Central Chapter meeting June 10 with Sara Fujimura
The temperatures have really spiked up now that we are in June! Many of you may have left town, but Zoom is accessible from everywhere. Please join us on June 10 for our next meeting. Our speaker this month is Sara Fujimura, an award-winning writer of YA fiction. And please RSVP confirmations so I have an idea of attendance.
Fawzia Tung, Central Chapter Chair
Guest: Sara Fujimura, YA Author
Date: Wednesday, June 10
Time: 7 p.m. AZ time
Zoom: The link has been sent to members. Please let Fawzia know if you are attending or if you need to request the link from her. fawziamaitungwriter@gmail.com
Bio: Sara Fujimura (Foo-gee-moo-rah) is the American half of her bicultural Japanese-American family and spends about a month each year in Japan. She started as a journalist, so it is no surprise that Sara’s young adult books contain a lot of facts to go along with the fiction. Whether you want to know about Japan (TANABATA WISH), the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 (BREATHE), what it’s like to be an Olympic-caliber skater (EVERY REASON WE SHOULDN’T), or how unscripted television works (FAKING REALITY), Sara takes readers on swoony journeys to unusual places. She is a creative writing teacher and literacy advocate who is excited to support the next generation of authors. If you go to anime cons (PHX Nov, 2026), you may also see Sara as her alter ego, The Obento Lady. She is an active member of SCBWI and the Chicago-North Romance Writers.
EVERY REASON WE SHOULDN’T was named an NPR Best Book of 2020. BREATHE was named a finalist in the 2026 Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project.
Central Chapter Zoom meeting May 13 with Roger Naylor
Hello, everyone!
I’m looking forward to our next meeting on May 13, at 7:00 pm. I’m very happy to present this month’s speaker, Roger Naylor, who will discuss how to build an author brand.
Fawzia Tung, Central Chapter Director
Topic: Building an Author Brand with Roger Naylor
Date: Wednesday, April 13
Time: 7 p.m. AZ time
Zoom: Please respond to Fawzia (fawziamaitungwriter@gmail.com) to let her know you are interested in attending. She will email you the zoom link the day before the meeting.
TOPIC: Building an Author Brand by Roger Naylor
Roger Naylor, an Arizona author and travel writer, discusses building a strong unique brand to help authors carve out a path to success.
BIO: Roger Naylor is an award-winning Arizona author and a resident of Cottonwood for the past 30 years. He has been the freelance travel writer for the Arizona Republic since 2007. He was inducted into the Arizona Tourism Hall of Fame in 2018 and is the narrator of the Verde Canyon Railroad. Naylor’s work has also appeared in the USA Today, The Guardian, Country Magazine, Arizona Highways, Route 66 Magazine, and dozens more.
Roger Naylor has authored a dozen books including Arizona Boots and Burgers: A Guide for Hungry Hikers, Arizona Route 66 Road Trip, Arizona’s Scenic Roads and Hikes, Arizona National Parks and Monuments, Awesome Arizona: 200 Amazing Facts about the Grand Canyon State, Arizona State Parks, The Amazing Kolb Brothers of Grand Canyon, Arizona Kicks on Route 66, and Crazy for the Heat: Arizona Tales of Ghosts, Gumshoes, and Bigfoot. For more information, visit http://www.rogernaylor.com.
2026 Communications Contest At-large winners
APW did quite well in the At-large division of the NFPW 2026 Communications Contest. Affiliate states that do not have their own contest can enter the at-large division. Entries must have been published or broadcast between January 1 and December 31, 2025. This year there were 173 entries so a lot of competition! First place winners of the At-large and affiliate state contests go on to the national level competition. Sweepstakes award winners will be announced at the 2026 NFPW Conference in Maryland in September.
Severn APW members won awards for their submissions, including one member in two categories.
APW At-large Contest Winners
- Carol Baxter, 3rd: Writing – Books, Short Stories, Verse – Children’s Book – Fiction – Oblee Ollie Olee’s Roly-Poly Rally Race
- Dianne Beeaff, 2nd: Writing – Books, Short Stories, Verse – Nonfiction Book for Adult Readers – Autobiography or Memoir – Infinite Paradise, Witnessing the Wild
- Bobbie Bennett, 3rd: Writing – Books, Short Stories, Verse – Nonfiction Book for Adult Readers – Autobiography or Memoir – Widowhood: The Next Chapter, I’m Still Here-Now What?
- Jan Cleere, 3rd: Writing – Third Place – Books, Short Stories, Verse – Nonfiction Book for Adult Readers – Biography or History – 100 Western Women: The Bold, Brave, Gutsy Women of Arizona’s Past
- Marie Fasano, 3rd: Writing – Personality Profiles – 750 words or fewer – Wright Brothers Master Flight Award
- Marie Fasano, Honorable Mentions for Writing – News story – Print-based newspaper – Temporary Tower at Payson Airport and Writing – Feature Story – Print-based newspaper – Students Achieve the Gift of Flight
- Nancy Marshall, 2nd: Writing – Books, Short Stories, Verse – Nonfiction Book for Adult Readers – Biography or History – Six Who Stopped the Steal
- Fawzia Tung, Honorable Mention: Writing – Books, Short Stories, Verse – Nonfiction Book for Adult Readers – Autobiography or Memoir – Mirror in the Sand
Winners were recognized at the State Conference on April 25, 2026. Four of the winners were in attendance: Fawzia Tung, Nancy Marshall, Bobbie Bennett, Marie Fasano.
Welcome Fawzia Tung – new chapter chairperson
Fawzia Tung is our new Central Chapter Chairperson. Thank you for stepping up. We appreciate Susan Anderson’s many years of service!
A little about Fawzia:
Fawzia is a mother of 7 and grandmother of 11 (latest count), a retired psychiatrist, journalist and educator. She loves gardening and is growing a permaculture food forest in her front, side and back yard.
She has published a middle grade illustrated retold fairy tale, “The Wonderful Tale of Donkey Skin,” and Book 2 of her memoirs, “Mirror in the Sand.” Scheduled for publication this January (or February) are the second in the series of The May Fairy – “Little Jack and the Giants,” and Book 1 of her memoirs, “Rootless Orchid.”
Her website is FawziaMaiTung.com
Arizona Professional Writers 