The Library Foundation Presents
A Conversation with
Jenna Bush Hager
moderated by Melissa Brunner, WIBW.
Evening includes author insights with Tara O’Sullivan and her debut novel.
Thursday, March 25, 2027
Humanitarian, correspondent and bestselling author Jenna Bush Hager brings her unique vantage point to every audience leaving them mesmerized. Raised in the White House with her twin sister, Barbara, Hager cultivated an innate sense of purpose at an early age. Hager has seen firsthand how a small change can make a large difference in a single life. Travels to impoverished areas in Africa and Latin America impressed upon her the call to address the most pressing health, education and economic inequality issues of our time. To all who listen Hager ignites a passion to serve and inspires young leaders to give back in their schools, local communities or abroad.
Hager is the host of TODAY with Jenna & Friends. She is also the founder of TODAY’s wildly popular Read With Jenna book club, for which she has chosen 83 books. Fifty-one of her choices have become New York Times bestsellers.
In 2022 Hager established her production company, Thousand Voices, in partnership with NBC Universal’s studio, Universal Studio Group.
Hager is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and has written seven children’s books. Her latest New York Times bestseller, I Loved You First, celebrates the bond between parent and child in a lyrical story.
She also authored the #1 New York Times bestseller Sisters First, written with her sister Barbara Pierce Bush. This book takes readers on an extraordinary and deeply personal journey of what it is like to be born into a political dynasty. The sisters reveal never-before-told stories about their family and uncover the enduring sisterly bond that kept them sane through it all.
VIP Reception
6pm | Bradbury Thompson Alumni Center | Washburn University
1700 SW Jewell Ave., Topeka, KS
This experience will include an exclusive photo opportunity with Jenna Bush Hager, heavy hors d’oeuvres and hosted bar.
Author Conversation
7pm | White Concert Hall | Washburn University
1700 SW Jewell Ave., Topeka, KS
Join us for an engaging author conversation moderated by Melissa Brunner, featuring Jenna Bush Hager, who will share her entrepreneurial journey and experience launching her own publishing imprint Thousand Voices.
Also featured is author Tara O’Sullivan who will offer an exclusive first look at her debut novel The Quiet Ones before its publication date.
Tara O’Sullivan is based in London, although she mostly grew up in Cornwall with a short stint in Coronado, California. She has an MA in creative writing from the University of Exeter and was longlisted for the Discoveries Prize, a Curtis Brown Creative writing program in partnership with the Women’s Prize Trust and Audible.
When she isn’t working on her own writing, she edits other people’s books as a freelance editor and proofreader.
Rather than a traditional ticketed event, we've designed this experience as a special benefit for the individuals who choose to support the Library Foundation in 2026. Our donors make so much of what the library offers possible, and we're excited to thank them with a one-of-a-kind opportunity available right here in Topeka. We hope this experience inspires both longtime supporters and new donors to invest in the Library Foundation and become part of the library's continued impact on our community.
When you give to the Library Foundation, you become part of something lasting. Your support helps create vibrant spaces like the new Kids Library, enriches arts and culture experiences at the Alice C. Sabatini Gallery, and ensures the library remains a cornerstone of lifelong learning and community connection.