Diane Williams

Diane Williams is a professional storyteller who has presented internationally. She is a teaching artist, author, and mixed media fiber artist. A member of the Speakers Bureau for the Mississippi Humanities Council, she is available to talk on a variety of topics. As a writer, she co-authored/edited two teacher resource books along with Sherry Norfolk and Jane Stenson titled: "The Storytelling Classroom: Applications Across the Curriculum" and "Literacy Development in the Storytelling Classroom." Both publications are Storytelling World Award winners.She is also the author of "Annie Mae Jumps the Broom," a children's book, "Mississippi Folk and the Tales They Tell," "The Life and Legacy of B.B. King - a Mississippi Blues Icon". She wrote the forward to Richelle Putnam's book "Mississippi During the Great Depression". Along with co-author Richelle Putnam, their recent book is titled "A Guide to Mississippi Museums." Diane has written for numerous anthologies, literary journals and national publications.

Williams is a professional storyteller and teaching artist of over 30+ years. She retired in 2019 from a career as Director of Grants for the Mississippi Arts Commission after 16 years, to pursue her artistic endeavors of visual arts and writing. She calls herself a narratologist because all of her art forms relate to storytelling.

Diane is the recipient of the Mississippi Humanities Council's Special Chairs Award, the Zora Neale Hurston Award and the Brother Blue Award from the National Association of Black Storytellers, as well as the Oracle Award for leadership and service from the National Storytelling Network. She is a former board member for the National Association of Black Storytellers, and a former board chair for the National Storytelling Network.

As a visual artist, she received a fellowship from the Mississippi Arts Commission for her mixed media fiber arts designs in the folk art category. She is a "fellow" member of the Mississippi Craftsmens Guild. Her fiber art designs and tapestries have been exhibited in galleries, museums, community and cultural centers, online platforms, in magazines, and her art has even graced the pages of literary journals.