special to the democrat

NATCHEZ — A number of programs at this weekend’s Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration feature speakers or topics with local ties.

“All relate to the conference theme, “Legends, Lore and Literature: Storytelling in the South,” said CarolynVance Smith of Copiah-Lincoln Community College. Smith is founder and co-chairman of the NLCC.

All programs are free of charge and will take place at the Natchez Convention Center.

“The opening session on Thursday evening was a huge hit because Lewis Lord was the keynote speaker,” Smith said.

“Lewis grew up in Natchez and went on to a very successful career writing stories for ‘U.S. News & World Report,’” she said. “He is a gifted speaker who made us laugh and reminisce.”

The following programs also contain Natchez-area connections:

•Tricia Walker, who grew up in Fayette and is now director of the Delta Music Institute at Delta State University in Cleveland. Walker and her friend, Davis Raines, of Nashville, Tenn., will present a program at 2 p.m. today, called, “Come and Listen to My Story — the Melodic Narrative in American Country Music.”

“Both Tricia and Davis have had fabulous careers in the music world in Nashville,” Smith said.

•Jerry W. Ward Jr. of Dillard University of New Orleans, who will discuss Natchez’s own Richard Wright, best-selling author of “Native Son” and “Black Boy,” among other books. Ward’s talk at 9 a.m. Saturday is titled “Richard Wright’s Spinning of Tales.”

•A panel of four local people who were severely affected by the Great Mississippi River Flood of 2011. “At 3 p.m. Saturday they will present riveting first-person stories,” Smith said.

Speakers are Natchez City Engineer David Gardner; Louis Guedon, who farms on both sides of the river; Anthony Hauer, executive director of the Natchez-Adams County Port Commission; and H. Lee Jones Jr., owner of J.M. Jones Lumber Co.

•Greg Iles, who will introduce two speakers at the final program at 8:15 p.m. Saturday.

“Greg is a great friend of Roy Blount Jr., the author, radio commentator, editor and humorist,” Smith said.

“Greg and Roy play in a band called the Rock Bottom Remainders, a group of musicians who are also writers,” Smith said. “Greg will introduce Roy as well as Julia Reed, who grew up in Greenville and now lives in New Orleans.

“We are delighted that all three will sign books after their program at the Convention Center,” Smith said.

The following local people will also make remarks or introduce programs at NLCC:

•Jake Middleton, Mayor of Natchez

•Sarah and Charles Vahlkamp of Danville, Ky.

“Sarah grew up in Natchez, the daughter of Gilmer and Jane McLaurin, longtime educators,” Smith said.

•Ronnie Nettles, Teresa Busby and Mark LaFrancis of Copiah-Lincoln Community College, Natchez

•M. Christopher Brown II, President of Alcorn State University, Lorman

•Stephanie Punches of Natchez, chairman of the board of the Mississippi Arts Commission

•Eugene Bates of Church Hill, President of the Board of Trustees of Copiah-Lincoln Community College

•LeRoy White of Natchez, President of the board of Natchez Association for the Preservation of Afro-American Culture

•David Bramlette III, of Natchez, federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi

•Valencia Hall of Natchez, member of the Board of Trustees, Mississippi Department of Archives and History

•Kathleen Jenkins of Natchez, Superintendent, Natchez National Historical Park

•Darryl Grennell of Natchez, President of the Adams County Board of Supervisors

•Linda Bailey of Natchez, coordinator of the Great Mississippi River Flood of 2011 Oral History Project

A complete agenda of NLCC programs can be found at www.colin.edu/nlcc. The conference is sponsored by Co-Lin, Natchez National Historical Park, Mississippi Department of Archives and History and Mississippi Public Broadcasting. Partial funding is from the Mississippi Humanities Council and the Mississippi Arts Commission.