Kansas First Lady Mary Brownback today announced the 7th annual Kansas Book Festival will take place 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, September 9, at the Kansas State Capitol. The festival will feature current authors and books and is focused on enforcing the importance of reading.

“Our mission is to promote literacy and encourage a life-long love of reading. The festival is one of the key ways that we are able to live out our mission,” Brownback said. “We have a great lineup assembled of locally and nationally known authors and illustrators that everyone will enjoy. And as always, there is something for everyone.”

Last year’s event drew an estimated 2,000 people at last year’s event. Headlining this year’s event will be children’s author Andrea Davis Pinkney (A Poem for Peter). Pinkney is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of numerous books for children and young adults, including picture books, novels, works of historical fiction and nonfiction. Among her list of accolades are multiple Coretta Scott King awards and American Library Association Notable Book citations.

Thirty authors are set to speak, including Candice Millard (Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, A Daring Escape and the Making of Winston Churchill), Tom Clavin (Dodge City: Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson and the Wickedest Town in the American West) and Joshilyn Jackson (Almost Sisters and The Opposite of Everyone). Along with author presentations, there will also be additional authors featured as vendors, book sales and signings, entertainment, live music, appearances by storybook characters Clifford and Curious George and activities for children of all ages. This event is free and open to the public.

For more details concerning the Kansas Book Festival and a full list of slated authors please visit www.kansasbookfestival.com or www.facebook.com/KansasBookFestival.