Darden North, MD

August 18, 2018, marked the fourth annual Mississippi Book Festival, an expanding and highly energetic literary lawn party gracing the beautiful, oak – draped grounds and surrounding buildings of the historic Mississippi State Capitol in downtown Jackson. The first two years of the festival, I worked as a volunteer in the Author Panelist room, having the opportunity to meet the visiting authors as well as local writers scheduled to present. In 2017 and again this year, I joined other writers outside in the Authors Alley tent on Mississippi Street, bordering the south lawn of the Capitol. This was an amazing opportunity to visit with many of my readers and to meet many new ones. Lots of signed books were discussed and placed in the hands of readers that Saturday in Authors Alley. Mid-August weather in Mississippi with its 90+ degree humidity will never dampen literary spirits, and fortunately we escaped the forecasted downpour! Thank you to Holly Lange and the other organizers and suppo...

For years, organizers dreamed of the first ever Mississippi Book Festival. Beginning at 9:00 am on Saturday, August, 22, 2015, that dream became a reality. Of course, they say that when the Mississippi legislature, Greg Iles, and John Grisham signed on to participate, corporate sponsorship followed and it was a done deal. The Mississippi State Capitol Building in Jackson And despite the expected summer heat that continued to deal a blow to downtown Jackson, Mississippi, an estimated crowd of 2500 to 3500 ascended the halls and grounds of the early 1900s State Capitol Building, the location of the festival billed as “A Literary Lawn Party.”  "A Literary Lawn Party" Mississippi Capitol Building packed at the Book Festival About 100 authors participated in writing discussion panels in rooms filled to capacity by book lovers. I squeezed in to attend the author panel “Across Literary Boundaries,” moderated by Michael Farris Smith...