Jackson, Miss. — This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Mississippi Book Festival. The festival has spent a decade contributing to Mississippi’s literary legacy, transforming the capitol into a literary hub that unites authors and readers for one day each year. During the past 10 years the festival has featured 1,000 authors, hosted nearly 50,000 day-of attendees and reached more than 44,000 students.
The festival began its 10th year celebration March 20, with a first-round of author announcements made by Ellen Daniels, executive director of the Mississippi Book Festival:
– Kate DiCamillo with “The Puppets of Spelhorst.”
– Angie Thomas with Nic Blake and the “Remarkables,” their latest books for young readers.
– Erik Larson will return to Jackson with his forthcoming book, “The Demon of Unrest.”
– Sebastian Junger will present his most personal work, “In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife.”
– Aimee Nezhukumatathil will return with her soon-to-be-published “Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees.”
– Poet and novelist Kaveh Akbar will join for the first time with his bestselling debut novel, “Martyr!.”
– Rachel Khong will feature her newest novel, the generational family saga, “Real Americans.”
– Mississippi Book Festival alum Ron Rash will present his latest novel, “The Caretaker.”
– Historian and scholar Grace Elizabeth Hale joins with her most challenging research assignment yet, “In the Pines.”
– Maurice Carlos Ruffin will return to the festival with his new historical novel, “The American Daughters.”
Expect more author announcements in the lead-up to the Sept. 14, festival, Daniels said.
Since the beginning of the literary get-togethers, the number of festival attendees has nearly doubled.
“There truly is no other event like the Mississippi Book Festival,” said Jane Alexander, president and CEO of the Community Foundation for Mississippi. “Seeing thousands of all kinds of people, of all ages, flock to the Capitol Green, thrills me every time I see it. The ripple effects of the Festival will be felt and seen for years, all over our state. But the impact on Jackson and the positive light it brings to our capital city is the real gift.”
The festival has benefited from the support of the Mississippi Legislature during the past 10 years: Not only has the legislature offered financial support, it has also allowed the festival use of the Mississippi State Capitol. Sen. Briggs Hopson and Rep. John Read both spoke at the festival’s press conference March 20.
“It’s an honor to host my friends from the Mississippi Book Festival here at the Capitol today,” said Hopson, District 23. “It’s inspiring to see what we can do when we as State Leadership partner with organizations in our community to make a difference in our state. That is what we have seen happen through the book festival. We celebrate a decade of its success and hope to see it continue to thrive for many years to come.”
The festival this year takes place at the Mississippi State Capitol and Galloway United Methodist Church. To learn more about the Mississippi Book Festival, visit msbookfestival.com or follow it on Facebook or Instagram (@msbookfestival).