Support Writers for Readers

Writers for Readers is an ongoing partnership between Kansas City Public Library and the UMKC MFA program in creative writing. Annual gifts fund internships for graduate students who teach free writing classes on various topics, including poetry, writing for YouTube, fiction, and creative non-fiction.

The partnership also supports the administration of the Maya Angelou Book Award, a national literary prize recognizing new, outstanding contributions to literature and social justice in fiction and poetry.

Kansas City Public Library established the award in 2020 to honor the legacy of Missouri-born Maya Angelou. A partnership with UMKC and five other public universities in Missouri, the project connects new voices in creative writing with public audiences throughout the state.

This year’s MABA winner in poetry will be announced at the Writers for Readers benefit - An Evening with Lan Samantha Chang - on Thursday, October 5.

Please register for the event at writersforreaders2023.eventbrite.com.

Writers for Readers 2023: An Evening with Lan Samantha Chang | October 5, 2023, 6 p.m.

Please make checks payable to The Kansas City Public Library and include Writers for Readers in the memo line. Mail to The Kansas City Public Library, Att: Finance, 14 W. 10th St., Kansas City, Missouri 64105.

Sponsorship Opportunities

$10,000 Premier Sponsor

  • VIP seating and dinner for ten
  • Ten invitations to the pre-event meet & greet with Lan Samantha Chang and Whitney Terrell
  • Recognized as Premier Sponsor in event promotions and press releases
  • Featured recognition in lobby signage and the digital and print event programs
  • Signed copies of the Maya Angelou Book Award’s 2023 winning collection

$5,000 Presenting Sponsor

  • VIP seating and dinner for ten
  • Ten invitations to the pre-event meet & greet with Lan Samantha Chang and Whitney Terrell
  • Recognized as Presenting Sponsor in event promotions and press releases
  • Featured recognition in lobby signage and the digital and print event programs

$3,000 Novel Sponsor

  • Seating and dinner for eight
  • Eight invitations to the pre-event meet & greet with Lan Samantha Chang and Whitney Terrell
  • Recognized as Novel Sponsor online and in the digital and print event programs

$1,500 Inspiration Sponsor

  • Seating and dinner for eight
  • Eight invitations to the pre-event meet & greet with Lan Samantha Chang and Whitney Terrell
  • Recognized as Inspiration Sponsor online and in the digital and print event programs

$500 Book Lovers Sponsor

  • Seating and dinner for six
  • Recognized as Book Lovers Sponsor in the digital event program