There are wordsmiths, and there are word-Williamses.

Kalela Williams has always loved books, history, and groan-inducing jokes like this one.

Almost as soon as she learned to hold a pencil, she began writing stories. As a teenager, she’d blow out her birthday candles and wish for a greater light—to illuminate history through fiction. And so her debut novel, Tangleroot, is literally a dream come true.

Kalela’s wordy life extends to her career in literary events: she has directed everything from the citywide read program One Book, One Philadelphia, to the Virginia Festival of the Book. She graduated from the University of Mary Washington and has an M.F.A. from Goddard College.

Kalela grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and now lives in the central Virginia town of Staunton with her partner Davey Strattan White. She stays busy by adding to their community’s arts scene through her and Davey’s story-centered organization, The Off Center; as well as by keeping their three cats happy, spending time outdoors, and nerding out at historic sites. And writing, of course—always writing!