{"id":136912,"date":"2024-02-16T16:30:02","date_gmt":"2024-02-16T22:30:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=136912"},"modified":"2024-02-16T16:30:04","modified_gmt":"2024-02-16T22:30:04","slug":"tom-franklin-wins-prestigious-harper-lee-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/tom-franklin-wins-prestigious-harper-lee-award\/","title":{"rendered":"Tom Franklin Wins Prestigious Harper Lee Award"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Author, English professor to be honored in March at Alabama festival<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tom Franklin<\/strong> has appeared at the Monroeville Literary Festival<\/strong> in Alabama<\/strong> four times, but the next time he attends, he’ll be at center stage as recipient of this year’s Harper Lee Award<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The annual award recognizes the lifetime achievement of a writer either born in Alabama or strongly connected to the state. The University of Mississippi<\/strong> English professor is a native of Clarke County<\/strong>, north of Mobile<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I grew up about 45 minutes from Monroeville, in Dickinson, Alabama, and first read Harper Lee’s novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ in my early 20s,” Franklin said. “I couldn’t believe she was from Monroeville. I love that book, and the movie of it, and I love coming to Monroeville whenever I can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This will be an especially exciting trip. I’m such a fan of the writers who’ve won this before.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Franklin, who teaches creative writing in the Ole Miss<\/strong> master’s program in creative writing, is the bestselling author of “Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter,” which won the Los Angeles Times<\/em> Book Prize<\/strong> and the Crime Writers’ Association’s Gold Dagger Award<\/strong>. His previous works include “Poachers,” “Hell at the Breech” and “Smonk.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He will receive the award March 1 at the Monroe County Museum<\/strong>, which organizes the festival. He and other award winners will be honored at a reception and dinner that evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides Franklin, this year’s featured writers include Kim Cross, James Braziel, Ethel Morgan Smith, Kelsey Barnard Clark, Barbara Barcellona Smith, Robert Bailey, Tina Mozelle Braziel<\/strong>, and Jennifer Horn<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We have an exciting lineup of authors this year, and attendees can expect a full weekend of captivating readings, enlightening discussions, amusing conversations and Monroeville’s famous brand of hospitality,” said Tracey Dean<\/strong>, of the Monroe County Museum. “Our courtroom is one of the South’s most celebrated literary destinations, and hearing authors read there is pure magic.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caroline Wigginton<\/strong>, UM chair and professor of English, said Franklin’s latest honor is just one more proof of his brilliance as a novelist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Professor Franklin is an acclaimed fiction writer renowned as an originator of a subgenre called Southern Grit Lit,” she said. “A mainstay of our creative writing programs, his reputation as a teacher and author brings undergraduates and graduate students to our university to learn from him, even as his fiction delights and enriches his readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Through his creative writing, he has transformed our community, our students and Southern literary culture.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The award is funded by Harper Lee LLC and is one of the top Southern literature awards. Previous winners include E.O. Wilson, Winston Groom, Rick Bragg<\/strong>, and Fannie Flagg<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A full schedule of events and registration details can be found at https:\/\/www.monroevilleliteraryfestival.com\/<\/a> or by email at info@MonroevilleLiteraryFestival.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Edwin Smith<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Tom Franklin. Submitted photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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