Anticipating the Southern Literary Festival

From April 3-5, Blue Mountain Christian University’s campus in Blue Mountain, Mississippi will be hosting this year’s annual Southern Literary Festival. The Southern Literary Festival itself was founded in 1937 at Blue Mountain College, which makes for 88 years of celebrating writing since its official creation. The festival contains many exciting events that a plethora of colleges and communities are able to enjoy: a winner's showcase from the Southern Literary Festival writing contest, panelists and keynote speakers, and educational breakout sessions. This year, the keynote speakers at the festival are W. Ralph Eubanks and Chris Dowling.

W. Ralph Eubanks is the first keynote speaker. He serves in the Ole Miss Faculty Fellow position of Black Power. He has written multiple works of note, such as The House at the End of the Road: The Story of Three Generations of an Interracial Family in the American South, Ever Is A Long Time: A Journey Into Mississippi’s Dark Past, and his most recent, A Place Like Mississippi: A Journey Through a Real And Imagined Literary Landscape. His writing has received multiple awards and pertains to subjects that a vast amount of Southern Literary Festival visitors may find familiar.

Chris Dowling is the second keynote speaker. He is a film director and screenwriter. He is the director of Acidman, Blue Miracle, and Where Hope Grows. Many of his works have earned awards. Chris Dowling was born in Flowood, Mississippi, just twenty minutes away from where the festival is being held. He received his degree in radio/television/film from the University of Texas.

If one fact is certain, it is that the Southern Literary festival will have a fantastic amount of variety. Whether it be the keynote speakers that are highlighted here, other panelists, content winners, or open-mic session participants, insights from all sorts of lifestyles and backgrounds will be brought to the table to dissect. Topics such as dialogue writing, magic realism, poetry publishing, and video games will all be available to absorb during this year’s Southern Literary Festival’s breakout sessions as well. The Southern Literary Festival will not be something to miss.

If any of this information is of interest to you, save the date! The Southern Literary Festival will be from April 3-5. For further information regarding the Southern Literary Festival, check out the official website at https://thesouthernliteraryfestival.org.