Nelson Harris – Keynote
Nelson Harris lives in Roanoke and is the author of 14 local history books focused on the Roanoke Valley. He is a former Roanoke City Councilman and mayor. Harris is primarily responsible for six historic markers in the Roanoke Valley. He is the minister at Heights Community Church.
Lisa Archer
Lisa Archer is the Publisher & Editor of Edible Blue Ridge, a quarterly print publication that celebrates the rich food culture of Central and Southwest Virginia. Lisa believes in the power of telling stories to foster community. You can usually find her at a farmers market learning from a local grower or maker. She holds a master’s degree in Creative Writing from Hollins University and a bachelor’s in Natural Resources & Ecology from Cornell University. Before moving to Virginia, Lisa spent over a decade in the food and beverage industry in New York. When not at work, you can find her supporting her partner’s business, Fermented Fire Hot Sauce Co., converting her yard into a garden, or wrangling her chickens and dogs.
Betsy Ashton
Betsy Ashton lives at Smith Mountain Lake and is the author nine books (both fiction and non-fiction), including three in the Mad Max series. She is a former consultant who has written about her experiences counseling women. Former president of the Virginia Writers Club.
Clinton Atwater
Clinton Atwater of Roanoke concentrates his storytelling on “connecting stories and people.” He is a storyteller, speaker, and producer who combined those experiences to start Storytelling Connections. His repertoire includes personal stories as well as folk and fairy tales. He produces Let Me Tell Ya!, monthly virtual storytelling guild meetings, and monthly virtual family-friendly Moth-style story swaps. He has served on the Virginia Storytellers Association Board of Directors since 2020.
Jessica Britton
Jessica Britton, who lives in Roanoke, is a Radford University alumnus with a degree in Media Studies and Professional Writing. She works as a News Producer at WDBJ7 in Roanoke. She is a creative, an activist and an advocate for human rights and women’s rights. Jess loves true crime stories, documentaries, her cat, and learning about the world around her.
Lori D’Angelo
Lori D’Angelo is a grant recipient from the Elizabeth George Foundation, a fellow at the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts, and an alumna of the Community of Writers. She holds an MA from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and an MFA from West Virginia University. Her work has appeared in various literary journals including BULL, Divinations Magazine, Gargoyle, Drunken Boat, Moon City Review, and Thin Veil Press. Her first book, a collection called The Monsters Are Here, was published by ELJ Editions in October of 2024.
Diane Fanning
Diane Fanning lives in Bedford County and is the author of fourteen true crime books including the Edgar Award nominated “Written in Blood” and the best-selling “Mommy’s Little Girl.” She has written ten mystery novels including five in the Lucinda Pierce series. She has been featured on 48 Hours, 20/20, The Today Show, Biography, Forensic Files, Deadly Women,Behind Mansion Walls, Deadly Sins, On the Case with Paula Zahn, Justice with Judge Jeanine, MSNBC News, Court TV, Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell, and the Discovery Channel. She has also written commercials and earned 70 Addy Awards in 20 years.
Kate Goggin
Kate Goggin is a Northern Virginia technical writer whose new book is “10 Little Rules: When Good Jobs Go Bad.” She teaches plain language writing/editing/training projects and is available for speaking engagements, book talks, and/or panel discussions.
Lindsey Hull
Lindsey Hull is a freelance journalist and creative writer. She was selected as Roanoke’s 2024 Writer by Bus and her resulting chapbook, a poetry collection entitled “the mountains rumble,” is now available. She has performed at Hoot and Holler, is obsessed with Appalachian storytelling culture, and (fair warning) will yap all day about Jack Tales if you just get her started.
Lee Hunsaker
Lee Hunsaker, creator of Roanoke’s Hoot and Holler: Our Stories. Out Loud., as she reflects upon her years of witnessing the transformative power of live storytelling. Lee is a story coach and a storyteller’s cheerleader, confidant, and guiding force. She works tirelessly to help others shape their stories into compelling narratives, ultimately making the leap from page to stage. Lee believes that radical change can happen within ourselves, our communities, and in the greater world at large when we bravely share our truths.
Bill Kovarik
Bill Kovarik is a Radford University journalism professor, author of the significant “Revolutions in Communication: Media History from Gutenberg to the Digital Age.” He teaches science journalism, media history, media law, digital imaging, and environmental history. His background as a professional journalist has involved reporting positions with The Associated Press, the Baltimore Sun, the Charleston SC Post-Courier, and with columnist Jack Anderson. He has also worked as a part-time stringer with the New York Times, Time Magazine and Time-Life Books.
