Wooden desk with photo frames, books, and decorative items illuminated by sunlight near a window.

Black and white photo of Eudora Welty, an elderly woman with glasses and short white hair, standing at a table with papers, in front of a window with trees outside. To the right, text explains the importance of storytelling in her work.

the next welty lecture:

Thursday, March 26 | 7:30 p.m.
Folger Shakespeare Library | Washington, D.C.

Tickets: $25 · Purchase via Folger Shakespeare Library

Purchase Lecture Tickets Here

Kate DiCamillo

Pulitzer Prize–Winning Poet & Former U.S. Poet Laureate

Kate DiCamillo is the author of many books for young readers. Her books have been awarded the Newbery Medal (Flora & Ulysses in 2014 and The Tale of Despereaux in 2004); the Newbery Honor (Because of Winn-Dixie, 2001), the Boston Globe Horn Book Award (The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, 2006), and the Theodor Geisel Medal and honor (Bink and Gollie, co-author Alison McGhee, 2011; Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride, 2007). She is a National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Emerita, appointed by the Library of Congress.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and raised in Clermont, Florida, Kate now lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

about the series

Launched in 2016, the Welty Lectures celebrate the enduring power of story by featuring world-renowned authors and thinkers. Past lecturers include Salman Rushdie, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Richard Ford, Jesmyn Ward, Ann Patchett, and Elizabeth Strout.

Presented in partnership with the Folger Shakespeare Library, the series is endowed by the generous contributions of Martha Dowd Dalrymple, in memory of her mother, Adine Wallace Dalrymple, and grandmother, Adine Lampton Wallace, along with the family of Eudora Welty.

A woman with short blond hair, wearing glasses, a black cardigan, a light scarf, and a white shirt, stands at a wooden podium with a microphone, speaking at an event at the Folger Shakespeare Library.

why it matters

The Welty Lectures are more than an evening with a celebrated writer. They are a space where literature lives in the present tense — where words spark conversation, nurture curiosity, and honor the generous spirit of Eudora Welty.

past weltylectures

the Bettye Jolly Lectures

The Bettye Jolly Lecture is a recurring literary event hosted by the Eudora Welty House & Garden (Jackson, Mississippi), often in partnership with the Eudora Welty Foundation and other local literary or academic groups. It is funded by Bettye Jolly’s husband and friends.

It features authors, poets, memoirists, etc., who deliver a lecture (or reading/talk), often followed by a reception/book signing.

past Bettye Jolly Lectures

Scholastics Arts and Writing Awards

The Eudora Welty Foundation proudly serves as the Mississippi affiliate for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for young writers, presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. In partnership with the Eudora Welty House & Garden, the Foundation administers the Mississippi regional writing awards, inviting students in grades 7–12 to submit original work across multiple genres. Through this collaboration, the Foundation advances its mission to honor Eudora Welty’s legacy by nurturing the next generation of literary talent, amplifying students’ creative voices, and celebrating excellence in writing throughout our state.

Graphic with orange background and white text reading 'Mississippi Book Festival'.

In recent years, the Eudora Welty Foundation has partnered alongside the Mississippi Book Festival to bring authors, support panels, and develop the Turn The Page program.

This year, we are eager to continue our partnership. Details coming soon.