Mildred Haun Conference Returns Feb. 6-7
January 12, 2026
Author Robert Gipe to Deliver Keynote Address
The 17th Annual Mildred Haun Conference will be held Feb. 6-7 on Walters State’s Morristown
Campus. The conference is a celebration of Appalachian literature, culture and scholarship.
This year’s theme is “Cooking Up the Good Stuff: Poetry, Music, Stories and More.”
The conference is free. Pre-registration is requested and can be made at ws.edu/mildred-haun.
The conference honors the legacy of Haun, a pioneer of Appalachian literature and
a Hamblen County native. Haun’s “The Hawk’s Done Gone” is considered one of the genre’s
best works.
“The Mildred Haun conference this year has an array of incredible writers, artists, speakers and scholars that will reflect the Appalachian community in positive and wonderful ways,” Dr. Paul Ludwig, associate professor of English and co-chair of this year’s conference.
The conference features workshops in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and songwriting with a concert by bluegrass icon Dale Ann Bradley on Saturday evening.
Robert Gipe will deliver the keynote address on Friday. His first novel, “Trampoline,” received the 2015 Weatherford Award for best Appalachian novel. His following novels, “Weedeater” and “Pop,” also received recognition. All are illustrated novels. Gipe served as a consultant on the Hulu series, “Dopesick.” He is from Kingsport and now lives in Harlan, Kentucky.
Other scheduled speakers include Doug Van Gundy, Kelly Moore-Roberts, Annie Woodford and Mandi Sheffell. Fifteen scholarly presentations are also planned for the conference. These subjects range from “Seventy Years of Cast Iron Cooking” to “People’s Medicine.”
In keeping with this year’s theme, a Mildred Haun cookbook is in the works. Submit your favorite recipes for inclusion in this online catalog of food. Your grandmother’s biscuit recipe will live forever! Look for the “We’re Hungry Link” on the conference website.
Professional development points are available for educators. The Mildred Haun Conference is the recipient of a Tennessee Arts Commission grant.
For more information, contact Gayle Nelson at gayle.nelsonFREEWS. You can also learn more and register at www.ws.edu/special-events/mildred-haun.