Tony Grooms

Tony Grooms is a Professor of Creative Writing and Director of the M.A. in Professional Writing Program at Kennesaw State University's Department of English. He has taught fiction writing, literature, and American Studies, and has international teaching experience in Ghana, Sweden, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates.

• Specializes in Civil Rights Movement and Jim Crow Era narratives
• Director of the M.A. in Professional Writing program
• Recipient of multiple literary awards and prestigious fellowships

His research interests focus on creative writing pedagogy, American literature, and historical fiction. Notably, his novel Bombingham was recognized as a Washington Post Notable Book and selected for city-wide reading in Washington D.C., while The Vain Conversation was designated a must-read by the Georgia Center for the Book in 2018.

Scientific Awards & Fellowships:

• Lillian Smith Prize for Fiction (2 wins)
• Hurston-Wright Legacy Award finalist
• Yaddo Fellowship
• Bread Loaf Fellowship
• NEA Fellowship
• Fulbright Fellowship

As program director, he oversees curriculum development and academic advising for graduate students in professional writing, while maintaining an active creative practice through publications in journals and anthologies internationally.