SEP19
Festival
Cozy Fest: A Jane Austen Affair
Alexander Majors House & Barn · Kansas City, MO · 1–7 PM
Explore Cozy Fest →Midwest Bookish Events
Find somethingbookishto do.
Author signings, bookstore events, literary festivals, book clubs, writing programs, and other reasons to leave the house with a tote bag.
Midwest Book Beat Events
Our fall is booked.
Start here for Midwest Book Beat festivals, workshops, markets, and partner events happening from September through November.
See all Midwest Book Beat events →September2026
SEP25–27
October2026
OCT10
OCT17
OCT24
November2026
NOV7
Book Market
Sweater Weather Book Market
136 S. 1st Street · Pleasant Hill, MO · 12–4 PM
Event details →NOV7
NOV13
NOV21
Festivals + book fairs
Worth planning around.
Bigger literary events where readers can make a whole day, or an entire weekend, out of books.
OCT1–3
Lucky Rabbit Literature Festival
Multiple locations· Kansas City, MO
Oct. 1–3 · Free + ticketed programming
Three days of children’s literature programming, including a public festival book signing and family opportunities.
OCT3
Heartland Book Festival
Kansas City Public Library, Central Library· Kansas City, MO
9:00 AM–4:00 PM · Free ticket / registration
A full day of author conversations, panels, workshops, children’s programming, activities, vendors, and signings.
OCT3
Boozy Book Fest
Bartle Hall· Kansas City, MO
4:00–9:00 PM · Ticketed
A large reader convention with author panels, conversations, vendors, meet-and-greets, and dedicated signing areas.
All upcoming bookish events
Kansas City metro.
Search or filter the launch calendar. We link to the organizer’s individual event page whenever one exists, then fall back to the organizer calendar when it does not.
September
SEP9
Wines & Spines: Starter Villain
Bliss Books & Wine· Kansas City, MO
7:00–8:00 PM · Free / hybrid
A hybrid discussion of John Scalzi’s Starter Villain with the Wines & Spines Book Club.
SEP10
Pages & Potions
West Wyandotte Library· Kansas City, KS
7:00–8:00 PM · Library event
A romantasy-focused YA book club for grades 10 and up. September’s discussion is Powerless by Lauren Roberts.
SEP11
Riverfront Reading Series
Kansas City Kansas Community College· Kansas City, KS
7:00 PM · See organizer
A public literary reading featuring Brian Whitehead, Huascar Medina, and Tasha Haas.
SEP15–OCT 27
Cozy Story Hour: The Spellshop
The Gilded Page· Kansas City, MO
Tuesdays at 6:00 PM · Free · recurring
A low-pressure weekly audiobook listening series. Upcoming dates: Sep. 15, 22, 29 and Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27.
SEP17
Banned Books Book Club
Central Resource Library· Overland Park, KS
4:30–5:30 PM · No registration required
September’s discussion is A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl by Tanya Lee Stone.
SEP18
B.K. Borison: Grim Tidings
Madrid Theatre· Kansas City, MO
6:30 PM · Ticketed · book included
A release celebration with B.K. Borison in conversation with Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone.
SEP18
Book Social: A Reading Party
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art· Kansas City, MO
6:00–8:00 PM · Free
Bring a book or borrow one, read independently, then join guided small-group conversation.
SEP18
The Writers Place Reading Series: Varied Voices
The Writers Place· Kansas City, MO
7:00 PM · See organizer
An evening in The Writers Place reading series featuring varied literary voices.
SEP21
Geneva Lee: Harbinger
Unity Temple on the Plaza· Kansas City, MO
7:00–8:00 PM · Ticketed
A launch conversation with bestselling local author Geneva Lee, followed by an optional signing and personalization line.
SEP22
Adib Khorram: Isn't He Romantic?
Under the Cover· Kansas City, MO
6:30 PM · $5
A local-author release party celebrating Isn’t He Romantic?
SEP22
Jodi Picoult: Hollow Bones
Unity Temple on the Plaza· Kansas City, MO
7:00–8:00 PM · Ticketed
Jodi Picoult appears in conversation with Megan Bannen to celebrate Hollow Bones.
SEP24
Meet Angela Cervantes
South Branch Library· Kansas City, KS
6:30–7:30 PM · Library event
Meet award-winning local children’s author Angela Cervantes at the South Branch Library.
SEP25
Andie Burke: So It Grows
Under the Cover· Kansas City, MO
6:30 PM · Ticketed
A release event celebrating Andie Burke’s So It Grows.
SEP25
Terri Lewis: When They Came Home
Rainy Day Books· Fairway, KS
7:00–8:00 PM · Ticketed
A talk and personalized signing for Terri Lewis’s novel inspired by her grandparents and the aftermath of World War I.
SEP25
I-70 Review Magazine Release & Contributor Reading
The Writers Place· Kansas City, MO
7:00 PM · See organizer
A magazine release celebration and contributor reading for I-70 Review.
SEP26
100 Thousand Poets for Change
Plaza Library· Kansas City, MO
10:00 AM–5:00 PM · See organizer
A day of poetry and literary community programming at the Plaza Library.
SEP27
Hailey Dickert: XO, Karma
Under the Cover· Kansas City, MO
4:30 PM · $25
A release celebration for Hailey Dickert’s XO, Karma.
SEP28
Ravi Gupta: The Invisible List
Unity Temple on the Plaza· Kansas City, MO
7:00–8:00 PM · Ticketed
Ravi Gupta joins Jason Kander for a conversation and live podcast recording, with signing and personalization.
