20th Annual Kentucky Women's Book Festival

20th Annual Kentucky Women's Book Festival

The Kentucky Women's Book Festival is celebrating it's 20th anniversary this year in partnership with the Louisville Book Festival and other events that showcase inspiring stories and literary talent! 

The University of Louisville invites you to celebrate 20 years of the Kentucky Women’s Book Festival (KWBF)! The festival examines how women have shaped and continue to shape storytelling, publishing, and the broader cultural conversation as authors, subjects, characters, editors, publishers, illustrators, readers, and figures in literature. Whether you are looking to discover a new favorite book, connect with local and national authors, or simply be part of a vibrant literary community, we invite everyone to join us. 

The Kentucky Women’s Book Festival will be at the Louisville Book Festival Saturday, October 24^th 10am-5pm at the Kentucky International Convention Center. October will be a literary celebration at UofL and the greater Louisville Community!  

Register: 2026 Kentucky Women's Book Festival Registration – Fill out form 

Questions? Email womenctr@louisville.edu or call 502-852-6656. 

20^th Annual Kentucky Women’s Book Festival Celebration RSVP 

Tuesday, October 20^th 6pm-7:30pm I UofL Student Activities Center Multipurpose Room.  

Join us for a night of celebration with music, food, and special presentations in recognition of 20 years. Free but registration required. Register 

More information: Louisville Book Festival I Kentucky International Convention Center Information I Session Information (Coming soon!) 

Kentucky Women’s Book Festival Featured Authors & Presenters 

Kentucky Women’s Book Festival Partners

The Kentucky Women’s Book Festival will feature various events throughout the city thanks to our partners:

UofL Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Department

UofL English Department & Creative Writing Program

Ekstrom Library, Bridwell Art Library

Jefferson Community & Technical College: Women's and Gender Studies

GWIN committee

The English Club

The Louisville Review’s Annette Allen Poetry Prize 

Schedule of Events

Open Mic 

Monday, October 19^th 3-4pm I Jefferson Community & Technical College Downtown Campus 

Come share your writing or your favorite piece by another author. 

Writing for Publication 

Tuesday, October 20^th 2-3pm I Jefferson Community & Technical College Downtown Campus 

Come and learn about writing for publication, featuring advice from JCTC English faculty, Laura Detmering, Karyl Anne Fischer, Michael Holladay, and Sarah Pennington. 

Writing from Life  

Wednesday, October 21^st 12-1pm I Center for Belonging, Access, & Engagement 

If you’ve ever considered bringing the story of your own life to the page, you know that the challenges are many: time constraints, privacy concerns, a newness with this mode of expression, or a discomfort with the idea of writing for an audience. This lunchbox lecture is designed to help writers manage and surmount these obstacles; it’s also an opportunity to learn to shape the raw materials of life into artful and compelling works of poetry or prose.  

Join Dr. Sarah Anne Strickley, the author of four books of prose and an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Louisville, as she leads participants through a journey of writerly revelations. The session will begin with a talk and a reading featuring excerpts from Dr. Strickley’s forthcoming creative nonfiction collection, Ode to Collapse: Essays on the Writing Life; Dr. Strickley will then ask participants to engage with short texts and complete a writing exercise. Time for questions and conversation will follow. 

Craft Circle: Zines  

Thursday, October 22^nd 12-1:30pm I Center for Belonging, Access & Engagement 

Discover the creative world of zines, defined as self-published, handmade works devoted to specialized and often unconventional content. Explore zines from the Art Library's collection and learn about the format's history and impact on print culture. Learn how to make your own zine! Can’t get enough of zines? Check out UofL’s Birdwell Art Library Zine Collection.  

Axton Reading Series 

Thursday, October 22^nd – Friday, October 23^rd  

Reading I Thursday October 22^nd I 6pm, Chao Auditorium Ekstrom Library 

Jenny Offill is an acclaimed fiction writer whose debut novel, Last Things, was named a New York Times Notable Book and a finalist for the LA Times First Book Award. Her second novel, Dept. of Speculation, was named one of the 10 Best Books of 2015. Weather: A Novel was published in 2020, and her critical work has appeared in the New York Times Book Review and Slate. Her honors include a Stegner Fellowship at Stanford University, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a New York Film Academy Fellowship in Fiction, and resident fellowships. 

• Master Class Friday October 23^rd I 10am-12pm, MITC 201 

• Closing Reception Friday October 23^rd I 12-1pm, MITC 201 

UofL Birdwell Art Library: Books Without Borders 

Now – December 2026 

Bridwell Art Library presents its latest exhibit, Books Without Borders, which showcases artists’ books from the Bridwell Art Library that explore how human mobility and connections transcend borders. The exhibition highlights how the physical structure and visual characteristics of book arts challenges traditional geographical boundaries by depicting both voluntary migration and forced displacement. The exhibit will be on display in the Art Library through December 2026. 

UofL Ekstrom Library  

• Robert Worth Bingham Poetry Room (1^st Floor) 

• Granville A. Bunton African American Collection (3^rd Floor) 

• Barbara S. Miller Children’s Literature Collection (3^rd Floor) 

Volunteers Needed

Will you help us celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Kentucky Women’s Book Festival? We are seeking volunteers for the festival and anniversary celebration, and we need your help to make these events a success! Volunteers receive free lunch, a T-shirt, and the opportunity to support Kentucky’s inspiring stories, authors, and literary talent.

KWBF Volunteer Signup Form
Anniversary Celebration Volunteer Signup Form

Thank you for your support in making this milestone celebration possible!

DISCLOSURE:  This program is intended to provide a platform for robust discussion. Please note that the speakers invited to present are guests and not speaking as an official representative of the University of Louisville (UofL). 

The views, opinions, statements, and information expressed by the speakers are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policies, positions, or views of UofL. Similarly, any questions or viewpoints shared by students, faculty, staff, or other participants during the program are those of the individual and do not necessarily reflect an institutional stance. UofL does not endorse any of the content or opinions expressed and provides this program for educational and informational purposes only.