Mississippi Book Festival Returns This Saturday

The Mississippi Book Festival is excited to welcome literature lovers of all ages to its 9th annual “literary lawn party” this Saturday, August 19th. A day filled with author panel discussions, live music, food, art, and activities for all ages, this free event located on the State Capitol grounds in Downtown Jackson will offer something for everyone to enjoy.

Many acclaimed authors will be in attendance this weekend including Lois Lowry, Richard Ford, Richard Russo, James McBride, Ann Patchett, and Harrison Scott Key. Lowry, a two-time Newbery Medal recipient for her works Number the Stars and The Giver joins the festival in conversation with Margaret McMullan to discuss Lowry’s new book The Windeby Puzzle.

From poetic prose to pulse-pounding page-turners, the day will be filled with incredible discussions spanning the entire literary landscape. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Ford will join us in conversation with Mississippi Book Festival founding director Holly Lange about his latest release, Be Mine. Also in attendance will be acclaimed history authors Jeff Shaara and Simon Winchester to discuss their latest releases, The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt and Knowing What We Know respectively. National Book Award-winner James McBride joins us in conversation with book fest alum and Jackson-native Kiese Laymon about McBride’s latest novel, The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store.

There will be plenty of activities for children and young adult readers as well. Comic book lovers will be excited for this year’s KidNote speaker, New York Times #1 Bestselling novelist and poet Jason Reynolds, with his latest, Miles Morales Suspended: A Spiderman Novel. 2023 Miss Mississippi Vivian O’Neal will be at the Kids Tent helping children do a crown craft at 9:45 a.m. and reading her book, Josiah’s Big Day, at 10:45 a.m. Young Adult readers are invited to attend the panel featuring Jerry Craft, Janae Marks, and Doan Phuong Nguyen. The festival will also feature activities such as Story Time in the Kids Tent, MPB Kids Club, Rocky’s House, and more!

Book lovers across the state and beyond won’t want to miss this one-of-a-kind event to collectively celebrate the magic and wonder of books. “We are thrilled to have everyone out for the 9th Annual Book Festival this weekend,” said Executive Director EllenMississippi Book Festival Returns This Saturday Daniels. “Each year has managed to be even more exciting and memorable than the last, and it is the support from our community, sponsors, and volunteers who make it so. We have worked on this event for an entire year and can’t wait to celebrate with everyone this weekend!”

The Mississippi Book Festival is free and open to the public. For more information on this year’s festival, visit msbookfestival.com. You can also connect with the Mississippi Book Festival on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

About The Mississippi Book Festival

The Mississippi Book Festival, a nonprofit founded by literary advocates, launched in August 2015 on the State Capitol grounds and continues to draw thousands to its annual “literary lawn party” and book lovers’ celebration. The event features hundreds of visiting authors, panel discussions, book signings, booksellers, Capitol tours, food trucks, and family-friendly activities.