Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Honors Faulkner Conference

Scholars and teachers of William Faulkner's work have convened at the university since 1974, making it the oldest continuously running academic conference devoted to the work of an American writer.

Even though the conference is taking a hiatus this summer, the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters is honoring the annual gathering.

"The Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha Conference was selected for a Citation of Merit because it celebrates the literary tradition of one of Mississippi's greatest writers," said Pete Halverson, MIAL president. "The conference contributes to Faulkner's eminence and endurance by fostering ongoing scholarship, encouraging new generations of readers and writers, and preserving the cultural legacy of Yoknapatawpha for audiences far beyond our state."

The late Ann J. Abadie, then a faculty consultant for the university's continuing education program, created the annual gathering with James W. Webb, former chair of the Department of English, and English professor Evans Harrington. The conference included local tours and faculty lectures for the expanding number of enthusiastic Faulkner visitors.

"The early success of Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha enhanced many of the university's academic programs and contributed to the establishment of the cross-disciplinary Center for the Study of Southern Culture in 1977," Abadie wrote in a paper for the conference's 50th anniversary in 2024.

Jay Watson, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of English and Howry Professor Emeritus of Faulkner Studies, retired in 2025 after three decades at Ole Miss. He directed the annual conference from 2011 to 2025, taking over from Donald M. Kartiganer, who was director in 1994-2011, and Harrington, who directed from 1974 to '93.

"The conference helped set a precedent for communities and schools to come together over culture, leaving a legacy we continue to see in conferences and festivals all over the state," Watson said. "This recognition from MIAL is a wonderful tribute to the impact of Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha on the cultural life of Mississippi."

The conference helped create new readers and teachers for Faulkner and his fellow Mississippi writers, and brought them from all over the world to Oxford.

The list of distinguished speakers and themes over the years demonstrates how the Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha conference has been instrumental in shaping new directions in scholarship on Mississippi's most acclaimed writer. Such themes included "The Maker and the Myth," "Faulkner and Popular Culture," "Faulkner and the Natural World," "Global Faulkner," "Faulkner and Print Culture" and "Faulkner, Welty, Wright: A Mississippi Confluence."

Since 1976, the University Press of Mississippi has published a series of volumes collected from proceedings of each year's conference, which are instrumental in the field of Faulkner studies.

Ted Atkinson, professor of English at Mississippi State University and MIAL vice president, nominated the program for the citation because of its valuable contributions to Mississippi's rich literary heritage. Also, Watson's retirement after years of dedicated leadership as conference director made the timing ideal, he said.

"The conference's public-facing orientation has given Faulkner enthusiasts opportunities for education and enrichment while visiting the author's storied 'postage stamp of native soil' from across the country and around the world," Atkinson said. "I am delighted that my colleagues on the MIAL board of governors voted in favor of the citation."

Julie Beth Napolin, the incoming Howry Chair, will be the director for future conferences. The event returns in 2027 with the theme of "Faulkner's Futures."

Top: The Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha Conference features a different theme each year. The conference, which is on hiatus this summer, has been awarded a Citation of Merit by the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters.