Campus News
August 18th, 2026
GC professor presents at literary festival
James aids aspiring authors while continuing her own writing career
Garrett College Professor of English Anna James presented a workshop and participated in a panel discussion recently at the Lewisburg (WV) Literary Festival.
Lewisburg, WV – Anna Dickson James is an English professor at Garrett College in addition to being a published author – but she’s still not too busy to help aspiring authors hone their talents.
James presented a workshop earlier this month at the Lewisburg, WV Literary Festival entitled Writing Fresh, Writing True: How to Make Your Writing Stand Out in a Pile. She was also part of a panel discussion entitled No Tax on Tips: Free Advice from Writers Who Have Paid Their Dues.
“My goal was to help attendees learn how to turn good writing into unforgettable writing with hands-on techniques for sharpening sentence-level craft, using diction with precision, and connecting authentically with readers,” said James of her festival workshop.
James – whose second novel, The Sky King: A Literary Choose Your Own Adventure Novel, earned first place at this year’s West Virginia Writers, Inc. competition – was one of four award-winning writers who participated in the No Tax on Tips panel.
“We shared our best insights completely free of charge,” James said of the panel discussion. “The panel offered hard-earned wisdom, practical tips, and a few laughs about the joys and struggles of the writing life.”
James’ Sky King, in addition to claiming first place at West Virginia Writers, Inc., was a finalist in the Santa Fe Writer’s Project and a semi-finalist in the Ohio State Fiction Prize. Her next writers’ event will be October 1st at Mess & Friction, a Baltimore-based reading series operated by the Community College of Baltimore County.
“I enjoy representing Garrett College at these types of literary events,” said James. “GC is an incredible resource, and I like getting the word out regarding what we can offer our students and the community.”
James’ 2023 work – Boys Buy Me Drinks to Watch Me Fall Down – is a collection of short stories from the female perspective centered around the themes of survival in a challenging world. The book is available through Whiskey Tit, a small indie publisher, as well as Amazon and other major online outlets.