2017 Festival
Highlights
The Mississippi Book Festival’s third turn around the block of the State Capitol in downtown Jackson kept more than 6,400 book lovers enthralled as they packed panels, heard stories, gained insights, reveled in the festival vibe and bought books by the tote-load and the thousands. Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, joined by Governor Phil Bryant and other state dignitaries kicked off the festivities and unveiled the Mississippi Literary Map of the state’s classic and emerging authors. Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Richard Ford (Between Them, Independence Day) and New York Times best-selling author Greg Iles (Natchez Burning trilogy) topped a long list of contemporary authors on hand for a day that was also peppered with fun and insights from state and regional culinary personalities, photographers and visual and musical artists. Kids and teen activities, including new best-selling Jackson author Angie Thomas (The Hate U Give), ensured a festival that reached readers of all ages, and the debut of “Face-to-Face” time with select authors gave fans a chance for photos and more intimate book signing time with their favorites. Outdoors, the literary lawn party was in full swing, too, with live music, food trucks and the lively exchanges of readers and writers of every persuasion. 2017 Funders >Video
Slideshow
Panels
- A Conversation with Richard Ford: Dr. Robert Pearigen, Richard Ford
- A Conversation with the Librarian of Congress: Dr. Carla Hayden, The Honorable Gregg Harper
- A Culture of Food: John T. Edge, Jessica B. Harris, Susan Schadt, Leslie Hossfeld
- A Different Angle: Chandler Griffin, Phillip Hardwick, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Malcolm White, Neil White
- A Really Big Lunch: Jeffrey Lent, Jamie Harrison, Gregg Orr, Judy Hottenson
- A Special Report: Vietnam Fifty Years Later: Mark Bowden, The Honorable Trent Kelly
- A Year in Mississippi: Charline McCord, Sid Salter, Seetha Srinivasan, Diane Williams, JoAnne Prichard Morris
- Art in Mississippi: Elise Smith, Leif Anderson, Carolyn Brown, William Dunlap, H.C. Porter
- Capturing Mississippi: William Ferris, Langdon Clay, Panny Flautt Mayfield, R. Kim Rushing, Jack Spencer, David Wharton
- Celebrating our Roots: A Tribute to Mississippi’s Musical Heritage: Scott Barretta, Mary Lindsay Dickinson, Timothy Duffy, Tom Piazza, Roger Stolle, Jimmi Mayes
- Eudora Welty’s Legacy: Suzanne Marrs, Michael Pickard, Harriet Pollack, W. Ralph Eubanks, Ebony Lumumba
- First Fiction: The Discovery of the Debut: Richard Grant, Chanelle Benz, Ladee Hubbard, Phillip Lewis, Kayla Rae Whitaker
- Greg Iles and Stanley Nelson with Jerry Mitchell: Jerry Mitchell, Greg Iles, Stanley Nelson
- Her Story: Susan Cushman, Mary Ann Connell, Suzanne Marrs, Norma Watkins, Jessica B. Harris
- Historical Fiction: Matthew Guinn, Taylor Brown, Tim Gautreaux, Daren Wang, Steve Yates
- Hue, 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam: Mark Bowden, Howard Bahr
- In the Middle: Clara Martin, Cassie Beasley, Kristin L. Gray, Alison McGhee, Kimberly Willis Holt
- Kidnote: Candace Fleming, Eric Rohmann
- Larry Brown, the South, and the Modern Novel: Richard Howorth, Ron Rash, Mark Richard, Michael Farris Smith
- Mississippi Encyclopedia (Bicentennial Feature): Craig Gill, Odie Lindsey, Ted Ownby, James G. Thomas, Jr., Charles Reagan Wilson
- Mississippi History: Pamela Junior, Charles Eagles, Carter Dalton Lyon, Jeffery B. Howell, Carol Ruth Silver, Kathleen Wickham, Hollis Watkins
- Mississippi Middle Grade Readers (Bicentennial Feature): Taylor Kitchings, Corabel Shofner, Linda Williams Jackson, Augusta Scattergood, Barry Wolverton
- More Than Just a Cookbook: Robert St. John, John Currence, Martha Hall Foose, Asha Gomez, Matt Moore, Jill O’Connor
- National Literary Panel: Eliza Borne, Peter Geye, Jeffrey Lent, Jami Attenberg, Tim Gautreaux
