Hattiesburg bookstore The Author Shoppe is closing. See details on sales
The final chapter is nearing for The Author Shoppe, a locally owned bookstore that has provided Hattiesburg with reading material and community events for seven years. It will officially close its doors for good on Dec. 31. The Author Shoppe announced its closure on its Facebook account on Oct. 23. "We're closing," co-owner Murph Little said in an announcement posted on The Author Shoppe's Facebook page. "Those are words that we never wanted to say. It hurts, but we are closing down our doors on Dec. 31." The Author Shoppe first opened on Front Street in downtown Hattiesburg in 2020 before relocating in 2025 to a hard-to-miss blue house at 709 Hardy St. Along with a wide selection of books, the store had a beverage menu that included coffee, tea, soda and beer. The bookstore became a popular place in the community because it often hosted events such as book clubs, open mic nights, live music and art shows. "I think our importance can't be constrained to the idea of us being a bookstore," Little said. "That's what we sold and that's what we love, but it was always more about the outreach to the community. Be that through art
