The Missouri Center for the Book is a program of Missouri Humanities and the state affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book. Our mission is to commemorate and promote appreciation for and greater awareness of Missouri’s rich literary heritage. This includes promoting awareness of regional authors, books, writing, reading, the book arts, publishing, poetry, and literacy in Missouri.
Since receiving Affiliate Center status in 2021, our work has been guided with input from numerous literary and literacy-based organizations, authors, and educators from across the state of Missouri who serve on the Missouri Center for the Book (MOCFTB) Planning Team.
Past Events:
National Book Festival – “Books Bring Us Together”
September 3rd, 2022
With input from the MOCFTB planning team, Growing Up with the River: Nine Generations on the Missouri by Dan and Connie Burkhardt was chosen to represent the state at the 22nd annual Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. The title is a part of the “Great Reads from Great Places” list for the 2022 National Book Festival and the list features books and authors representing the literary heritage of each Center for the Book Affiliate Center. Missouri Humanities participated in the Festival’s “Roadmap to Reading” program where each Affiliate Center showcased its book for young readers and thousands of families came through collecting stamps and stickers to fill their “Roadmap to Reading” Passport Map.
To hear from our “Great Reads from Great Places” authors, Dan and Connie Burkhardt, along with several other central region affiliate authors, click the button below.
2022 National Book Festival, Washington, D.C. Festival attendees collecting “Great Reads from Great Places” handouts and collecting stamps for their “Roadmap to Reading Passport Map” at the Missouri CFTB Affiliate booth.
Missouri Book Festival – “Where Stories Come to Life”
August 27th, 2022
Missouri Humanities and Reedy Press co-hosted the first-ever Missouri Book Festival in Washington, MO. The festival highlighted regional life, history, and culture through interactive programs presented by Missouri authors and local organizations. The literacy-based events invited attendees to think outside the book and discover reading as both the connection to endless subjects and the ultimate catalyst of our imagination!
Missouri Humanities Executive Director Ashley Beard-Fosnow presenting Dan and Connie Burkhardt with the 2022 “Great Read from Great Places” Award at the Missouri Book Festival.
The Library of Congress Center for the Book promotes books, reading, libraries and literacy through its programs in Washington and by working closely with its Affiliate Centers for the Book in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and Northern Marianas. Their programs include a diverse range of events, series, lectures, partnerships, and other initiatives designed to fulfill the mission of the national Center for the Book at the Library of Congress. The Center and its Affiliates play a major role in the annual Library of Congress National Book Festival.