- Poetry: Beth Ann Fennelly, Derrick Harriell, Catherine Pierce, Ron Rash
- Rising Stars in Young Adult: Mandy Robbins Smith, Moriah McStay, Joanne O’Sullivan, Shalanda Stanley, Angie Thomas
- Southern Fiction: Howard Bahr, John Gregory Brown, Kevin Wilson, Bill Loehfelm, Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
- Southern History: Robert Luckett, Adrienne Berard, Patricia Michelle Boyett, Otis Sanford, Grif Stockley
- Stories from the South: David Crews, Michael Knight, Odie Lindsey, Mary Miller, Helen Ellis
- The Enduring Mystery with Otto Penzler: Otto Penzler, Michael Kardos, Robert Olen Butler, Lachlan Smith, Tom Franklin
- The Heritage of Mississippi Series (Bicentennial Feature): Katie Blount, James F. Barnett, Jr., Timothy B. Smith, Randy Sparks, Lorie Watkins
- The Power of the Picture Book: Ellen Ruffin, Margery Cuyler, Gilbert Ford, Peter Reynolds, Matthew Clark Smith
- The Reading Stack: Valerie Walley, Brian Contine, Toni Hetzel, Jessica Pearson, Eric Svenson
- Things Like the Truth: Jimmie E. Gates, Jack Bales, Jim Dees, Ellen Gilchrist, Marshall Ramsey, Sid Salter
- Two Cooks in the Kitchen: John Currence, Vivian Howard
- U.S. Presidents: John Marszalek, Alvin S. Felzenberg, Walter Stahr, Curtis Wilkie
- Voices of Home: Tracy Carr, Julie Cantrell, Susan Cushman, John Floyd, Johnnie Bernhard
- Write for Mississippi: Katy Simpson Smith, Marion Barnwell, W. Ralph Eubanks, Michael Pickard, Miriam Gray
- Write for Mississippi Workshop: Katy Simpson Smith, Marion Barnwell, W. Ralph Eubanks, Michael Pickard
Activities
Student Outreach
Meg Cabot Speaks
Acclaimed Children’s author Meg Cabot will speak to 750 4th graders from Jackson Public Schools. At the end, they will each receive a free copy of Cabot’s Middle School Princess #3: Royal Crush. Elee Reeves and her daughters will introduce Cabot, who is best known for the The Princess Diaries series of books.
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keynote
Festival Kick-Off with Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress
Governor Phil Bryant, Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves, and Speaker of the House Philip Gunn will join Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, and Congressman Gregg Harper to kick off the 2017 Mississippi Book Festival. During the opening, Dr. Hayden and special guests will unveil the state’s exciting new Literary Map, commissioned by the Mississippi Library Commission and the Center for the Book.
- Dr. Carla Hayden, 14th Librarian of Congress
- The Honorable Gregg Harper, United States Congressman and Chairman of the Committee on House Administration and Chairman of the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress
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INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES
Imagination Playground, Wheel of Wonder, Bookmaking, and Snowflake Fun
Presented by Phil Hardin Foundation and the Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival
Stop by between 9:00 am and noon for fun with interactive exhibits from the Mississippi Children’s Museum. Build big with Imagination Playground. Spin and win with the Wheel of Wonder. Tell your story with Bookmaking. Create your own Snowflake Fun.
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Kidnote
Presented by the Phil Hardin Foundation and the Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival
Kick-off a morning of kid-friendly fun with a beloved children’s author and award-winning illustrator. A special hour for kids of all ages to let their minds soar!
- Candace Fleming, author of over 30 books for children, Bulldozer Helps Out
- Eric Rohmann, Caldecott medalist winner, Bulldozer Helps Out
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Art in Mississippi
Presented by Beard & Riser Architects
This distinguished panel of artists explores the many facets of art in Mississippi.
