This page will be updated as more faculty members are
confirmed for the 2026 Alabama Writing Workshop.

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Ben Okon is the bestselling and award-winning author of dozens of children’s books, including the popular Mythical Feasts, King Chameleon, and Younger Me Academy series. As a hybrid author, Ben distributes through his own publishing company while maintaining a growing portfolio of titles with major publishing houses.

The common thread across Ben’s portfolio is his mission to create “cross-generational magic” for children and their grown-ups to share. His mix of unexpected wordplay, interwoven games, and multi-generational humor offers readers of every age something to learn, love, or laugh about.

Beyond the page, Ben is an established business leader who has served as a strategist for Google, Bain & Co., and Starwood Hotels. He holds an MBA from The Wharton School and a BS from Cornell University, and he is passionate about helping writers navigate the “business of books.” At the 2026 Alabama Writing Workshop, Ben will be teaching “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Authors” to help creators successfully bridge the gap between creative spark and business execution.

When he’s not working on books or business, you can find him with his wife and two boys in the children’s section of libraries anywhere he calls “home,” including Birmingham, Boston, DC, NYC, and southern Connecticut. You’ll recognize them easily—it’s impossible to hide the mayhem they create.

At the 2026 in-person AWW, he is teaching a class.

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Alison Robinson is a fantasy author with a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts and a master’s degree in Counseling, completing an acting apprenticeship at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey in between. Her writing blends drama and psychology, exploring human nature through magic and adventure.

She lives in Birmingham, Alabama, surrounded by stacks of books with her husband, daughter, and a cat named Watson.

At the 2026 in-person AWW, she is teaching a class and offering add-on manuscript critiques.

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Bob McGough is an author, podcaster, and indie tabletop game designer from south Alabama. As an author he has been published by a number of small presses in a range of genres, from steampunk to horror. He is best known as the author of his ‘Rural’ Urban Fantasy series, the Jubal County Saga. He also teaches a number of classes and workshops on various aspects of the business of writing.

As a podcaster Bob is the man behind the Tales by Bob Podcast Network. His first show, Books, Beards, Booze, is a conversational style podcast that has run for over 170 episodes. Southern Fried Fantasy, is a completed interview style podcast where he interviews Southern Authors who write genre fiction set in the South. The Tales by Bob Podcast is an inside look at the business side of the writing business.

A long-time freelance writer, he has worked on a number of tabletop and video games. As a huge fan of one sheet and simple rpgs, he has released over 40 games in that space across a number of platforms.

At the 2026 in-person AWW, he is teaching a class and offering add-on manuscript critiques.

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Brian A. Klems (@BrianKlems) is the former online editor of WritersDigest.com. He is the current co-director of Writing Day Workshops.

His blog during his tenure there, The Writer’s Dig—which covered everything writing and publishing—was one of the largest blogs in the writing community. He is the lead coordinator of the Alabama Writing Workshop.

Brian’s first book, Oh Boy, You’re Having a Girl: A Dad’s Guide to Raising Daughters (Adams Media) was released in 2013. It received high-level buzz and praise from some of the funniest writers alive, including Dave Barry and Bruce Cameron.

Brian is also a proud graduate of the Ohio University E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, a husband, softball infielder, perennial fantasy sports underachiever, and father of three lovely girls.

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Chuck Sambuchino (@chucksambuchino) is a freelance editor, bestselling book author, and former longtime staffer for Writer’s Digest Books.

For many years he edited the GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS and the CHILDREN’S WRITER’S & ILLUSTRATOR’S MARKET. His Guide to Literary Agents Blog was one of the largest blogs in publishing, and he wrote the platform guidebook CREATE YOUR WRITER PLATFORM.

He is the lead director of Writing Day Workshops writers conferences, and he has taught at more than 175 writers conferences throughout his career. He is the assistant coordinator of the Alabama Writing Workshop.

His humor book, HOW TO SURVIVE A GARDEN GNOME ATTACK, was optioned by Sony Pictures. Chuck’s books have been mentioned in Reader’s Digest, USA Today, the New York Times, The Huffington Post, Variety, New York Magazine, Buzzfeed, Mental Floss,New York magazine, and many more media outlets.

All his latest books are about pickleball, including ULTIMATE PICKLEBALL, a 2026 tear-off desk calendar due out in August 2025 (Sellers Publishing). His picture book, GOODNIGHT, PICKLEBALL, released from Hachette in August 2025, as was carried in Target, and hit the USA Today bestseller list.

He is a successful freelance editor of queries, synopses, and manuscripts—seeing dozens of clients get agents or book deals following his consultations/edits. He loves meeting new writers.