The Mississippi Gulf Coast is getting its first book festival this August – and the story behind the event is one of grief, resilience, and a love for literature.
Lashunda Mitchell, the founder of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Book Festival, explained during an appearance on Good Things with Rebecca Turner that the loss of her son, AJ, and her journey to heal inspired her to not only write a book but eventually organize an event similar to those held in cities like Jackson and New Orleans.
“In 2022, I experienced a devastating loss. I lost my adopted son in a tragic car accident,” Mitchell recounted. “The pain I struggled with – I didn’t know what to do with it, so I wrote a book.”
Mitchell’s book, titled “His Story, Our Journey,” offers readers an opportunity to see how hope can be found in seemingly hopeless situations because “there is always a rainbow after the rain,” she said.
Before becoming an author, Mitchell’s career had nothing to do with writing. But after AJ’s death, she turned to journaling as an outlet for her grief, eventually discovering a story she felt called to share. Reading and writing had always been passions she shared with her son, and through them, she found a way to honor his memory.
“After the book, I still needed something that lasted longer to keep his memory alive. So, that’s how I came up with the Mississippi Gulf Coast Book Festival,” she said. “He was all about community and people, so I definitely wanted something that invested in people and the community that could also help people feel seen.”
The Mississippi Gulf Coast Book Festival will be held Saturday, Aug. 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Jones Park in Gulfport. The free event will feature more than 50 authors, along with pop-up bookstores, food vendors, and children’s activities.