- Elise Smith, Art History Professor at Millsaps College, MODERATOR
- Leif Anderson, Dancing with my Father
- Carolyn Brown, The Artist’s Sketch: A Biography of Painter Kate Freeman Clark
- William Dunlap, Short Mean Fiction
- H.C. Porter, Blues @ Home
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Eudora Welty’s Legacy
Presented by the Eudora Welty Foundation and the Mississippi Arts Commission
Leading Eudora Welty scholar Suzanne Marrs is joined by critics and writers to discuss Eudora Welty’s enduring influence.
- Suzanne Marrs, MODERATOR
- W. Ralph Eubanks, The House at the End of the Road: The Story of Three Generations of an Interracial Family in the American South
- Ebony Lumumba, Assistant Professor of English at Tougaloo College
- Michael Pickard, Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing at Millsaps College
- Harriet Pollack, Eudora Welty’s Fiction and Photography: The Body of the Other Woman
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A Conversation with the Librarian of Congress
Presented by the Mississippi Humanities Council and the University of Southern Mississippi Friends of the Library
Mississippi Congressman Gregg Harper, Chairman of the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress, joins Dr. Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, in conversation. Dr. Hayden is the 14th Librarian of Congress.
- Dr. Carla Hayden, 14th Librarian of Congress
- The Honorable Gregg Harper, United States Congressman and Chairman of the Committee on House Administration and Chairman of the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress
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In the Middle
Presented by University of Southern Mississippi
Middle Grade Children’s authors discuss their novels and writing for children ages 8 to 12.
- Clara Martin, Lemuria Books Children’s Manager, MODERATOR
- Cassie Beasley, Tumble & Blue
- Kristin L. Gray, Vilonia Beebe Takes Charge
- Kimberly Willis Holt, Blooming at the Texas Sunrise Hotel
- Alison McGhee, Pablo and Birdy
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Things Like the Truth
Presented by Margaret and Bob Montgomery
Journalists and essayists discuss the journey to finding the truth with moderator Jimmie E. Gates of the Clarion-Ledger.
- Jimmie E. Gates, Reporter for The Clarion-Ledger, MODERATOR
- Jack Bales, Shifting Interludes: Selected Essays
- Jim Dees, The Statue and the Fury
- Ellen Gilchrist, Things like the Truth: Out of My Later Years
- Marshall Ramsey, Drawing the Line
- Sid Salter, Jack Cristil: Voice of the MSU Bulldogs
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food
Local Food
Try tasty local foods from these vendors along West Street and enjoy—under the sun shade or in the shade!
Bessi Roo’s | Crunch Time Concessions | Deep South Pops | Green Ghost Tacos | Hog Heaven BBQ | J B’s Chicago Style Beef Etc. | LurnyD’s Grille | The Manship Wood Fired Kitchen | Small Time Hot Dogs | Sweetwater Blue’z | T&J Concessions | T&J Concessions Sno Cones | Southern Sweets & Treats
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Poetry
Presented by the Mississippi Arts Commission and the University of Mississippi
Poet Laureate of Mississippi, Beth Ann Fennelly, brings together a cast of national poets.
- Beth Ann Fennelly, Mississippi Poet Laureate, MODERATOR
- Derrick Harriell, Stripper in Wonderland
- Catherine Pierce, The Tornado Is the World
- Ron Rash, Poems: New and Selected
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exhibitors
Exhibitors on the Lawn
Organizations (non-profit, government, charitable) have it made in the shade with a provided tent and table on the Capitol grounds. Please note: No sales are allowed in this area.
Bookfriends of the University Press of Mississippi | Eudora Welty House and Garden | Margaret Walker Center | Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience | Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters | Mississippi Library Association | Mississippi Public Broadcasting | Mississippi State University | Mississippi Today | Mississippi University for Women, MFA in Creative Writing | Visit Jackson | Visit Mississippi | Visit Oxford | Volunteer Mississippi | WT3 Foundation
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booksellers
Booksellers
Booksellers are showcased at the center of the festival in our Independent Bookseller Tents, directly across from the Book Signings Tent.
