Beth Golay

When Jo Harkin was in the middle of writing a science fiction novel, she took a procrastination break to read a book about kings and queens. That’s when she came across the name Lambert Simnel in footnotes of British history, a known pretender to Henry VII’s throne. In her novel, "The Pretender," Harkin elevates Simnel from the footnotes to an imagined history, filling in with fiction what written history might have left out.

An East High senior is heading to the national competition for Poetry Out Loud. We talk to him about his passion for poetry. Plus we have news from Wichita and around the state.

A private prison in Leavenworth, Kansas, could reopen to hold detainees for federal immigration authorities. But local opposition has been fierce. The lawsuit that will decide if Leavenworth becomes a regional hub for immigration detention. We have that story plus news from Wichita and around the state.

More than 26 million acres of land across the U-S are enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program. But Project 2025 explicitly called for the conservation program’s elimination. We look at concerns over the future of a longstanding conservation program. Plus news from Wichita and around the state..

When writing a book about her first pregnancy, Amanda Hess—who's a critic-at-large for the New York Times—says she was absolutely influenced by job. Hear more from Hess, plus news from Wichita and around the state.

Beth Golay recently spoke with Mary Morris about her Italian travels that led to the book "The Red House," her own connections with the characters, and more.

Beth Golay recently spoke with Maria Reva about her characters and how she incorporates her own life into "Endling."

Beth Golay recently spoke with Elif Shafak about how "The Epic of Gilgamesh" in part inspired "There Are Rivers In the Sky," and the challenges of holding on to history.

Janice Graham's new novel, Red Lily, begins when her main character discovers that he's inherited an estate from his aunt's who just died. One problem, he thought she was already dead. And another problem, she's not dead at all. KMUW's Beth Golay spoke with Graham about her novel set in the world of espionage.

Erin and Ryan Potter bought Wichita's Watermark Books & Cafe in April. Here's what Erin Potter has to say about how it's going, what she likes to read, and what's next for the bookstore.