We humbly invite our Water Valley neighbors, and lovers of the written word everywhere, to join us to celebrate the birthday of poet, novelist, translator, and garden aficionado Hubert Creekmore. Hubert Creekmore was born in Water Valley on January 16, 1907 and graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1927. After studying drama at Yale University, he earned a Master’s degree in American literature from Columbia University in 1940. New York City would become his home base for the rest of his life. His novels focused on Mississippi life; The Welcome, set in a fictionalized Water Valley, was reprinted by the University Press of Mississippi in 2023.

We want to honor Water Valley’s famous literary son on his birthday. Please join us for a brief program, in which we will read excerpts from Creekmore’s writing and share a birthday cake with our friends and neighbors.

We also want to take the opportunity of Hubert’s birthday to announce the creation of the Hubert Creekmore Literary Society. The goals of the society are to engage local writers and community members in the literary arts; educate the larger public about Hubert Creekmore and Water Valley as a literary community; promote and sponsor literary arts more broadly; and provide opportunities for youth and community members to write.

We have many ideas for future activities, including reading series, writing workshops, book clubs, and a Water Valley Literary Festival. But first, we want to invite our Water Valley neighbors, and lovers of the written word in North Mississippi, to sign up for membership, volunteer for event planning, and contribute ideas and expertise to the new organization. We are excited about the possibilities of the Hubert Creekmore Literary Society and we want it to serve the needs and interests of Water Valley and surrounding communities.

Please join us on January 16 and let us know what kinds of literary events you would like to see in Water Valley during our first year.