Big House Books | The Clarion-Ledger | Dogwood Press | Jackson Friends of the Library | Ke Francis / Caron Gallery | Lemuria Books | Lorelei Books | Mississippi Museum of Art | Nautilus | Turnrow Books | University Press of Mississippi | Usborne Books
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authors and artists
Authors Alley
Meet authors and artists selling their most recent works along Mississippi Street.
Mary Abraham | Joyce Ainsworth | Jacquelyn C. Allen | Melanie Atkins | Douglas Babington | David Billings | Lottie Bogan | W. Clark Boutwell | Felicia Brookins | Wanda Nance Brooks | Alison Buehler | Joshua Cable | Melissa Carrigee | John S. Case | Chauncey Citchens | Thelma B. Cousin | Dorothy A. Day | Andy Delancy | Janet W. Ferguson | Beth McAdams Ford | Paula Goddard | Jane Golden | Elizabeth Guider | Ann Hollowell | Shirley Kianna Hopkins | H. Grady Howell Jr. | Wanda Fay Jackson | Lizy Jacob | Benny H. Jenkins | Emma A. Jimenez | Mark W. Johnson | Kimberly B. Jones | Larry Jorgensen | Hannah Kay | Jazz Keyes | Michael Lackey | LaDonna Marie | Anne Martin | Ava Lisa Maxey | Mike McCall | Patrick McCloud | Sarah McGee | Tom McGraw | Clea McLemore | Robert Moore | Virginia Sue Mordecai | Ricky Nobile | Darden North | Cleveland Payne | Katherine Dupont Phillips | Katina Rankin | Robert Rogers | Evelyn McDade Roughten | Tyra E. Rowell | Richard Schwartz | Janice A. Singleton | Andrew Snorton | Jackie Warren Tatum | Janet Taylor-Perry | Sister Alies Therese | Diane Thomas-Plunk | Michael Hicks Thompson | Thomas J. Ward Jr. | Candice A. Whigham | Clinton Ink Slingers
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Stories from the South
Presented by the University of Mississippi
Short story writers of today come together to discuss their craft.
- David Crews, author of The Mississippi Book of Quotations, MODERATOR
- Helen Ellis, American Housewife: Stories
- Michael Knight, Eveningland
- Odie Lindsey, We Come to Our Senses
- Mary Miller, Always Happy Hour: Stories
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The Power of the Picture Book
Presented by Sara and Bill Ray
Led by Ellen Ruffin, curator of the de Grummond Collection at the University of Southern Mississippi, this collection of authors and illustrators discusses the powerful influence Picture Books make in children’s lives.
- Ellen Ruffin, curator of the de Grummond Collection at the University of Southern Mississippi, MODERATOR
- Margery Cuyler, Bonaparte Falls Apart
- Gilbert Ford, Soldier Song: A True Story of the Civil War
- Peter Reynolds, Happy Dreamer
- Matthew Clark Smith, Lighter than Air: Sophie Blanchard, the First Woman Pilot
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A Different Angle
Presented by Carroll Warren & Parker
These publishing go-getters join together to chat about their experiences and how they are making their book ideas a reality.
- Phillip Hardwick, author of the Mississippi Mysteries Series, MODERATOR
- Chandler Griffin, documentary filmmaker and the Founder of Barefoot Workshops
- Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Lucky Fish
- Malcolm White, Little Stories: A Collection of Mississippi Photos
- Neil White, Creative Director & Publisher of The Nautilus Publishing Company
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A Conversation with Richard Ford
Presented by Hilda and Hap Owen
Pulitzer-prize winning novelist, Richard Ford, in conversation with Millsaps’ president, Dr. Robert Pearigen.
- Dr. Robert Pearigen, president of Millsaps College, MODERATOR
- Richard Ford, Between Them: Remembering My Parents
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The Heritage of Mississippi Series (Bicentennial Feature)
Presented by Bradley, Arant, Boult, Cummings, LLP and Mississippi State University
In celebration of Mississippi’s Bicentennial, Katie Blount of Mississippi Department of Archives and History leads a discussion between writers of the Heritage of Mississippi Series.
