Josh Poole Co-Authors Fantasy Novel, ‘The Shards of Acrilon’ Poole’s book will be launched with a book signing at Downtown Books on Sept.22.

By Brian Laubscher
September 15, 2026

Josh Poole, copy services assistant at Washington and Lee University, recently co-authored a book set to be published by Batteau Books.

Poole’s fantasy novel, “The Shards of Acrilon,” was co-written with Travis Wellman and releases this month. A book launch will be held at Downtown Books from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22.

The book is set in a cursed world where all memories of the dead fade from consciousness for everyone except Quinn Vesper. Vesper is the sole person who can remember the dead and see spirits, forcing them to navigate a haunted and broken world in their journey to free everyone from the curse of losing memories of the dead. The fantasy tale spans 332 pages where Vesper must tackle a world of monsters and magic, where nothing is as simple as it seems.

A member of the W&L community since 2016, Poole is an author, podcaster and visual artist who has published numerous short stories and poetry collections. His short stories have appeared on The NoSleep Podcast, Creepy Podcast and Thirteen Podcast, among others.

Poole won the Sejong Cultural Society’s 2023 Sejong Writing Competition in Korean poetry, and his artwork made of recycled installations has been exhibited at the Shenandoah Valley Art Center. He is also the cartoonist for the Rockbridge Advocate and a contributor to Air Mail magazine.

If you know a W&L faculty member who has done great, accolade-worthy things, tell us about them! Nominate them for an accolade.