Southern novelist, Robert Gwaltney, will discuss the courageous moments that writers must take in order to write their story. Such moments include finding and speaking in your unique voice, finding your literary community, and overcoming imposter syndrome. He will read experts from his debut novel, The Cicada Tree, to illustrate his personal moments of courage and will invite participants to reflect upon their own journeys.

About Robert Gwaltney:

Robert Gwaltney, an award winning author of Southern fiction, is a graduate of Florida State University and was recently named 2023 Georgia Author of the Year for First Novel. He resides in Atlanta Georgia where he is an active member of the Atlanta literary community serving as a board member for Broadleaf Writers Association. By day, he works as Vice President of Easter Seals North Georgia, Inc., Children Services, a non-profit supporting children with disabilities and other special needs. Robert’s work has appeared in such publications as Southern Literary Review, The Signal Mountain Review, The Blue Mountain Review, and The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature. The Cicada Tree is his debut novel and winner of the Somerset Award for Literary Fiction. He is at work on his second novel.