- Katie Blount, Director of Mississippi Department of Archives and History, MODERATOR
- James F. Barnett, Jr., Mississippi’s American Indians
- Timothy B. Smith, Mississippi in the Civil War: The Home Front
- Randy Sparks, Religion in Mississippi
- Lorie Watkins, A Literary History of Mississippi
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Historical Fiction
Presented by Henry Barbour
Edgar Award nominee Matthew Guinn delves into the art of the historical novel with some of today’s most acclaimed authors.
- Matthew Guinn, author of The Scribe, MODERATOR
- Taylor Brown, The River of Kings
- Tim Gautreaux, Signals: New and Selected Stories
- Daren Wang, The Hidden Light of Northern Fires
- Steve Yates, The Legend of the Albino Farm
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Two Cooks in the Kitchen
Presented by Regions Bank
Vivian Howard, star of the PBS television show A Chef’s Life, and John Currence, creator of many restaurants including Big Bad Breakfast, discuss cooking and the south.
- John Currence, Big Bad Breakfast: The Most Important Book of the Day
- Vivian Howard, Deep Run Roots: Stories and Recipes from My Corner of the South
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Hue, 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam
Presented by Y’all Politics
Interviewer Howard Bahr, novelist and naval Vietnam Vet, will interview Mark Bowden about his masterful landmark work on the Battle of Hue, the story of the centerpiece of the Tet offensive and the bloodiest battle of the entire Vietnam War.
- Howard Bahr, author of The Judas Field and Vietnam veteran, MODERATOR
- Mark Bowden, Hue 1968
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Write for Mississippi
Presented by the Mississippi Humanities Council
Write for Mississippi is an organization working to implement diverse projects that use creative writing and storytelling to further community engagement. One such project is a series of creative writing workshops that places guest writers into public high schools. Hear from the authors and teachers who have been implementing this project across Mississippi.
- Katy Simpson Smith, author of Free Men, MODERATOR
- Marion Barnwell, Touring Literary Mississippi
- W. Ralph Eubanks, The House at the End of the Road: The Story of Three Generations of an Interracial Family in the American South
- Miriam Gray, Lanier High School English Teacher
- Michael Pickard, Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing at Millsaps College
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Rising Stars in Young Adult
Presented by Carroll Warren & Parker and the Junior League of Jackson
Vermont College of Fine Arts graduate Mandy Smith is joined by a host of Young Adult novelists to explore the growth of the genre.
- Mandy Robbins Smith, MODERATOR
- Moriah McStay, Everything that Makes You
- Joanne O’Sullivan, Between Two Skies
- Shalanda Stanley, Drowning is Inevitable
- Angie Thomas, The Hate U Give
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A Really Big Lunch
Presented by Sarah McCullough
This panel will focus on the work of our beloved Jim Harrison and his posthumous collection of food essays. His friends gather to share their stories at the festival.
- Judy Hottensen, associate publisher of Grove/Atlantic Inc., MODERATOR
- Jamie Harrison, The Widow Nash
- Jeffrey Lent, Before We Sleep
- Gregg Orr, Jim Harrison: A Comprehensive Bibliography
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Her Story
Presented by Portico Jackson Magazine
Five noted women authors discuss their most recent works, as well as the opportunities and challenges unique to women writers.
- Susan Cushman, editor of A Second Blooming, MODERATOR
- Mary Ann Connell, An Unforeseen Life: A Memoir
- Jessica B. Harris, My Soul Looks Back
- Suzanne Marrs, Meanwhile There Are Letters: The Correspondence of Eudora Welty and Ross Macdonald
- Norma Watkins, That Woman from Mississippi
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Capturing Mississippi
Presented by the Mississippi Humanities Council
Folklorist William Ferris moderates a discussion between photographers from Mississippi and across the country.
