News & Events

It is a homecoming for Janisse Ray, the 2003 John and Renée Grisham Writer in Residence at the University of Mississippi, who gives the Oxford Conference for the Book’s keynote Ann J. Abadie Lecture at 6 p.m. March 25 in Nutt Auditorium. Ray, a naturalist from Georgia, brings powerful stories to life. Her classic environmental … Continued

OXFORD, Miss. – The story of a 12-year boy who loses a leg and helps his community face issues of faith, loss and guilt, along with a sweeping history of one of the nation’s most prominent African American churches highlight this year’s Willie Morris Awards for Southern Writing. The Willie Morris Awards are housed at … Continued

Mark Your Calendars! The Thirty-Second Oxford Conference for the Book will be held on March 25, 26, and 27, 2026!

  Unfortunately the Friday morning session with Noah Saterstrom is cancelled. Book Conference events for Friday will continue at noon with poet Philip Metres, followed by afternoon sessions at Off Square Books.

Ann Abadie admittedly did not like the spotlight, but she was a behind-the-scenes champion: of culture, of literature and of community. One of her legacies is the Oxford Conference for the Book, which is dedicating this year’s event in her honor. There will be a dedication of the Dr. Ann Julian Abadie Pollinator Garden and … Continued