Literary in Mississippi

“I discovered that my own little postage stamp of native soil was worth writing about and that I would never live long enough to exhaust it.” — Nobel Prize Winner, William Faulkner

William Faulkner is just one of the many literary giants whose love of literature began with a love for Mississippi. You can stroll upon his native soil at his home, Rowan Oaks, in Oxford and learn about his family roots. See the Mississippi that Tennessee Williams described as “the beauty spot of creation, a dark, wide spacious land that you can breathe in” by visiting his childhood home in Columbus.

Then visit Eudora Welty’s historic home and gardens in the Belhaven Neighbourhood in state capitol, Jackson, which are still just as they were when she would step out the door. History buffs, book lovers, and visitors of all kinds love to step into the life and mind of Pulitzer-Prize-winning author, photographer, and Mississippi native Eudora Welty. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2004, the 1925 Tudor Revival is one of the most well-preserved literary residences in the country. For 76 years, Welty lived, entertained, and wrote her stories there, leaving behind a treasure trove of books, artwork, and furnishings which her family gifted with the house to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. By guided tour only, each room reveals its own story of the experiences that shaped Welty's relationship with writing, creativity and the arts. Visitors can look forward to exploring her vast collection of books, typewriters, cherished gifts from fellow authors she admired, plus her famously tattered set of Dickens novels.

These writers have given birth to a new generation of Mississippi literary heritage; from the master of legal thrillers, John Grisham, to Pulitzer Prize winner Donna Tartt. If you love literature, Mississippi’s literary heritage and the native soil invite you to explore the inspiration behind some of the world’s greatest writing. Follow the Southern Literary Trail through Mississippi and Alabama to visit the places that influenced well-known 20th century writers.

Mississippi Book Festival

Each year, the Mississippi Book Festival unites readers and authors in an exhilarating celebration of books.

The Book Festival includes authors signing their books and covering topics such as history, short stories, poetry, civil rights, romance, sports & outdoors, children’s stories, biography, literary fiction, southern popular fiction, comics and the civil war.

More information is available at msbookfestival.com.