open mic begins at 6 p.m. Words in the Wind is sponsored by
the Topeka Area Chapter of Kansas Authors Club & Round Table Bookstore Save the date for our
April Board Meeting & Mini Workshop / Brainstorming / Planning for the Future Session It will take place on Saturday, April 11, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Lyon County History Center in Emporia. Board Members State and Area Leaders and Future Leaders are encouraged to attend! Email Tracy if you would like to receive more information.  From member Bill Isley: I have the privilege of being one of more than 20 authors featured at the Topeka Library's "Local Authors Fair" on Monday, March 30th from 4:00-7:00 pm. I'll be there to chat and sell and autograph my two novels The Likeness of Sinful Flesh and Chasing the Wind. Check out all the writers there. It should be very interesting. Love to see you. Here's the library link. https://events.tscpl.org/event/15557350 There will be many Kansas Authors Club members at this event! Look for the following, and more! Kim Hurley Andrews F.C. Appelhanz Tim Bascom A.D. Childers Anamarie Davis-Wilkens Todd Fertig Duane R. Johnson Patrick Kelly Ruth Maus Samantha Morrison Catherine Robertson Leslie VonHolten Topeka Writers Writing Group meets the second and fourth Thursdays of the month. It is a small critique group that would like to grow. We meet at 5:30 at the Barnes & Noble Coffee Shop on Wanamaker. If there are other writers who would like to attend, you can reach out to Stacy Thowe at [email protected].
Member Abbi Lee extends this invitation to those who write children's books, presented by the Society of Childen's Book Writers and Illustrators, Kansas-Missouri Chapter.  Who’s ready to take a step back from everyday life and focus on their writing for 2 solid days! Who wants to fill their creative soul with nature and children’s book talk? If I’m describing you, take time for yourself to dive into a manuscript or two in the bucolic setting of Conception Abbey (37174 State Hwy VV, Conception, MO 64433). This year we are excited to announce that Ruqayyah Daud of Little Brown Books for Young Readers will be our guest editor. She will be leading two workshops, one on revision and one on finding the hook for your story. Come get feedback from both a seasoned editor and fellow writers. Join us Friday, April 17 to Sunday, April 19, 2026 for 2 full days of digging deeper into your works in progress! KSMO-SCBWI offers this retreat for all writing levels. Meals, lodging, peer critiques, a professional critique from Ruqayyah, and the workshops are included in the cost.
About the faculty: Ruqayyah Daud is a senior editor at LBYR. She began her career in 2018 assisting editor-in-chief Alvina Ling and editor-at-large, Susan Rich. She is currently building her own list and is drawn to commercial books with a strong hook, emotional core, and vibrant cast of characters. Her titles include the critically acclaimed As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh and the #1 New York Times bestselling Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma, and the New York Times bestselling Bitten by Jordan Stephanie Gray. When she isn’t editing she can be found working as a part-time bookseller at her local independent bookstore, Fonts Books & Gifts, where she also leads the Fantasy Book Club. Register here: https://www.scbwi.org/events/recharge-your-writing-retreat-at-conception-abbey-pf-fyntv3u8 The recording of the February program by Kevin Rabas is now available for viewing by members at this link. (Member sign-on required.) SAVE THE DATE March 21, 2026, 1:30 p.m.  Program: Topic: House of Morrow / Children's Programs
Presented by Linzi Garcia Presentation Title - "Let's Make a Book: Advocacy through Bookmaking & the Diverse Voices Literacy Program" Linzi Garcia will walk you through how to make a little book/zine! She will discuss the zine's history and purpose as a personal creative act or a larger community movement. Linzi will also discuss how she uses this activity and other creative writing, reading, and public speaking lessons in her Diverse Voices Literacy Program--a program to enhance literacy skills through creative writing with local fifth-grade students and turn them into published authors! Linzi will offer resources to adopt your own Diverse Voices program! Creative writing is an artform for anyone, and this presentation and activity removes the pressure of making masterpieces and encourages playfulness. Linzi Garcia is the poetry editor and publicist of Meadowlark Press. Bringing together her Meadowlark role with her role as vice chair of House of Morrow, an arts-based services nonprofit, she serves as the program director for the Diverse Voices Literacy Program. During the program, Linzi and other facilitators teach creative writing, reading, and public speaking to local fifth graders, and, at the end of each school year, Meadowlark publishes an anthology of work by the students. Linzi is the author of two poetry collections, Cravings and Thank You, as well as the co-author of While Away: Travel Poems and Live a Great Story. She is a recipient of a NextGen Under 30 Kansas award.  Cathy Feemster, author of the children's book My Friend Rachel by Shep, the dog, will have a booth and author talk at the Women Empowered Spring Market on March 7, 2026, at Wichita's East Heights Methodist Church. The event hours are 10 am to 2 pm. All booths will offer products and services by woman-owned small businesses.
Cathy is a member of Kansas Authors Club and wants to invite all members and their friends to this fun event.  Cass County Library Northern Branch Presents a Poetry Reading with Dr. Beth Gulley
Enjoy an evening of poetry with Dr. Beth Gulley. Dr. Gulley is a local published author and college professor. You will hear samples of her work and open mic readings if time allows. Intended for ages 16 and up. Date: Thursday, February 12, 2026 Time: 6:00pm - 7:30pm Time Zone: Central Time - US & Canada (change) Location: NRC Meeting Room Branch: Northern Resource Center Audience: Adults Teens Categories: Community Interest Deadline for Proposals: March 15, 2026 We invite you to play an active role in our 2026 Kansas Authors Club convention by submitting your proposals for speakers and workshops. We are looking for 50-minute, participatory workshops on writing and/or discussion leaders on topics of interest to writers. We are also looking for potential panelists for moderator-led discussions. Presentations that explore the convention theme, "Writing Our History & Creating Our Future: Building Community Right," are particularly welcome. A Kansas connection is appreciated but not required for consideration. Speakers will be paid, but there is a limited budget for travel expenses and housing. The convention is being planned for in-person presentations. We are looking for an array of workshops that will address beginning writers through those with experience in writing and publishing. We will also plan for a balance of workshops covering fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Save the Date 2026 Kansas Writing Convention
October 2-4, 2026 Rock Springs Ranch • 1168 KS-157 Junction City, KS 66441 William Stafford |
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