It’s hard to believe that this is the tenth year of the Mississippi Book Festival. From the inaugural 2015 event that featured a kickoff by John Grisham and Jackson State’s Sonic Boom of the South (a classic pair if there ever was one) to this year’s varied and eclectic lineup of over 50 panel discussions and workshops, the celebration of Mississippi’s literary heritage continues to impress, inform and delight.
The Festival’s website is a must in order to plan your visit: msbookfestival.com. This year, there’s a handy Schedule Flipbook to make choosing your panels easier. You’re able to see what’s happening where and when at a glance.
The only downside to the state’s Literary Lawn Party is the breadth and depth of options. Fortunately, all panel sessions are recorded and will be archived on the Festival website at a later date. While it’s impossible to choose, the panels below might be of special interest.
At 9:30 in the C-SPAN/Old Supreme Court room in the State Capitol, the African American History panel is sure to be enlightening. Join Jasmine L. Holmes, author of “Yonder Come Day: Exploring the Collective Witness of the Formerly Enslaved,” Andrew W. Kahrl, author of “The Black Tax” and Mark Whitaker, author of “Saying It Loud: 1966 – The Year Black Power Challenged the Civil Rights Movement” as they discuss their books with moderator Michael Morris, director of the Two Mississippi Museums.
At 10:45 in the Galloway Sanctuary, Jeff Duncan, Steve Gleason and Steve’s wife Michel will discuss “A Life Impossible: Living with ALS: Finding Peace and Wisdom Within a Fragile Existence” (which was written by Duncan and Gleason). Gleason, a former New Orleans Saints linebacker, was diagnosed with ALS 13 years ago and received the 2024 Arthur Ashe Courage Award.
Head to the Galloway Fellowship Center at noon as the first-ever South Arts Fellows for Literary Arts discuss their work in the context of the South. John T. Edge moderates the panel of nine authors from Southern states whose work earned them these fellowships including the 2024 Mississippi Fellow for Literary Arts, Melissa Ginsburg.
At 1:30, visit State Capitol room 201-A for the Mississippi Memoirs panel, moderated by Ellen Ann Fentress, author of “The Steps We Take: A Memoir of Southern Reckoning,” as she talks with Di Rushing about her book “The Delta in the Rearview Mirror: The Life and Death of Mississippi’s First Winery,” J.L. Holloway about his “Nothing to Lose: A Story of Poverty, Resilience, and Gratitude,” Marion Garrard Barnwell and her “All the Things We Didn’t Say: Two Memoirs,” and X.M. Frascogna’s “The Saints of St. Mary’s.”
At 2:45 p.m., you’ll have to make the choice whether to hear Erik Larson in conversation with Margaret McMullan in the Galloway Sanctuary (though this will also be live-streamed at msbookfestival.com), the K-12 award-winning student poets from throughout the state in State Capitol room 201-A for the Mississippi Youth Poetry Project presentation hosted by Mississippi Poet Laureate Catherine Pierce, a Mississippi author Brad Watson memorial panel made up of his friends, his longtime editor, and one of his students.
And at 4 p.m., end your day in the Galloway Fellowship Center with a screening of the new documentary, “Eudora,” about the life of Mississippi author Eudora Welty, along with a panel discussion by those who knew and loved Welty made up of friends, family and scholars.
There’s not enough space here to mention the remaining 40-plus panels, all of which are packed with talented writers and knowledgeable moderators. Whether you plan to be first in line for your favorite author’s book signing or plan to discover some new favorites, there is no doubt that Mississippians are blessed beyond all reasonable expectations to have this Festival in our own backyard.
— Tracy Carr is a researcher, editor and writer from Jackson. She’ll moderate the Mystery panel with Eli Cranor and Henry Wise at the Mississippi Book Festival on Sept. 14.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: 10th year of Mississippi Book Festival to bring big names, stories, workshops on Sept. 14
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