Since its inaugural event in 1998, the Monroeville Literary Festival has brought together Alabama’s most celebrated writers and scholars for readings, workshops, and discussions on topics ranging from Literary Gumbo to Murder, Mystery, and Mayhem. Past participants include renowned authors such as Fannie Flagg, Rick Bragg, Kathryn Tucker Windham, and Yaa Gyasi. Each year, the festival also honors literary excellence with the Harper Lee Award for Alabama’s Distinguished Writer and the Truman Capote Prize for Alabama’s Distinguished Writer of Literary Non-Fiction or the Short Story.