Oxford Conference for the Book

03/25/2026

We are thrilled for award-winning author Janisse Ray to present the Ann J. Abadie Lecture tonight at 6 in Nutt Auditorium as part of the 32nd Oxford Conference for the Book. She explores the borderland of nature and culture in her books and popular Substack, Trackless Wild. She wrote the classic environmental memoir "Ecology of a Cracker Childhood," a story of growing up in the iconic longleaf pine flatwoods of Georgia. Tonight she discusses "Journey in Place: A Field Guide to Belonging," her latest book encouraging people to reconnect with themselves and the place they live.
https://bit.ly/46KhtEW

03/25/2026

Hazelnut the Eastern screech owl was at the early release book launch for ’s “Night Owl,” poems that she calls “dark literally or emotionally or at night time.” Hazelnut lives at Mississippi Wildlife Rehabilitation, a non-profit that helps Injured wildlife get back to the wild.

03/24/2026

Tonight! The Oxford Conference for the Book kicks off with Aimee Nezhukumatathi's "Night Owl" at 5:30 p.m. at Off Square Books. There will be a few surprises too!

Aimee Nezhukumatathi’s latest book of poetry, Night Owl, asks the reader to immerse themselves in the magic of nighttime. Her reading is set for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 24 at Off Square Books. She is a professor of English and creative writing at the University of Mississippi and the author of fo...

03/23/2026

This week! The Oxford Conference for the Book returns March 25-27 (with a special prologue event March 24 for Aimee Nezhukumatathil's "Night Owl.") We look forward to seeing everyone. Panels include National Book Award finalists, Willie Morris Award winners, a special Thacker Mountain Radio hour, the Children's Book Festival, and more! Visit our website for the full schedule.

https://bit.ly/3PxoOlg

03/20/2026

Learn about the ins and outs of book publishing with Michael Reynolds (Europa Editions) and Dan Simon (Seven Stories Press) at 2:45 p.m. next Friday, March 27 at Off Square Books. The two will be in conversation about "Ashland," Simon’s debut novel, and discuss independent publishing.
https://bit.ly/4bALBnJ

03/18/2026

Mississippi authors are spotlighted in the "First Books From Mississippi" Book Conference session. Hear from Addie E. Citchens, Robert Busby and Nadia Alexis at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, March 26 in the Overby Center Auditorium. https://bit.ly/4sde3Dj

03/12/2026

The Oxford Conference for the Book, sponsored by the Center for the Study of Southern Culture, returns to celebrate the written word later this month, with partnerships between the National Book Foundation and the Willie Morris Awards for Southern Writing. Check out the details, including Janisse Ray delivering the keynote lecture, and the Children's Book Festival, at
https://bit.ly/3PxoOlg

03/11/2026

Where do we draw the line between ourselves and our writing? Join National Book Award–honored authors Camonghne Felix and novelist Sarah Thankam Mathews for readings and conversation about balancing the political, the personal, and the fictional in one’s creative projects and writing processes at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, March 26. This panel will be moderated by A. H. Jerriod Avant and is presented in partnership with the 32nd Oxford Conference for the Book and the National Book Foundation. https://bit.ly/4rubsDU

03/09/2026

Kirkus Review said Steve Almond’s book "Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow" appeals to writers of all different skill levels seeking insights into the wondrous art of storytelling. Join him for two sessions at the Oxford Conference for the Book on March 26 and 27. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3N9va9S

03/06/2026

Edda Fields-Black will discuss her book "COMBEE: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom during the Civil War" at 1 p.m. March 26. It provides the most detailed account of the Combahee River Raid, a pivotal, yet historically overlooked, action during the Civil War. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3N9933k

03/05/2026

“Since I was a child, I've been obsessed with place,” said Janisse Ray, who returns to Oxford to deliver the keynote Ann J. Abadie Lecture at 6 p.m. March 25 in Nutt Auditorium as part of the Oxford Conference for the Book. Read more at
https://bit.ly/46KhtEW

02/27/2026

We are a month away from your favorite literary event in Oxford! Visit our website for the Oxford Conference for the Book's full schedule, which begins with a prologue event at Off Square Books celebrating Aimee Nezhukumatathil's "Night Owl" at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 24 and naturalist Janisse Ray's lecture at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 25 at Nutt Auditorium.