A popular festival will not go on as usual due to the closure of UWM-Waukesha. The Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books had sold-out crowds last year, but this year the two-night event wont happen. Now, the effort is on to change that.Its going to be a big loss if we lose it, said Jim Landwehr, a Waukesha author and poet.But we arent going to lose it, said Laraine OBrien, founder of the Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books. Fifteen years ago, Laraine started the festival to give Wisconsin authors a voice and promote literacy in schools. People like Jim found a home attending the yearly event.It is imperative for the public to see what is being offered locally so they can see that its not just about these best-selling authors. There are local authors with some Midwest flavor to their work, said Jim. The two-day festival is so popular that last year it had back-to-back sellout nights. The headliners included Pulitzer Prize winner Bob Woodward and David Zucker, who wrote the movie Airplane!We had to turn people away for both keynotes, said Laraine.Watch: The woman who founded a popular Waukesha festival is now fighting to save it The woman who founded a popular Waukesha festival is now fighting to save itThe festival also brings in more than 60 authors and promotes childhood literacy by sending authors into area schools. That program is also on pause. The search is now on for another major sponsor since UWM-Waukesha will no longer sponsor the event. Laraine says if a sponsor is found, the festival can return in 2025 as usual.We want that to come back next year, said Laraine. People dont realize that their neighbors are writing books, and it just has to be brought to the publics attention.This year the festival will take place over four days with various events. All are free and open to the public. More information can be found here. Friday, November 8, 7:00 pmUWM-Waukesha Commons1500 N. University Drive, WaukeshaStudent Writing Contest Awards and Lillian Boese Memorial EveningThursday, November 14, 12:00 noonUWM-Waukesha Commons1500 N. University Drive, WaukeshaDarrin Bell, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of the acclaimed book, The TalkMore InformationApril 10, 7:00 pmUWM-Waukesha, Lunt-Fontanne Theatre1500 N. University Drive, WaukeshaCan Americas Public Schools and Colleges be Fixed? Perspectives from Former U.S. Secretaries of Education and authors, Arne Duncan and Margaret Spellings. Hosted by UWM at Waukesha and sponsored by the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public LeadershipMore InformationIts about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for TMJ4 on your device.Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip