New from Philip Lee Williams, two symphonies: Symphony No. 17: Tenebrae and Symphony No. 18: For the Civil Rights Martyrs. See below and right to listen.

Welcome to the web site of award-winning writer Philip Lee Williams, author of 14 published works, including novels, essays, and poetry. Take your time to look around and sample some of his writing and music. His new novel, The Campfire Boys, came out September 1.

The Campfire Boys is already drawing praise from seasoned writers:

“Philip Lee Williams’ new novel is an enchanting read, full of rich Civil War detail and intriguing characters that illuminate both that specific era and the timeless human heart with a complex mix of the serious and the humorous. This is a splendid novel that deserves a wide readership.”—Robert Olen Butler, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain.

“The Campfire Boys is a novel I’m really proud of,” said Williams. “It’s about camp entertainers in the American Civil War—those battlefield singers and actors who kept the troops entertained much as Bob Hope did during World War II.”

"This book is a large-scale comic novel with moments of deep pathos and follows most of the Eastern Theater of the Civil War and its main battles," said Williams. "Much of it is, I think, very funny, but it was a profoundly sad time and that is never far away."

Like A Distant Flame, Williams's new novel deals with Southerners who were against the South's position in the Civil War - something that has rarely been covered in fiction or film. This new novel will be out in September, and will be published by Mercer University Press.

Williams plans to tour extensively this fall in support of The Campfire Boys and Elegies for the Water, so check his tour dates to see if he will be coming to a place near you.

Philip loves to hear from from readers and from anyone interested in prospective appearances. If you'd like to contact him, you may get in touch directly and easily through the contact page.

This website is supported by Byhalia Books. Please email long.byhalia@gmail.com for details.