Mississippi’s literary lawn party is set to return for the ninth year this weekend, with this year’s festival taking place on Saturday, August 19.
From 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., the Mississippi Book Festival will host thousands of readers and nearly 170 authors at the state capitol grounds. Attendees will be invited to attend 40 discussion panels, book signings, and four workshop events.
Headliners for the festival include world-renowned writers Lois Lowry, Jeannette Walls, Michael Farris Smith, Richard Russo, Richard Ford, Jeff Shaara, Simon Winchester, and James McBride. Former Vice President Mike Pence will also be at the festival to discuss his new autobiography.
Those who attend the free event can also enjoy food from local vendors, live music, and watch live art demonstrations. A Kids Corner with colorful books, storytelling sessions, and crafts will be available inside the State Capitol building and several surrounding tents.
Here’s the schedule for this year’s Mississippi Book Festival:
Panel Discussions
Starting at 9:30 a.m.
- Page to Screen at Galloway Reception
- Out in Focus at State Capitol 113
- Dogwood Press at State Capitol 204
- Memoir at Galloway Fellowship Center
- KidNote: Literary Superhero Jason Reynolds at Galloway Sanctuary
- All Night, All Day at State Capitol 201 A
- True Crime at State Capitol 201 H
- Nature & Environment at C-Span/Old Supreme Court
Starting at 10:45 a.m.
- The New York Review of Books at State Capitol 113
- Picturing the South at State Capitol 204
- Civil Rights at State Capitol 201 H
- Grit Lit at State Capitol 201 A
- A View from Washington at C-Span/Old Supreme Court
- In Conversation with Jeannette Walls at Galloway Fellowship Center
- Marriage, Memoir, & Misadventure at Galloway Reception
- In Conversation with Lois Lowry at Galloway Sanctuary
Starting at 12:00 p.m.
- Young Adult at State Capitol 201 H
- Historical Fiction at State Capitol 201 A
- In Conversation with Richard Ford at State Capitol 113
- In Conversation with Jeff Shaara at C-Span/Old Supreme Court
- Poetry at State Capitol 204
- Storytelling with Carmen Agra Deedy at Galloway Fellowship Center
- In Conversation with James McBride at Galloway Sanctuary
- Novel Women at Galloway Reception
Starting at 1:30 p.m.
- In Conversation with Simon Winchester at State Capitol 113
- Author Biography at C-Span/Old Supreme Court
- Words the Bind at Galloway Fellowship Center
- In Conversation with Michael Farris Smith at Galloway Reception
- Voices of the Past at State Capitol 201 A
- In Conversation with Ann Patchett & Lindsay Lynch at Galloway Sanctuary
- Middle Grade Dreams at State Capitol 201 H
- Career Memoir at State Capitol 204
Starting at 2:45 p.m.
- Picture This! at State Capitol 201 H
- Book Club Picks at Galloway Reception
- Fact & Fiction with Abrams at State Capitol 113
- Mississippi Football at State Capitol 204
- In Conversation with Mike Pence at C-Span/Old Supreme Court
- Cookbooks & Culture at Galloway Fellowship Center
- Southern Culture at State Capitol 201 A
- In Conversation with Richard Russo at Galloway Sanctuary
Starting at 4:00 p.m.
- African American History at State Capitol 204
- Literary Fiction at Galloway Sanctuary
- Literary Thriller at State Capitol 201 H
- Wonder & Joy at Galloway Fellowship Center
- In Short at Galloway Reception
- America at War at C-Span/Old Supreme Court
- Mississippi Culture at State Capitol 113
Workshop Events
Located at State Capitol 103
- 10:45 a.m. – See Us Differently
- 12:00 p.m. – Emotional Things: Youth Poetry Workshop
- 1:30 p.m. – Mothers Writing: The Magical Mundane
- 2:45 p.m. – USM Creative Writing
- 4:00 p.m. – Building Characters & Building Worlds
