2024 Festival of Books

The 2024 Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books will offer a new writing contest for college students this fall named for the late Lillian Boese who was a key force in the Festival’s fifteen year history. The Lillian Boese Award for Writing Excellence will include competitions in essays, fiction and poetry, Read more…

Here’s why she does it “The Book Festival Writing Contest gave me a passageway to understand myself through my writing, taught me how to write more professionally, and helped my grades as well,” says Waukesha West Senior Harper Pugh. When she attended Les Paul Middle School, she won the Festival’s Read more…

The 2024 Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books is offering a writing contest for college students this fall named for the late Lillian Boese who was a key force in the Festival’s fifteen year history. The Lillian Boese Award for Writing Excellence will include competition in essays, fiction and poetry, and Read more…

April 10, 7:00 pm UWM-Waukesha, 1500 N. University Drive, WaukeshaLunt-Fontanne Theatre “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 This Read more…

Thursday, October 10, 7:00 pm Books & Company1039 Summit Avenue, Oconomowoc The Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books in partnership with Books & Company Presents Kathie Giorgio in conversation with Maggie Ginsberg Join Kathie Giorgio, the author of Don’t Let Me Keep You, in conversation with Madison Magazine editor and fellow novelist Maggie Ginsberg Read more…

Friday, November 8, 7:00 pmUWM-Waukesha Commons1500 N. University Drive, Waukesha 7:00 pm: The Century Fence Essay and Poetry Contests for Middle and High school students  and the Duane Stein Short Story Writing Contest winners will be announced. An additional contest for College Students has been added. 7:30 pm: The absence Read more…

Thursday, November 14, 12:00 noonUWM-Waukesha, 1500 N. University Drive, WaukeshaCommons Room C101 How to Participate in Darrin Bell’s Visit to UWM-Waukesha The UWM-Waukesha Campus Climate Committee invites you to participate in this fall’s Reading Circle—The Talk by Pulitzer Prize winning author Darrin Bell. He will be on campus Thursday, November 14th Read more…

The Century Fence Middle and High School Essay and Poetry Contest entries have closed. All winners will be announced at the 2024 Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books Awards Ceremony at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Waukesha. The ceremony will take place during a reception on Friday, November 8 at 7 Read more…