OUR STORY
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Meet the Founder Lashunda Mitchell
I’m Lashunda Mitchell, founder of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Book Festival. I created the festival from a journey of love, loss, faith, and purpose, with a vision of bringing authors, readers, children, and our community together through literacy. My family had a tragic loss in August 2022, Aj my adopted son, passed away in a car accident. I chose to take my grief and write a book. With that, the Mississippi Gulf Coast Book Festival was born.
After seeing the community come together for our inaugural festival in 2026, I knew this was only the beginning. My goal is to continue creating opportunities for authors to be seen, stories to be shared, and children to discover a love for reading.
Founder& Executive Director
Mississippi Gulf Coast Book Festival
INSPIRED BY AJ'S LEGACY
At the heart of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Book Festival is the legacy of Arthuris “AJ” Rapp. AJ was love in action. He loved his community and poured that love into young people by coaching little league football and basketball. Before his passing, AJ had just accepted a position as a junior recruiter with Mississippi Prep. He passed away only one week before the team’s first game, and they honored his life and legacy on the news. AJ’s heart for serving others continues to inspire our mission of creating opportunities, uplifting children, and bringing the community together. What began as a way of honoring Aj has grown into a legacy that continues to touch lives.
FROM FESTIVAL TO FOUNDATON
The Mississippi Gulf Coast Book Festival is now an initiative of AJ’s Legacy Literacy Foundation. Created in honor of Arthuris “AJ” Rapp, the Foundation expands our mission beyond one annual event through community book giveaways, Little Libraries, youth literacy programs, and other opportunities that place books into the hands of children. Together, the Festival and Foundation are continuing AJ’s legacy of love, service, and community—one book and one child at a time.
aj's legacy literacy foundation
MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST BOOK FESTIVAL
mgcbookfestival@gmail.com
The Mississippi Gulf Coast Book Festival is a free, family-friendly celebration of books, literacy, creativity, and community. We bring together authors, readers, families, local businesses , and community organizations to inspire , connect, and create lasting memories.
Pain Into Purpose
OUR MISSION
BUILDING A LEGACY THROUGH LITERACY
Our mission is to promote literacy, celebrate authors, and create meaningiful opportunities for families and communities to connect through the power of books.
We envision the Mississippi Gulf Coast Book Festival growing into a lasting community tradtion that inspires readers, supports authors, encourages young minds, and continues Aj's legacy for generations to come.