Nretrospect: Southern Festival of Books

For over three decades, readers across Tennessee — and the nation — have gathered at the Southern Festival of Books to experience the uniting power of literature. In this photo from one of the festival’s earliest renditions (circa 1990),  Alice Randall crouches down to examine a collection of Eudora Welty’s photographs with her 3-year-old daughter, Caroline Randall Williams. 

Today, both women are esteemed authors and hold writers-in-residence positions at Vanderbilt University. To support the festival that has inspired them and countless others, Alice and Caroline have stepped up to co-chair this year’s Authors in the Round dinner, the festival’s key fundraiser. Per tradition, guests’ participation in the event ensures the Southern Festival of Books can continue free of charge. While financially vital, the evening is also fun, lively and persistent in finding exciting new ways to engage the local book community.