A popular festival will not go on as usual due to the closure of UWM-Waukesha. The Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books had sold-out crowds last year, but this year the two-night event won’t happen. Now, the effort is on to change that.
“It’s going to be a big loss if we lose it,” said Jim Landwehr, a Waukesha author and poet.
“But we aren’t going to lose it,” said Laraine O’Brien, founder of the Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books.
Fifteen years ago, Laraine started the festival to give Wisconsin authors a voice and promote literacy in schools. People like Jim found a home attending the yearly event.
“It is imperative for the public to see what is being offered locally so they can see that it’s not just about these best-selling authors. There are local authors with some Midwest flavor to their work,” said Jim.
The two-day festival is so popular that last year it had back-to-back sellout nights. The headliners included Pulitzer Prize winner Bob Woodward and David Zucker, who wrote the movie Airplane!
“We had to turn people away for both keynotes,” said Laraine.
Watch: The woman who founded a popular Waukesha festival is now fighting to save it
The festival also brings in more than 60 authors and promotes childhood literacy by sending authors into area schools. That program is also on pause. The search is now on for another major sponsor since UWM-Waukesha will no longer sponsor the event. Laraine says if a sponsor is found, the festival can return in 2025 as usual.
“We want that to come back next year,” said Laraine. “People don’t realize that their neighbors are writing books, and it just has to be brought to the public’s attention.”
This year the festival will take place over four days with various events. All are free and open to the public. More information can be found here.
Friday, November 8, 7:00 pm
UWM-Waukesha Commons
1500 N. University Drive, Waukesha
Student Writing Contest Awards and Lillian Boese Memorial Evening
Thursday, November 14, 12:00 noon
UWM-Waukesha Commons
1500 N. University Drive, Waukesha
Darrin Bell, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of the acclaimed book, The Talk
More Information
April 10, 7:00 pm
UWM-Waukesha, Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
1500 N. University Drive, Waukesha
“Can America’s Public Schools and Colleges be Fixed?“ Perspectives from Former U.S. Secretaries of Education and authors, Arne Duncan and Margaret Spellings. Hosted by UWM at Waukesha and sponsored by the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership
More Information
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