The Golden Triangle is blessed by the presence of two public universities whose presence in our communities not only serve as substantial economic engines, but enhance the lives of residents who have no connection to either university. We all benefit from their educational, cultural and artistic offerings.
In Columbus, one of the best examples is Mississippi University for Women’s Eudora Welty Writer’s Symposium and Gala, established in 1989 to honor its most famous student.
After a one-year hiatus, the event returns, featuring Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot and command a Space Shuttle, as the Gala Keynote Speaker. Collins’ account of her pioneering career is captured in her memoir, “Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars,” published in 2021.
The three-day writer’s symposium features 14 novelists/memorists and historians, including 2023 Welty Prize winner Ethe Morgan Smith, author of the book, “Path of Grace: Reimagining the Civil Rights Movement,” which elevates the contribution of unsung civil rights advocates from the end of Reconstruction until the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
This year’s event continues a long tradition of bringing fascinating figures in contemporary history, media and literature to kick off the event as Gala speakers, followed by dozens of dozens of gifted writers who provide access to book lovers and insight into their craft during the symposium.
Outside of the Mississippi Book Festival, you will find no greater assemblage of literary talent than what is featured at the Welty Writer’s Symposium, which has featured four Pulitzer Prize winners, including Mississippi’s own Natasha Tretheway, former poet laureate of the United States.
Likewise, the Welty Prize winner brings in some of the finest scholars in the nation each year.
The wealth of achievement and literary acclaim that arrives here in Columbus each October is all out of proportion to the city, given its small population. There are cities far larger who envy what the Welty Gala and Writer’s Symposium bring to the community each year.
We encourage the public to take advantage of this great opportunity. Details on the coming events can be found online at muw.edu/welty.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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