JACKSON, MISS. – The Mississippi Arts Commission, in partnership with the Community Foundation for Mississippi, Mississippi Humanities Council, Mississippi Book Festival, Mississippi Development Authority, Mississippi Department of Archives and History and the Mississippi Library Commission, is pleased to announce the creation of a Mississippi Writers Trail to honor the most acclaimed and influential writers throughout our state.

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) recently announced a special grant program for state history and heritage projects that commemorate the 150th and 200th anniversaries of statehood and has awarded its very first Statehood Grant of $30,000 to support the creation of a Mississippi Writers Trail.

“Based on the nationwide success of efforts in Mississippi to tell the story of our state’s cultural heritage and music with markers such as the Blues Trail and Country Music Trail, we believe that the excitement and momentum to mark the cultural significance of Mississippi’s rich literary history through the construction of a new statewide Writers Trail is ready to begin,” said Malcolm White, Executive Director of the Mississippi Arts Commission. ”Further, we believe that the creation of the Mississippi Writers Trail will help to promote economic development, tourism and civic pride within our state.”

The Mississippi Writers Trail is to be a compilation of historical markers that will span the entirety of the state and will honor Mississippians such as William Faulkner, Jesmyn Ward, Richard Wright, Eudora Welty, Margaret Walker Alexander, Richard Ford and many more. The first markers are set to be unveiled in August during the 2018 Mississippi Book Festival.

Contact: Melody Moody Thortis | mthortis@arts.ms.gov | 601.359.6030