Roland Lazenby
Roland Lazenby of Roanoke has written more than 60 non-fiction books, has been a journalism professor at Virginia Tech and Radford University and a noteworthy journalist. He has a master’s degree from Hollins University. Lazenby was the faculty advisor for journalism majors at Virginia Tech during the tragic murder spree there and his students excelled with their coverage. He has been a generous mentor to writers and staple for RRWC for years.
Christina Linsin
Christina Linsin is a poet, teacher and librarian in Western Virginia. Her poetry examines connections with the natural world, the complexities of mental illness, and the difficulty of creating meaningful connections amid life’s obstacles. Her work has been published in tiny wren lit, The Milk House, and Stone Circle Review. She is vice president of the Virginia Poetry Society.
Liz Long
Liz Long is a freelance fiction editor specializing in romance, fantasy, YA, and mystery/thriller. She has worked with both debut and established indie authors, as well as those seeking traditional publishing. With over a decade of experience in publishing, Liz serves as the editor of 50-year-old The Roanoker Magazine. A USA Today bestselling author and indie writer of more than 20 YA, fantasy, and romance books, Liz is also the Director of RRWC and an executive member of the Jefferson Center Board of Directors.
Beth Raps
Beth Raps is a multiply published French translator and developmental editor. Her obsession with languages includes Arabic, ASL, Dutch, Esperanto, Farsi, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Krio, Lingala, Spanish, Russian, and Turkish (with widely varying fluencies in each). Duolingo is her drug of choice. Beth is a philosopher and fundraiser who lives with her partner on a mountain north of Roanoke as a happy hermit.
Cameron Ring
Cameron Ring of Dublin is an award-winning moviemaker. He works in nearly every aspect of movies, including directing, producing and acting, where he has won international awards. His most recent celebrated movies are “All In,” “Fighting the Fire,” “In the Shadows of War” and “Awesome!”. His family owns a winery in Dublin.
Debbie Craig Seagle
Debbie Craig Seagle is a Dublin-based author of two nonfiction books (“Coffee Cups & Wine Glasses” and “10 Steps to Get Over Dickhead”). She has third due shortly. She has worked in air shows, as a manager for major corporations and has rubbed elbows with the top of the international diplomatic corps, among many other professional efforts.
Dan Smith
Dan Smith lives in Roanoke and is the founder and co-director of the Roanoke Regional Writers Conference. He has written eight books (including recent novels “CLOG!” and “NEWS!”), thousands of articles for a variety of publications and is a member of the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame. He was the Virginia Business Journalist of the Year in 2010 and a two-time winner of the Perry F. Kendig Award, among many other awards.
Josh Urban
Josh Urban, author of Cities on a Hill, writes a weekly newspaper column, publishes a newsletter for the elderly, maintains a blog, and writes freelance articles. His work has appeared in Sky and Telescope, Astronomy, The Rivanna Review, Positive Impact, and others. JoshUrban.com
Tracy Wainwright
Tracy Wainwright has been writing and publishing for almost 20 years. She’s written for local and national magazines, a local newspaper, and self-published 15 books. She’s also had one book traditionally published and has a 9-book series under contract. In addition to writing, Tracy is a speaker, editor, and writing coach.
Anne Marie Wells
Anne Marie Wells (She | They) is an award-winning and Pushcart-nominated poet, playwright, memoirist, and oral storyteller. She is the author of Survived By: A Memoir in Verse + Other Poems (Curious Corvid Publishing, 2023) and the 2023 winner of the Cinnamon Press Chapbook Contest for her collection, Mother, (v). She won the 2023 Maryland Writers Association Poetry Contest, the 2023 Jackson Hole Poetry Box Contest, 2023 DC Public Library Haiku Contest, was long-listed for the International Erbacce Prize in Poetry, and was short-listed for the inaugural Emma Howell Rising Poet Award. She was the winner of the 2021 Crow House Press Poetry Competition, earned the 2021 Peter K. Hixson Memorial award in poetry presented by Writer’s Relief, and was a 2021 Wyoming Woman of Influence nominee in the arts category for amplifying the voices of the LGBTQ and disabled communities through her writing. She received the 2020 Milestone Award presented by Wyoming Writers, Inc., and the 2020 Rising Star Award presented by the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce. She is a certified Listener Poet and freelance editor and creative writing instructor.