William Faulkner was born on September 25, 1897, on Jefferson Street in New Albany, Mississippi. Some of his notable awards were the 1949 Nobel Prize for Literature, the 1955 and 1963 Pulitzer Prizes for Fiction and the 1951 and 1955 National Book Awards. Recognizing the significance of being the birthplace of one of the most celebrated writers in American Literature generally and Southern Literature specifically, we are proud to provide the William Faulkner Literary contest for aspiring writers.

Thanks to the generous donation of former Union County resident Eric Saul, now living in Tennessee, our contest includes the categories of Novel, One Act Play, Poetry, Adult Short Story, and Student Short Story. The inclusion of New Albany on the Southern Literary Trail, thanks to William Faulkner and Borden Deal, shows that there is a growing awareness of the literary history and potential of this area.

Mr. Saul’s donation is added to that of the New Albany Gazette, which has strongly supported this event in the past, the Union County Heritage Museum, and several local literary and educational groups including Friends of the Jennie Stephens Smith Library, New Century Club, Junta Club, and Pilot Club of New Albany. We have also been supported by a City of New Albany Tourism grant and a New Albany Rotary Club grant.