Known as the “literary center of the South,” Oxford has long been a haven for authors, inspiring fiction writers as well as dozens of note- worthy journalists, poets, and other writers and artists.
Oxford’s Writers
Oxford’s literary legacy started with Nobel Prize-winning author William Faulkner, who used the town as the inspiration for the county seat of his fictional Yoknapatawpha County. His antebellum home, Rowan Oak, where he wrote many of his masterpieces, was restored and is open to the public. The author’s grave, located in St. Peter’s Cemetery just off the Square, is also among numerous historic landmarks and points of interest in the area.
Other authors who have made Oxford their home or spent many years here include
- John Grisham
- Willie Morris
- Barry Hannah
- Cynthia Shearer
- Larry Brown
- Curtis Wilkie
- Jane Ann Mullen
- Ace Atkins
- Beth Ann Fennelly
- Ann Fisher-Wirth
- Tom Franklin
- Richard Ford
- Stark Young
- Howard Bahr
Literary Conferences
Two annual international literary conferences are held in Oxford each Year
Past participants of the Oxford Conference for the Book include John Grisham, Stephen King, Barry Hannah, Larry Brown, George Plimpton, Willie Morris and other celebrated writers.
