Proof: A Midwest Lit Fest
Participate in Proof
About Proof 2026
Save the date! Proof: A Midwest Lit Fest will be held October 3, 2026 in the Harrison Center and surrounding neighborhood of downtown Indianapolis. Bookish vendors will be popping up from 6-9 pm at the Harrison Center on Friday, October 2. The festival continues on Saturday, October 3 from 10 am – 8 pm with readings, conversations, opportunities to meet others in the literary community, book signings with authors, and plenty of literary activities for the whole family.
Registration for Proof: A Midwest Lit Fest will open later this summer.
Participate in Proof
If you are a publisher, press, literary magazine, literary arts nonprofit, author, or an organization that serves Midwestern writers and would like to participate in Proof, please fill out this form to let us know more about your interest by July 29, 2026. We’ll reach out in late August with notifications about acceptance to the festival.
LOCAL AUTHOR FAIR
This year, we’re excited to announce a special partnership with the Indianapolis Public Library and Herron High School. The IndyPL will host a local author fair for Indiana authors at Herron High School during the festival. This opportunity is open to authors who live and work in Indiana. For more information and to apply, fill out this form by July 29, 2026.
LOCAL BOOKSTORES
If you are a local bookstore who would like to table at the festival and support book sales and author signings, please fill out the bookstore interest form.
For all other inquiries, please reach out to Megan Telligman, director of programs, at mtelligman@indianahumanities.org.
Support Proof
Proof is a community-driven festival, and we need your support to sustain this literary celebration.
We need volunteers to ensure that the festival runs smoothly. If you’d like to volunteer to help with the festival on October 2 and 3, please fill out the volunteer interest form.
Consider making a gift to support Proof: A Midwest Lit Fest. Your support ensures that the festival stays free and accessible to the public. For more information on sponsorship levels and the impact of your support, email Marisol Gouveia, director of engagement, at mgouveia@indianahumanities.org.
