DeSoto County News Publisher Jon Ross Myers Named Winner in William Faulkner Literary Competition

NEW ALBANY, Miss. — September 26, 2025 — DeSoto County News publisher Jon Ross Myers has
been named a winner in the 2025 William Faulkner Literary Competition, becoming the first writer from
Tippah County to receive the honor. The annual contest, held in Faulkner’s birthplace of New Albany,
attracts entries from writers around the world.

Myers, a Ripley resident and lifelong admirer of Faulkner’s work, said the recognition is a dream come
true. “I am so honored to win,” he said. “Faulkner showed me at a young age that stories could break
rules and still speak truth. To be recognized in a competition bearing his name is an incredible honor.”

A graduate of Falkner High School and the University of Mississippi, Myers began his writing career at
The Daily Mississippian and has since been published in newspapers, magazines, and literary journals
across the South.

In 2013, he founded the Mississippi News Group and Mississippi Sports Group,
which oversee multiple media outlets across the state, including DeSoto County News.

The William Faulkner Literary Competition celebrates excellence in writing across multiple categories.
Past winners include notable figures such as John Lang, lyricist of the Mr. Mister hits Broken Wings and
Kyrie