Golden Magnolias

Southern belles may be demure, but never underestimate the level of their talents and their passion for achieving great things.

- MELANIE M. WARD

WHAT IS A GOLDEN MAGNOLIA? Well, she is solid in her beliefs, yet has a soft heart. She may be delicate, but she’s hardy with a heart of gold. And her perseverance helps her bloom where she is planted. The first recipients of our Golden Magnolia awards are amazing, but there are so many women in Mississippi who are setting the bar high. Through innovations, dedication, vision, and so much more, the marks they are leaving on the Magnolia State are indelible. Their impacts on our state loom large, and it’s our delight to share a closer look at these amazing women.

CULTURAL ARTS

Holly Lange

Executive Director, Mississippi Book Festival

While Holly Lange is a notably successful event manager, former president of the Junior League of Jackson, as well as a busy wife and mother, it’s her work in bringing the Mississippi Book Festival to the state that has people talking. Lange also did a bit of talking in a highly acclaimed TED Talk in February 2019 that shared more insight into the 2015 launch of the event.

As the festival, held the third Saturday in August at the Capitol, prepares for its sixth year, taking a long look at the force behind it is due. For Mississippi, a land filled with literary prowess, an event of this genre was long overdue. And Lange was the last piece of the puzzle to make it happen. “The spark was lit when Malcolm White connected me to Jere Nash, and we met with John Evans of Lemuria Bookstore and Steve Yates at University Press of Mississippi. As an event planner and fundraiser, this has been a personal goal for many years, and the time was right for me to commit my time and resources to bring it to life,” says Lange.