Humanities Tennessee

The literature of Tennessee helps to define its history and its culture. Classic novels like Alex Haley’s Roots and James Agee’s A Death in the Family are joined by newer works like Tara Stringfellow’s Memphis and Nicki Giovanni’s poetry to provide depth and contour to our heritage. At Humanities Tennessee, we are proud to honor those traditions with the Tennessee Book Award, launched in 2023.

To mark the 250th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence, Humanities Tennessee’s Shared Futures Lab launched a series of events exploring the roles of crafters and growers in the creation and evolution of our new nation, and how these practitioners stand to shape the next chapter of American democracy. Over the winter we gathered crafters, growers, scholars, and futurists for a panel discussion, “Then. Now.

We are thrilled to welcome René Dillard to the Humanities Tennessee staff as our new Director of Development. In this role, she oversees our organization’s fundraising strategy and stewardship, focusing on using data and strategic growth to drive revenue and equitably expand programs. We sat down with René to find out what attracted her to working with Humanities Tennessee. Growing up I wanted to be Indiana Jones, but I ended up being more interested in learning than doing.

Farmers and craftspeople made the American Revolution possible and shaped the growth of American democracy. Tennessee growers and crafters have always been — and continue to be — part of this process. On February 28, 2026, Humanities Tennessee convened a panel of scholars and practitioners to discuss this history, current realities, and possible futures of the two fields at the East Tennessee Historical Society. Dr. Torren L.

This fall, Humanities Tennessee and Vanderbilt University will once again partner to present the 38th annual Southern Festival of Books. More than 175 authors and 25,000 guests are expected at the family-friendly weekend festival, which will be held at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, Tennessee State Museum, and Tennessee State Library and Archives on Saturday, Oct. 17, and Sunday, Oct. 18. A special Student Reader Day will be held on Friday, Oct.

Humanities Tennessee (HT) today announced the winners of the 2025 Tennessee Book Awards. They are: Vic Sizemore (Maryville) in fiction for God of River Mud; Jared Sullivan (Franklin) in non-fiction for Valley So Low: One Lawyer’s Fight for Justice in the Wake of America’s Great Coal Catastrophe; and Didi Jackson (Nashville) in poetry for My Infinity: Poems. “Until 2024, Tennessee did not have an annual award recognizing excellence in fiction, non-fiction, and poetry by Tennessee residents.

Dr. Shawn Pitts, a McNairy County nonprofit leader, folklorist, and former Humanities Tennessee board member, recently received the Governor’s Arts Award for Folklife Heritage. Among the many folklife projects Pitts has undertaken, he played a pivotal role in the Tennessee Folklife Institute (TFI), a project of the Tennessee Arts Commission’s Folklife Program with support from Humanities Tennessee.

Humanities Tennessee, in partnership with Vanderbilt University, today announced the initial lineup of award-winning, bestselling authors who will headline the 37th annual Southern Festival of Books, taking place at Bicentennial Mall, the Tennessee State Museum and Tennessee State Library Oct. 18 – 19, 2025.

Humanities Tennessee (HT) and Vanderbilt University announced today that the Southern Festival of Books will return for its 37th year on October 18-19, 2025, thanks to resounding community support, new donations, and an expanded partnership with Vanderbilt University as presenting partner.

Last summer, Elizabeth Merritt – the founding director of the American Alliance of Museums’ Center for the Future of Museums – created a special Tennessee edition of Dispatches from the Future of Museums in advance of the strategic foresight workshops she led across the state. This document noted current trends, projections, and tools for the future. One year later, we are revisiting the trends and projections she identified to see what’s changed and examine their impact.