NATCHEZ — Author John D.W. Guice suggested it’s the grit of growing up in Mississippi which makes the literature its residents produce so great.

“As many have suggested, the literary creations (of Mississippians) is the result of great conflict of residents of this state,” Guice said.

Guice of Laurel said he has seen all but two winners accept the Richard Wright Literary Excellence Award in the 23 years of the Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration.

But Saturday was the first time Guice was on the accepting end of that award.

“My heart and mind are also full of humility,” Guice said.

Guice was an award-winning professor of history at the University of Southern Mississippi. He has authored a number of books, journal articles and other publications.

Patti Carr Black also accepted the Richard Wright award Saturday.

“I was totally stunned, because of the great literary writers that could have been (awarded), and it was a thrill for me to be in that group,” Black said.

Black of Jackson was a museum director for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, whose books include “Art in Mississippi,” “Eudora Welty’s Early Escapades,” “Literary Tour of Mississippi,” “The Story of Mississippi,” to name a few.

Black said she attended many of the programs at this year’s festival.

“(The festival) was marvelous — always surprising and exciting,” she said.

NLCC founder and co-chair Carolyn Vance Smith said many people have mentioned this year’s festival was the best one yet.

“Each (speaker) stood alone and would have been worth coming (to NLCC) to see,” Smith said.

But the variety of speakers included in this year’s celebration made the festival offer something for everyone, throughout all four days, she said.

“I think it has been splendid,” Smith said.

Smith said many locals made it out this year, and she was told two hotels were booked, suggesting a large out-of-town crowd.

Smith said a level of celebrity exists among the some of the writers and speakers at this year’s celebration, which had a theme titled “Legends, Lore and Literature: Storytelling in the South.”

But more than just the star-quality of some of the bigger names, Smith said the event allowed festivalgoers to connect on a personal level with someone whose work they admire.

“There’s plenty (of people) who just want to know the writer better than the cold written word,” Smith said.

Black said the theme and the festival was wonderful this year, though it rarely disappoints.

“I hope this celebration has a long and happy life,” Black said. “I think it’s extremely important to the state and the writers of the state.”

“And it’s just fun,” Black added.

Today’s final NLCC events include an oral history workshop from 10 a.m. to noon by Louis Kyriakoudes from the University of Southern Mississippi and screening from 1-4 p.m. of “Crazy Heart,” an Academy Award winning film written by Scott Cooper, this year’s winner of the Horton Foote Award for Special Achievement in Screen Writing.