Here is a list of some famous authors from Mississippi:
Born in New Albany, Mississippi, Faulkner is a Nobel Prize-winning author who is famous for novels like “The Sound and the Fury” and “As I Lay Dying”, which explore the complexities of Southern life.
In his novel “The Sound and the Fury,” he tells the tale of the Compson family, a once-noble Southern family now facing decay and loss. The story unfolds through the eyes of four different narrators, including Benjy, who has a unique way of seeing the world due to his disability, and Quentin, whose struggles take a darker turn.
Their stories weave together against the backdrop of a crumbling family legacy, showing how the past haunts the present.
A Jackson native, Welty's works, including “The Optimist's Daughter”, for which she won the Pulitzer Prize, capture the nuances of Southern characters and settings.
That novel tells the story of Laurel McKelva, a woman who returns to her small hometown in Mississippi after her father’s illness. The book explores her memories, her struggles with grief, and the tension between her and her self-absorbed stepmother, Fay.
Laurel reflects on her parents’ lives, uncovering what shaped her sense of self and her understanding of home. The story feels deeply personal, with vivid moments that bring the quiet small-town setting to life.
Richard Wright was born in Roxie, Mississippi. His powerful works like “Native Son” and “Black Boy” address racial and social issues in America.
“Native Son,” tells the story of Bigger Thomas, a young Black man living in Chicago who struggles with poverty and systemic racism. The book begins with his job as a chauffeur for a wealthy white family, but an unexpected event sets off a chain of choices that changes his life forever.
The story captures fear, anger, and the harsh realities of society in a vivid and unforgettable way.
Born in Columbus, Mississippi, Williams is celebrated for plays such as “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”, which explore human psychology and Southern culture.
In his play “A Streetcar Named Desire,” the story follows Blanche DuBois, a woman with a troubled past, who moves in with her sister Stella and Stella’s brash husband Stanley. Tension fills their small apartment as Blanche’s illusions clash with Stanley’s harsh reality.
The peeling away of Blanche’s dignity and secrets creates a powerful story about vulnerability and survival.
From Southaven, Grisham is a prolific author of legal thrillers, with bestsellers like “The Firm” and “A Time to Kill”.
A native of DeLisle, Ward has won the National Book Award for novels like “Salvage the Bones” and “Sing, Unburied, Sing”, portraying African American life in the rural South.
Born in Gulfport, Trethewey is a former U.S. Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner for her poetry collection “Native Guard”.
Residing in Jackson, Walker is known for her novel “Jubilee”, which chronicles the life of a biracial slave during the Civil War and Reconstruction.
From Oxford, Brown's gritty novels like “Dirty Work” and “Joe” depict the struggles of working-class Southerners.
A Carrollton native, Spencer authored “The Light in the Piazza”, a novella that was adapted into a Broadway musical.
Raised in Yazoo City, Mississippi, Morris is known for his memoir “North Toward Home” and the children's book “My Dog Skip”.
The pen name of Josephine Ayres Haxton from Natchez, Douglas wrote novels like “Apostles of Light”, which was nominated for the National Book Award.
Born in Jackson, Ford is acclaimed for his novel “Independence Day”, which won both the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award.
From Meridian, Hannah's works, including “Airships”, are celebrated for their innovative style and dark humor.
A Jackson native, Henley is a playwright best known for “Crimes of the Heart”, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Born in Holly Springs, Wells was a pioneering journalist and civil rights activist, known for her work “The Red Record”, documenting lynching in the United States.
Though born in Alabama, Percy was raised in Greenville, Mississippi, and is known for novels like “The Moviegoer”, which won the National Book Award.
A Greenville native, Foote is renowned for his comprehensive three-volume work “The Civil War: A Narrative”.
Born in Jackson, Stockett authored the bestselling novel “The Help”, which explores the relationships between white families and their Black maids in the 1960s South.
Born in Jackson, Mississippi, Kiese Laymon is the author of the book “Heavy: An American Memoir”, which received critical acclaim for its exploration of weight, identity, and family in the South.