- William Ferris, author of The South in Color: A Visual Journal, MODERATOR
- Langdon Clay, Cars
- Panny Flautt Mayfield, Live from the Mississippi Delta
- R. Kim Rushing, Parchman
- Jack Spencer, This Land: An American Portrait
- David Wharton, The Power of Belief: Spiritual Landscapes from the Rural South
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Signing and Photo Opportunity
Face-to-Face with Vivian Howard
Meet Vivian Howard in this intimate signing and photo op event immediately following her panel presentation in the Galloway Sanctuary. Vivian will sign books here and not in the signing tent.
- Vivian Howard, Deep Run Roots: Stories and Recipes from My Corner of the South
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Greg Iles and Stanley Nelson with Jerry Mitchell
Presented by The Clarion-Ledger
Jerry Mitchell leads New York Times bestselling author Greg Iles and Stanley Nelson in a discussion about the events in their books, both fact and fiction.
- Jerry Mitchell, investigative reporter for The Clarion-Ledger, MODERATOR
- Greg Iles, Mississippi Blood
- Stanley Nelson, Devils Walking: Klan Murders along the Mississippi in the 1960s
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Celebrating our Roots: A Tribute to Mississippi’s Musical Heritage
Presented by the Mississippi Arts Commission
From musicians to writers and tastemakers, this well-rounded collection of music lovers discusses music in Mississippi with moderator Scott Barretta.
- Scott Barretta, MODERATOR
- Mary Lindsay Dickinson, widow of Jim Dickinson, the author of I’m Just Dead, I’m Not Gone
- Timothy Duffy, We Are the Music Makers
- Jimmi Mayes, The Amazing Jimmi Mayes: Sideman to the Stars
- Tom Piazza, The Southern Journey of Alan Lomax: Words, Photographs, and Music
- Roger Stolle, Hidden History of Mississippi Blues
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Write for Mississippi Workshop
Write for Mississippi is an organization working to implement diverse projects that use creative writing and storytelling to further community engagement. Join the authors who have been taking a series of creative writing workshops into public high schools across Mississippi.
- Katy Simpson Smith, author of Free Men, MODERATOR
- Marion Barnwell, Touring Literary Mississippi
- W. Ralph Eubanks, The House at the End of the Road: The Story of Three Generations of an Interracial Family in the American South
- Michael Pickard, Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing at Millsaps College
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Larry Brown, the South, and the Modern Novel
Presented by Wise Carter Child & Caraway
Larry Brown’s longtime friend, Richard Howorth, brings together a few of the author’s friends to share Brown’s effect on their work and to discuss their own books.
- Richard Howorth, owner of Square Books, MODERATOR
- Ron Rash, The Risen
- Mark Richard, House of Prayer No. 2: A Writer’s Journey Home
- Michael Farris Smith, Desperation Road
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U.S. Presidents
Presented by Taggart, Rimes & Graham
Executive Director and Managing Editor of the Ulysses S. Grant Association, John Marszalek leads this diverse group of authors through the lives of United States presidents and the men who served them.
- John Marszalek, Executive Director and Managing Editor of the Ulysses S. Grant Association, MODERATOR
- Alvin S. Felzenberg, A Man and His Presidents: The Political Odyssey of William F. Buckley Jr.
- Walter Stahr, Stanton: Lincoln’s War Secretary
- Curtis Wilkie, The Road to Camelot: Inside JFK’s Five-Year Campaign
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The Reading Stack
Presented by BKD CPAs & Advisors
- Valerie Walley, Regional Sales Director for Penguin Random House, MODERATOR
- Brian Contine, Penguin Sales Manager
- Toni Hetzel, Random House Sales Manager
- Jessica Pearson, Random House Sales Manager
- Eric Svenson, HarperCollins Sales Manager
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Mississippi Middle Grade Readers (Bicentennial Feature)
Presented by Cornerstone Consulting
In celebration of Mississippi’s Bicentennial, these Mississippi authors talk about writing for Middle Grade Readers.
