Testimonials
Hear from festival participants about their favorite experiences!
Warmest Experience
“I have to say that this [festival] was the warmest experience I’ve ever had around any book festival in my life. It would be difficult to really thank you enough, and whenever you call, I will most certainly be there, for the new books or to moderate or otherwise.”
— Joseph Earl Thomas, 2024 Official Panelist
Just Phenomenal
“It was the best book festival I've ever attended as an author, full stop, period. The combination of both the caliber of the authors you gathered and the thoughtfulness of the programming you put together for us — from Eudora Welty's house tour to the Art Museum dinner to the Two Mississippi Museum breakfast and onward — was just phenomenal. And the crowd Saturday! Wow! I went to the airport Sunday morning with my fellow Vermonter Chris Bohjalian, Ron Rash, and Hampton Sides, and we were all just raving about our delightful weekend! You should be immensely proud of what you've built, both for Mississippi and for the literary community writ large."
— Garrett M. Graff, 2024 Official Panelist
Completely Blown Away
"I have been to a lot of book festivals and was completely blown away by the Mississippi Book Festival. I felt so taken care of by the team at MBF, from accommodations to weekend events there was never a dull moment. The list of fellow participants was stacked, from Pulitzer winners to debut authors carving out a name for themselves. The audiences were engaged and asked questions that were thoughtful and provocative, I was actually jealous I didn't think of them myself. It was reaffirming to be a part of a weekend dedicated to the love of literature. I was reminded of why I do what I do."
— Traci Thomas, 2024 Official Panelist
Beautiful and Seamless
“... it is a beautiful and seamless institution (I speak as someone who has attended many perfectly nice festivals that just can't hold a candle to yours) and I am so pleased I had the privilege to attend. Please consider me always at your disposal if there's ever anything I can do to support you, the Festival, the Mississippi literary scene, etc. It is such an honor to be a tangential part of the cultural work you're doing.”
— Juliet Grames, 2024 Official Panelist
Hang on Every Word
“… a lavish celebration of both southern hospitality and a southern love of literature. The hosts were incredibly gracious and the audiences were true book-lovers, seeming to hang on every word. It was a real pleasure to participate. I can’t wait to go back.”
— Sebastian Junger, 2024 Official Panelist
Highlights
"Highlights from the Mississippi Book Festival… Loved being on the Ezra Jack Keats panel with Anne Wynter, Sarah Gonzales, and Helena Ku Rhee moderated by Ellen Hunter Ruffin. So thrilled to hear Kate DiCamillo speak and meet her. She is HILARIOUS and so KIND. “Tell the truth and make that bearable,” she said in her conversation with Ellen Hunter Ruffin. Enjoyed LeVar Burton’s uplifting conversation with National Book Award Winner, Jesmyn Ward. “The story is smarter than I am,” she said. On writing and fear LeVar Burton said, “I surrender my ego to what spirit wants to share.” What a wonderful trip!"
— Kim Rogers, 2024 Official Panelist
Unparalleled and Unforgettable
“The Mississippi Book Festival is one of the premier literary gatherings in the nation. The variety of brilliant authors participating is unparalleled. Attendees are guaranteed to have an unforgettable experience.”
— Maurice Carlos Ruffin, 2023 Official Panelist
Impressive in its Spirit
“It’s quite a do-or-die you put on down there, you know? Impressive in its spirit and execution and ambition. And very very civic minded.”
— Richard Ford, 2023 Official Panelist
Greatest Place to Be
“... it’s no surprise that the Mississippi Book Festival is the greatest place for writers and readers to be. The festival presents today’s best books with passion, generosity, and consideration, creating programs that welcome everyone.”
— Julia Phillips, 2023 Official Panelist
I Grew as a ...
“I loved being a writer at my own panel – but just as much, being an audience member at other panels, where I feel like I grew as a writer, a reader, a parent, and a human being.”
— Ilyon Woo, 2023 Official Panelist
I Dreamed
"My former husband, Mel Leventhal, a devoted Civil Rights attorney, and I dreamed of a day when there might be a festival such as this, when all of Mississippi would feel invited, welcomed, and comfortable."
— Alice Walker, 2022 Official Panelist
Sort of a Miracle
"The Mississippi Book Festival is sort of a miracle. When I was a boy growing up here, books were my life. I had all the guns and camo you could ask for, but where could I find more books? I saw plenty of sports heroes growing up--the Egg Bowl was a holy day in my family--but where could I meet my literary heroes? They were distant, far away, godlike. The very possibility of meeting real authors in person and having them sign a book would've induced a cerebrovascular medical trauma. That's why I love the Mississippi Book Festival. All these great authors, all in one place on this one day every summer! Signing books and rubbing elbows and partying with the people! This has to be what heaven is like. It's hands-down the best and liveliest literary event in the country. I've got friends who fly in from New York and L.A. just to see it with their own eyes."
— Harrison Scott Key, 2022 Official Panelist
No Wonder
"Mississippi is a state with such radiant literary history that it’s no wonder the Mississippi Book Festival was an astonishment: extraordinary organization, a great number of brilliant writers, and pervasive joy in the celebration of books and their makers."
— Lauren Groff, 2022 Official Panelist
Cannot Wait
"At a time when books are being banned at a furious clip, events like the Mississippi Book Festival are more than literary occasions. They are fundamental components of our democracy. I had a wonderful time at the festival meeting other writers of diverse backgrounds and experiences, and cannot wait to return."
— James Kirchick, 2022 Official Panelist
Chiseled in Granite
"In only a few years, the book festival has established itself as a premier literary event, so well-run it feels chiseled in granite."
— Snowden Wright, 2022 Official Panelist
Heart of the Matter
"Matt de la Peña's creative writing genius connects with each of us (children and adults) as he taps into the world we live in. Regardless of our diverse experiences, appearance, and culture, he gets to the heart of the matter."
— Dr. Kathleen Grigsby, Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools for JPS
A Literary Buffet
"The Mississippi Book Festival is special. Envision this: thousands of book-lovers spilling out of the grand state capitol and ambling from one engrossing author event to the next, taking in a political session here and one on Southern food there before headed over to history or true crime. It's a literary buffet, in one place on one day. And it's air conditioned."
— Jonathan Martin, 2022 Official Panelist
All Is Not Lost
"Ours is a deeply flawed experiment, but confronting the past affords us an opportunity to imagine ourselves differently, to take the measure of the country and dare to be otherwise. All is not lost."
— Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., 2022 Official Panelist
Heartening and Illuminating
“I found my visit to Jackson heartening and illuminating. I couldn’t have asked for a warmer welcome or a more engaged and responsive audience!”
— Jennifer Egan, 2022 Official Panelist