The Mississippi Writers Trail is a series of historical markers which celebrate the literary, social, historical, and cultural contributions of Mississippi's most acclaimed and influential writers. An advisory committee of state cultural agencies oversees the process of installing historical markers in places of significance to an author's life. To emphasize the literary focus of the trail, the markers are cast in the shape of an open book and display information about the author's life with the goal of educating the public about the legacy of Mississippi writers.
The Mississippi Writers Trail debuted on the State Capitol grounds in Jackson, Mississippi at the 2018 Mississippi Book Festival with an unveiling of two marker prototypes honoring Eudora Welty and Jesmyn Ward, connecting the past and present contributions of Mississippi authors.[1] [2] The program runs as an unfunded mandate which means these literary markers are produced and installed as funding becomes available.[3]
Initial support from a Statehood Grant through the National Endowment for the Humanities was key for installing the first phase of markers for the Trail.[4] The Writers Trail has received additional support from the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area,[5] the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area, and the City of Clarksdale, Mississippi[6] to install markers for authors located within the service area of each organization.
The Mississippi Writers Trail Advisory Committee, composed of many state cultural institutions, selects several scholars who identify potential authors for inclusion in the Writers Trail and to draft the text for each marker. Final locations are determined in consultation with local communities; authors or their surviving families are consulted for the market text as well.[7]
| Writer | Marker Location | City | Marker Photo | Date of Installation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Margaret Walker Alexander | Margaret Walker Center, Jackson State University | Jackson, MS | July 8, 2019 | ||
| William Faulkner | Rowan Oak, Faulkner Home and Museum | Oxford, MS | October 10, 2019 | ||
| Shelby Foote | E.E. Bass Cultural Arts Center | Greenville, MS | October 18, 2019 | ||
| Walker Percy | E.E. Bass Cultural Arts Center | Greenville, MS | October 18, 2019 | ||
| Elizabeth Spencer | Merrill Museum | Carrollton, MS | October 5, 2019 | ||
| Ida B. Wells | Rust College | Holly Springs, MS | November 7, 2019 | ||
| Eudora Welty | Eudora Welty House and Garden | Jackson, MS | September 10, 2018 | ||
| Tennessee Williams | Cutrer Mansion | Clarksdale, MS | October 17, 2019 | ||
| Richard Wright | George W. Armstrong Library | Natchez, MS | July 23, 2020 | ||
| Anne Moody | Louis Gaulden and Riquita Jackson Family Memorial Park | Centreville, MS | May 26, 2021 | ||
| Dorothy Shawhan | Wright Gallery of Kethley Hall, Delta State University | Cleveland, MS | July 23, 2021 | ||
| Richard Ford | Carnegie Public Library | Clarksdale, MS | September 2, 2021 | ||
| Willie Morris | Yazoo Triangle Center | Yazoo City, MS | June 4, 2022 | ||
| Stark Young | Emily J Pointer Public Library | Como, MS | November 12, 2022 |