Born in Amite, County in 1924, Will Campbell grew up in the small-town south depicted in his award-winning autobiographical tale, Brother to a Dragonfly. Will and his older brother, Joe, were extremely close and experienced the conflicts and wonder of depression-era Mississippi together.

As a young child, Will struggled with a life-threatening case of pneumonia in a time when the outcome of such illnesses was "not too encouraging." When the five year-old survived, there was a sense of larger forces at work surrounding Will Campbell. He grew up believing that he was "given to the Lord" in a way, that preaching was part of the life exchange his parents made with God.