In 2008, the Monroeville/Monroe County Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the City of Monroeville and Monroe County Commission, embarked on a quest to raise funds to commission a bronze sculpture offering “some tangible evidence of Monroeville as Alabama’s Literary Capital as a permanent presence on Monroeville’s historic courthouse square”.  

This project was launched with the leadership and encouragement of state tourism director Lee Sentell, who personally witnessed the large number of people of all ages who travel to Monroeville, seeking the “Literary Capital of Alabama” and its due setting on the Southern Literary Trail. “The project provides an opportunity to inspire those who experience it with a love of reading. This is a way for Monroeville to further the goal of raising awareness of the benefits of reading and the lingering life lessons of the message brought to a reader by a good book.”