 | William Gilmore Simms, from an etching in Harper's Weekly, July 2, 1870. | William Gilmore Simms (1806-1870) was a native South Carolinian who gained far-ranging literary acclaim as the most prolific Southern writer of the antebellum period. Hailed as the man of the letters of the Old South, Simms garnered the respect of readers in the North and South, including such contemporaries as Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper, and Edgar Allan Poe. Simms' versatility and talent led him to write 72 book-length works, including novels, short story collections, poetry, drama, literary criticism, essays, histories, and biographies. Following the Civil War and after his death Simms' works fell out of favor. Fortunately, recent research has revived interest in and appreciation for his writings. Through the William Gilmore Simms Visiting Research Professor Endowment scholars are able to explore and study the extensive collection of Simms' published and manuscript works held by the Library, as well as the published and manuscript works of writers from South Carolina and elsewhere whose works are represented in the rich holdings of the South Caroliniana Library. |