The Oxford Conference for the Book is free and open to all. The 2026 edition ran March 25-27; 2027 dates have not been announced yet.

Last checked Oct. 14, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Facts come from the Oxford Conference for the Book’s website, run by the University of Mississippi’s Center for the Study of Southern Culture.

The Oxford Conference for the Book is free, and its 2027 dates have not been announced yet. The 32nd conference ran Wednesday, March 25, to Friday, March 27, 2026, at locations across the Ole Miss campus and on the Square. In 2025 it ran April 2-4: the last two editions fell in late March and early April. The 2026 lineup was announced in mid-March; this page will carry the 2027 dates as soon as the center posts them.

Know before you go

  • 2027 dates: not announced yet
  • Last year: Wednesday, March 25, to Friday, March 27, 2026
  • Cost: all sessions free and open to the public; no registration needed
  • Ticketed: only the opening welcome party at Memory House
  • Parking on campus: a visitor pass is required ($4 a day in 2026)
  • Official site: oxfordconferenceforthebook.com

What it is

The conference brings authors, poets, scholars, publishers and readers to Oxford for three days of readings, panels and lectures. According to its history page, the Center for the Study of Southern Culture and Square Books started it in 1993. The first conference was a two-day event with readings by Barry Hannah, Willie Morris, Larry Brown and others.

How the 2026 conference ran

The 2026 announcement gives a good picture of a typical year:

  • Tuesday, March 24: the “Prologue” book launch at 5:30 p.m. with Square Books.
  • Wednesday, March 25: the keynote Ann J. Abadie Lecture at 6 p.m. in Nutt Auditorium, followed at 7 p.m. by the welcome party at Memory House, the only ticketed event.
  • Thursday, March 26: sessions from 9:30 a.m. at the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics, a 4 p.m. reading at Southside Gallery and a book conference edition of “Thacker Mountain Radio Hour” at 6 p.m. at the Powerhouse Community Arts Center.
  • Friday, March 27: the Children’s Book Festival from 9 a.m. at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts, a noon class at the Lafayette County and Oxford Public Library, then afternoon sessions at Off Square Books and the Willie Morris Awards for Southern Writing at 4 p.m., followed by a closing reception.

Books by every conference author are on sale at Square Books.

Cost and tickets

The Attend page says all sessions are free and open to the public and registration is not necessary. The welcome party is the one exception: in 2026 tickets were sold through the university’s online store. Some free events, such as the 2026 library lunch, asked people to register so the hosts could plan.

Parking and getting there

Most sessions are on the Ole Miss campus, where visitors need a parking pass and may park only in designated lots. In 2026, according to the Attend page:

  • Passes cost $4 a day at the Welcome Center on University Avenue, next to the Grove.
  • The closest visitor parking is on University Avenue, along the Grove and near the Lyceum on University Circle.
  • On the Thursday, the lot next to the Overby Center was opened to conference visitors.

The university’s parking office has visitor details. Friday afternoon sessions move to Off Square Books on the Square, where parking follows the city’s downtown rules.

Where to stay

The conference holds a block of rooms at the Inn at Ole Miss at a conference rate; call 662-234-2331 and ask for the Oxford Conference for the Book rate. The center says the rooms are held until early March.

The Children’s Book Festival

The Children’s Book Festival runs on the conference’s Friday and gives a book to more than 1,200 first- and fifth-graders from Lafayette County and Oxford schools. In 2026 a public book signing and “Thacker Mountain Jr.” followed at 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Powerhouse, 413 S. 14th St., for families who could not attend the school program. Questions: the center’s Afton Thomas, 662-915-3363.

More in Oxford

Frequently asked questions

When is the 2027 Oxford Conference for the Book?

The 2027 dates have not been announced. The 2026 conference ran Wednesday, March 25, to Friday, March 27, and the 2025 conference ran April 2-4.

Does the Oxford Conference for the Book cost anything?

No. All sessions are free and open to the public, and registration is not needed. The opening welcome party at Memory House is the only ticketed event.

Where do I park for the Oxford Conference for the Book?

Visitors need a parking pass on the Ole Miss campus. In 2026 passes cost $4 a day at the Welcome Center on University Avenue, next to the Grove.

Who runs the Oxford Conference for the Book?

The Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi. The center and Square Books started the conference in 1993.