The Mississi p p i B o o k Fes t i v al: Conne ctin g t o t h e M agn o li a St at e’ s R o o t s ARTICLE BY BRANDI PERRY It is no secret that Mississippi has some of the strongest literary roots of any state in the country. With names like William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Richard Wright, John Grisham, Greg Iles and more hailing from the Magnolia State, it is easy to see why there was a desperate need to have a book festival not only to pay homage to the ones that have come before but to help pave the way for the literary legends of the future. The Mississippi Book Festival is held in one of the most iconic and beautiful scenes in the state, complete with shade trees and streets full of stories, a perfect setting for storytellers, writers and readers. The Mississippi Book Festival was founded in 2015 and launched that August on the grounds of the State Capitol in Jackson. Nicknamed the “literary lawn party,” it is not uncommon for nearly 10,000 people from around the country to converge. By the fifth year of the festival, they drew 9,300 visitors with 47 official panel discussions, in addition to activities at 10 different locations. The music, food and social scene give visitors a nice vibe as they wander through the grounds, meeting some of the top authors in the country. Hundreds of authors from around the country, state and locally converge on Jackson to meet with fans and new readers and are given chances to explore a more in-depth look into the themes and characters in their books through panels. But the contemporary authors are not the only ones involved in these spectacular events. Authors Alley is the hub for self-published and small press authors. The growth of this incredible event can only be attributed
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to how well organized the event is. For example, in the first year, the event launched with John Grisham and Jackson State’s “Sonic Boom of the South” marching band. Over 100 authors, including Greg Iles and Curtis Wilke, and 3,750 people attended. Since then, the event has grown exponentially every year and has included nationally known authors such as John Meacham, Jesmyn Ward, Rick Bragg, Charles Frazier and Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Even with COVID-19 closing the in-person portion of the event in 2020, it did not stop the festival from happening. Instead, they took the event online through one-on-one interviews, group conversations and Reader Features with community guests from across the state. The result was staggering, with 2,500 online sessions and 27 authors on 28 panels. Their