- Taylor Kitchings, author of Yard Wars, MODERATOR
- Linda Williams Jackson, Midnight Without a Moon
- Augusta Scattergood, Making Friends with Billy Wong
- Corabel Shofner, Almost Paradise
- Barry Wolverton, The Dragon’s Gate
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The Enduring Mystery with Otto Penzler
Presented by the University of Mississippi
Bestselling Mystery writers come together to discuss this fiction mainstay.
- Otto Penzler, Mysterious Press president and CEO and owner of The Mysterious Bookshop in New York City, MODERATOR
- Robert Olen Butler, The Empire of Night
- Tom Franklin, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
- Michael Kardos, Before He Finds Her
- Lachlan Smith, Panther’s Prey
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National Literary Panel
Presented by Butler Snow
Oxford American editor Eliza Borne leads a conversation with four authors from the national literary stage.
- Eliza Borne, editor of the Oxford American, MODERATOR
- Jami Attenberg, All Grown Up
- Tim Gautreaux, Signals: New and Selected Stories
- Peter Geye, Wintering
- Jeffrey Lent, Before We Sleep
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Mississippi History
Presented by the Mississippi Humanities Council in partnership with the “Legacy of Race” initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities
Leading history writers come together with Pamela Junior, Director of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, to discuss pivotal moments in Mississippi’s history.
- Pamela Junior, Director of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, MODERATOR
- Charles Eagles, Civil Rights, Culture Wars: The Fight Over a Mississippi Textbook
- Jeffery B. Howell, Hazel Brannon Smith: The Female Crusading Scalawag
- Carter Dalton Lyon, Sanctuaries of Segregation: The Story of the Jackson Church Visit Campaign
- Carol Ruth Silver, Freedom Rider Diary: Smuggled Notes from Parchman Prison
- Hollis Watkins, Brother Hollis, the Sankofa of a Movement Man
- Kathleen Wickham, We Believed We Were Immortal: Twelve Reporters Who Covered the 1962 Integration Crisis at Ole Miss
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A Year in Mississippi
Presented by Mississippi State University
“A Year in Mississippi” is a collection of forty essays, ten per season, celebrating significant events and traditions throughout the state. Join contributors as they discuss the background, history, and emotions of these events.
- Charline McCord, A Year in Mississippi, MODERATOR
- JoAnne Prichard Morris
- Sid Salter
- Seetha Srinivasan
- Diane Williams
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A Culture of Food
Presented by the Mississippi Arts Commission and Mississippi State University
The festival brings together a collection of authors to discuss food histories and their influence on the cultures around them.
- Leslie Hossfeld, Professor and Head of Department of Sociology at Mississippi State University, MODERATOR
- John T. Edge, The Potlikker Papers: A Food History of the Modern South
- Jessica B. Harris, My Soul Looks Back
- Susan Schadt, Reel Masters
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Southern Fiction
Presented by Hederman Brothers Printing
Today’s writers come together to discuss the power of the Southern narrative.
- Howard Bahr, author of The Judas Field, MODERATOR
- John Gregory Brown, A Thousand Miles from Nowhere
- Bill Loehfelm, The Devil’s Muse
- Margaret Wilkerson Sexton, A Kind of Freedom
- Kevin Wilson, Perfect Little World
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Signing and Photo Opportunity
Face-to-Face with Greg Iles and Stanley Nelson
Meet Greg Iles and Stanley Nelson in this intimate signing and photo op event immediately following their panel presentation in the Galloway Sanctuary. Greg and Stanley will sign books here and not in the signing tent.
- Greg Iles, Mississippi Blood
- Stanley Nelson, Devils Walking: Klan Murders along the Mississippi in the 1960s
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SPECIAL EVENT
How Mississippi Changed America
Conversations About the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi and the Nation
Historians, scholars and experts discuss the civil rights movement in Mississippi, ground zero for the national struggle. On the cusp of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum’s opening, hear how the stories the museum tells and history it shares are as much about America as Mississippi. As the people in the trenches in this state fought for change, their strategies and activities affected the movement beyond its borders — including other states and the powerful halls of the nation’s capital.
