SPEAKERS

Katharine Herndon was a fan of James River Writers even before they hired her. She has attended all seventeen conferences and over a hundred Writing Shows, and she plans to keep improving on that number. She was on the board for several years in a variety of roles, including executive secretary, co-chair of the 2011 conference committee (with the wonderful Valley Haggard), and membership chair. Prior to becoming employed at JRW, Katharine taught middle school language arts for thirteen years. Her favorite bits were Shakespeare and poetry, and she was in a minority in this. Katharine’s work has been published by RVA indie press Sink/Swim in The Great Richmond Zombie Book and appears in the anthology River Town, and the Richmond-based anthology River City Secrets. She is a graduate of the University of Central Florida, Davidson College, and St. Catherine’s School. (@kaherndon)

Phillip Hilliker tinkered with writing for several years in private, huddled over his computer, not admitting to anyone beyond his wife that he wanted to be a writer. Before becoming JRW’s membership coordinator, he found James River Writers was the supportive community he needed to fully embrace the authorial side of his personality. Beyond writing, he has spent many years as a freelance illustrator and work-at-home dad while also teaching illustration courses at Visual Arts Center of Richmond. This combination of occupations means he spends a majority of his time thinking about monsters and robots. He lives in a demanding fixer-upper house with his wife and kid. (@PhilHilliker)

Brynn Markham is an aspiring writer who has seen the impact of James River Writers through her work with Richmond’s PBS and NPR stations. In her communications and outreach role, she was thrilled to champion projects that connected public media audiences to national content through partnerships with Richmond’s nonprofit community. Prior to her tenure at WCVE PBS/NPR, Brynn worked with First Book, helping children in underserved areas gain access to books to tackle the literacy gap. Her love of writing and books began in high school when she penned a weekly column in her local newspaper and continued into adulthood when she dabbled in blogging. She is determined to see the countless note pads containing “the next big idea” that sit dutifully in her bedside table develop into an inspired work to be enjoyed beyond the confines of her home and immediate family.