Philip Lee Williams (b. 1950) was born in Athens and raised in nearby Madison, Georgia. He attended the University of Georgia and received his degree in journalism in 1972. That same year he married Linda Rowley and, in 1973, they founded Ataraxia, a literary magazine, which operated for three years. Williams' journalism career includes being news editor for The Clayton Tribune (1972); a copy editor for The Daily News, Athens, Ga. (1972-1974); associate editor, The Madisonian, Madison, Ga. (1974-1978); editor, The Athens Observer (1978-1985); and twenty-five years in various communication roles at the University of Georgia.
Williams has published eleven novels, three works of non-fiction, poetry, and essays. His first novel, The Heart of a Distant Forest, won the Townsend Prize in 1986. In 2007, He received a Governor's Award in the Humanities and he was inducted into the Georgia Writer's Hall of Fame in 2010. In addition to his literary work, Williams has composed eighteen symphonies and a full length opera.
For additional information see the New Georgia Encyclopedia article, "Philip Lee Williams", http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/philip-lee-williams-b-1950
