Words by Women is an annual interdisciplinary lecture series that brings in women scholars, writers, performers, and community activists from across the country and across the disciplines. This event is hosted in the fall and is free and open to the public.

Beginning in 1981, this annual event is a chance for writers and audience members to interact and engage in converation. This is an inspiring and instructive experience for writers, writing students, and connoisseurs of good writing. More than 100 women writers have enriched the lives of Wichita audiences, including poets, playwrights, authors of fiction and nonfiction, and features a mix of national, regional, and local authors.

Since restarting the series in 2023, WEIS has leaned into its interdisciplinary scope choosing scholars, writers, and authors from among the different disciplines in the humanities and social sciences.

Words By Women 2026

Thanks for making Words By Women 2025 a success! Check back in 2026 to learn more about plans for next year's Words By Women events!

Past Lectures

Dr. Breanne Fahs

Dr. Breanne Fahs, professor of women’s and gender studies at Arizona State University, lectures on “Hairy Subjects: Resistance and Revolution in Women’s Body Hair Politics.”

Read article from "The Sunflower"

Dr. Amrita Chakrabarti Myers

Dr. Amrita Chakrabarti Myers, a historian of Black women in the United States, gives lecture, “Julia Chinn: A Story of Sex, Slavery, and Survival in the Old South”. The lecture is based on her book, “The Vice-President’s Black Wife: The Untold Story of Julia Chinn.” Chinn, whose story is mostly unknown, was the Black wife of the ninth vice president of the United States and serves as an example of the intersectionality of race and gender in the 19th century United States.

Read article from "The Sunflower"

Join the Conversation

Don't miss out on other events and opportunities hosted by Women's, Ethnicity, and Intersectional Studies (WEIS).

Diverse Women's Summit Global Village Assembly Women's History Month