October
OCT1
Pages & Potions
West Wyandotte Library· Kansas City, KS
See organizer · Library event
The recurring romantasy-focused YA book club returns for its October meeting.
OCT1–3
Lucky Rabbit Literature Festival
Multiple locations· Kansas City, MO
Oct. 1–3 · Free + ticketed programming
Three days of children’s literature programming, including a public festival book signing and family opportunities.
OCT2
An Evening with Tayari Jones
Woodneath Library Center· Kansas City, MO
6:30–8:45 PM · Free ticket required
Tayari Jones discusses Kin, followed by a book signing.
OCT3
Book Discussion: How It Feels to Be Alive
Spencer Art Reference Library· Kansas City, MO
10:30–11:30 AM · Free
A public discussion of Megan O’Grady’s How It Feels to Be Alive.
OCT3
Boozy Book Fest
Bartle Hall· Kansas City, MO
4:00–9:00 PM · Ticketed
A large reader convention with author panels, conversations, vendors, meet-and-greets, and dedicated signing areas.
OCT3
Heartland Book Festival
Kansas City Public Library, Central Library· Kansas City, MO
9:00 AM–4:00 PM · Free ticket / registration
A full day of author conversations, panels, workshops, children’s programming, activities, vendors, and signings.
OCT3
Phil Miller Scholarship Reading
Flagship Books· Kansas City, KS
3:00–5:00 PM · See organizer
A Riverfront Reading Series event at Flagship Books.
OCT6
John Green: Hollywood, Ending
Unity Temple on the Plaza· Kansas City, MO
7:00–8:30 PM · Sold out
John Green returns to Kansas City for a conversation and audience Q&A celebrating Hollywood, Ending.
OCT7
V.E. Schwab: Victorious
Unity Temple on the Plaza· Kansas City, MO
7:00–8:30 PM · Ticketed
V.E. Schwab celebrates Victorious with an author conversation. Event books are pre-signed.
OCT7
Wines & Spines: A Harlem Wedding
Bliss Books & Wine· Kansas City, MO
7:00–8:30 PM · Free / hybrid
A hybrid Wines & Spines discussion of Tiffany L. Warren’s A Harlem Wedding.
OCT10
Movie & Book Signing Community Event
ArtsTech Kansas City· Kansas City, MO
12:00–3:00 PM · Free
WatchSarah's Oil, followed by a brief talk from Sarah Rector's nieces. Author Karen Carter Riffle will also sell and sign copies ofA Name Worth Millions: The Story of Sarah RectorandMoney, Money, Money: The Sarah Rector Story.
OCT13
Veronica Roth: The Sixth Faction
Unity Temple on the Plaza· Kansas City, MO
7:00–8:30 PM · Ticketed
Veronica Roth visits Kansas City to celebrate The Sixth Faction. Tickets include a signed deluxe edition.
OCT14
B.B. Reid: Don't Fall
Under the Cover· Kansas City, MO
See organizer · $25
A release event for B.B. Reid’s Don’t Fall.
OCT15
Banned Books Book Club
Central Resource Library· Overland Park, KS
4:30–5:30 PM · No registration required
The recurring Banned Books Book Club meets at Central Resource Library.
OCT16
Trivia Night: Tolkien Edition
R.A. Long Learning Center· Kansas City, MO
6:30 PM · $25 · $15 members
A Tolkien-themed trivia night with Shire-inspired refreshments, a costume contest, and prizes.
OCT16
Lindsay Currie: The Secret Bookstore Sleuth Society
Central Resource Library· Overland Park, KS
4:00–5:30 PM · Ticketed
An author conversation with Lindsay Currie, followed by signing and personalization.
OCT16
The Writers Place Reading Series
The Writers Place· Kansas City, MO
7:00 PM · See organizer
A reading featuring Daniel Biegelson, Phyllis Becker, and Pat Lawson.
OCT17
Book Discussion with Devon A. Mihesuah: The Hatak Witches
Merriam Plaza Library· Merriam, KS
10:00–11:00 AM · Library event
Join author Devon A. Mihesuah for a discussion of The Hatak Witches and its blend of history, culture, family, and magic.
OCT25
The Elements of a Mystery: Chemistry, Agatha Christie and WWI
Online· Kansas City, MO
2:00 PM · Free with RSVP · Zoom
Writer and former chemist Kathryn Harkup explores the science, medicines, and poisons behind Agatha Christie’s mysteries.
OCT26
Open Mic Night
Quaker House· Kansas City, MO
7:00 PM · Free
A free open mic hosted by Sharon Eiker. Bring your writing and share.
OCT27
Opera Book Club: The Marriage of Figaro
Rainy Day Books· Fairway, KS
7:00 PM · Free registration
Discuss Vienna Nocturne by Vivien Shotwell in a free book club presented by Lyric Opera and Rainy Day Books.
OCT29
Isabelle Popp: I Haunt It That Way
Under the Cover· Kansas City, MO
See organizer · $21
A release event for Isabelle Popp’s I Haunt It That Way.
Always confirm with the organizer before heading out.Event times, ticket availability, locations, and signing details can change. Listings were verified from organizer or official event pages on September 9, 2026.
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Bookstores, libraries, authors, literary organizations, book clubs, and event organizers can submit public bookish events for consideration. We are especially looking for author signings, launches, festivals, book fairs, readings, workshops, bookstore events, and other literary gatherings readers should know about.
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