On Wednesday, April 3, the Oxford Conference for the Book will kick off its 30th annual celebration of all things literature throughout the city of Oxford. The conference will last until Friday, April 5.
The Oxford Conference for the Book was started in 1993 in conjunction with the University of Mississippi’s Center for the Study of Southern Culture and local bookstore Square Books. The impetus to start the conference was a desire to “highlight the achievements of both seasoned and emerging Southern writers,” according to the conference’s website.
Part of the conference’s financial support comes from a grant from Hawthornden Foundation, which is a private charitable organization that specializes in promoting and supporting contemporary authors and literature.
Jimmy Thomas, director of the Oxford Conference for the Book, spoke of the foundation’s generosity in a press release on March 19.
“We are committed to using this gift in ways that nurture both writing and reading in North Mississippi. Furthermore, we envision this gift supporting the entire Oxford creative community,” Thomas said.
Since the conference’s inception, UM faculty and departments have worked with and sponsored it.
UM Associate Professor of English Melissa Ginsburg will host a conversation with Sheila Sunder, author of “Habitations,” at Off Square Books on Tuesday evening, with events coming into full swing the next afternoon with a campus tour led by the UM Slavery Research Group.
Notable UM faculty involved in moderating panels or giving welcome speeches include writer-in-residence and esteemed author W. Ralph Eubanks, Director of Southern Studies Kathryn McKee and Michael X. Wang.
The majority of the conference’s events will take place on Thursday and Friday.
On Thursday, events such as panels, lunches and readings will start at nine thirty in the morning. Some events will be held in the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics, the Student Union Ballroom, and the J.D. Williams Library on the university campus, while others will be held within Oxford, such as at Square Books and Off Square Books.
The National Book Foundation will work in conjunction with the conference in a panel titled “National Book Awards Presents: Myth Making and Breaking,” in which Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah and José Olivarez discuss their respective works.
Part of Thursday night’s activities will be in conjunction with Thacker Mountain Radio at the Powerhouse.
On Friday, Andre Dubus III, award-winning author best-known for his novels “The House of Sand and Fog” and “Such Kindness” will conduct both the Oxford Conference for the Book and the Southern Literary Festival’s keynote address as parts of the events overlap.
The winners of the Willie Morris Awards for Southern Writing will be introduced and participate in reading from their works on Friday at Off Square Books, followed by a reception featuring live music and book signings.
The conference will end with a bang at the closing party, “Postscript: Noir at the Bar,” at Ajax Diner, complete with live music and readings by crime and noir authors on Friday.
In a historically literary town such as Oxford, there is no better place to celebrate and uplift contemporary southern writers and literature. The full conference schedule can be found on the Oxford Conference for the Book website.