- 4:00 - 5:15 pm Panel Discussion: Randall Pinkston (moderator), Charles E. Cobb, Jr., Emilye Crosby, Françoise Hamlin, and Tiyi Morris
- 5:30 - 6:30 pm Conversation: W. Ralph Eubanks (moderator) and Clayborne Carson
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student outreach
Angie Thomas Speaks
New York Times best-selling author, and Jackson’s own, Angie Thomas will speak to 750 9th Graders from JPS. Each child will receive a free copy of Thomas’ new book, The Hate U Give. Mississippi Arts Commission Executive Director Malcolm White will introduce Thomas.
PBS NewsHour was on hand to tape this presentation and included a portion in the September 24, 2017 PBS NewsHour edition. Click here to view.
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Voices of Home
Presented by the Mississippi Library Commission
Join Tracy Carr, director of the Mississippi Center for the Book, for a discussion of Mississippi writing from four current Mississippi writers.
- Tracy Carr, Mississippi Center for the Book Director and the Library Services Director at the Mississippi Library Commission, MODERATOR
- Johnnie Bernhard, A Good Girl
- Julie Cantrell, Perennials
- Susan Cushman, Cherry Bomb
- John Floyd, Dreamland
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More Than Just a Cookbook
Presented by Community Foundation of Greater Jackson and First Commercial Bank
Some of our favorite chefs gather to share secrets, stories and, most of all, their love of food.
- Robert St. John, MODERATOR
- John Currence, Big Bad Breakfast: The Most Important Book of the Day
- Martha Hall Foose, My Two Souths: Blending the Flavors of India into a Southern Kitchen
- Matt Moore, South’s Best Butts: Pitmaster Secrets for Southern Barbecue Perfection
- Jill O’Connor, Cake, I Love You: Decadent, Delectable, and Do-able Recipes
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A Special Report: Vietnam Fifty Years Later
Presented by Y’all Politics
Bestselling author Mark Bowden and Congressman Trent Kelly will share a conversation. These two will participate in a riveting discussion about America’s involvement in Vietnam with a special emphasis on the military veterans. Stay for book signing afterward!
- MODERATOR TBD
- Mark Bowden, Hue 1968
- The Honorable Trent Kelly, United States Congressman
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Mississippi Encyclopedia (Bicentennial Feature)
Presented by Donna and Jim Barksdale and the Mississippi Humanities Council
In celebration of the release of this all-encompassing work on Mississippi, editors of the Mississippi Encyclopedia come together to discuss this 20-year project in the making.
- Craig Gill, Director of the University Press of Mississippi, MODERATOR
- Odie Lindsey, Mississippi Encyclopedia
- Ted Ownby, Mississippi Encyclopedia
- James G. Thomas, Jr., Mississippi Encyclopedia
- Charles Reagan Wilson, Mississippi Encyclopedia
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Southern History
Presented by Pigott Law Firm, PA
From the schoolhouse to the courthouse, join these writers as they look back at events that shaped the South and its people.
- Robert Luckett, Director of the Margaret Walker Center at Jackson State University, MODERATOR
- Adrienne Berard, Water Tossing Boulders: How a Family of Chinese Immigrants Led the First Fight to Desegregate Schools in the Jim Crow South
- Patricia Michelle Boyett, Right to Revolt: The Crusade for Racial Justice in Mississippi’s Central Piney Woods
- Otis Sanford, From Boss Crump to King Willie: How Race Changed Memphis Politics
- Grif Stockley, Black Boys Burning: The 1959 Fire at the Arkansas Negro Boys Industrial School
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PANEL
First Fiction: The Discovery of the Debut
Presented by Mississippi State University
Mississippi transplant and writer Richard Grant discusses the road to publication with these debut authors.
- Richard Grant, author of Dispatches from Pluto, MODERATOR
- Chanelle Benz, The Man Who Shot Out My Eye is Dead
- Ladee Hubbard, The Talented Ribkins
- Phillip Lewis, The Barrowfields
- Kayla Rae Whitaker, The Animators
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