Welcome to Friends of American Writers
Save The Date! FAW Literature Awards May 10, 2024, 12:00 noon at The Fortnightly of Chicago.
Adult Literature Awards
A.D. NAUMAN for Down the Steep (Regal House Publishing) $2,500
THAO THAI for Banyan Moon, (Mariner Books) $2,500
Young People's Literature Awards
JACK CHENG for The Many Masks of Andy Zhou, (Dial Books for Young Readers) $1,650
SONDRA SODERBORG for Sky Ropes, (Chronicle Books) $1,650
SHARI SWANSON for The Darling Duck of WWII, (Sleeping Bear Press) $1,650
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This month has been especially busy behind the scenes at FAW. The book award committees are reading and making their decisions about which authors will receive awards. This is the culmination of many, many pages read and much deliberation. The nomination committee is asking members to fill officer and director positions for next year. The treasurer is depositing and recording your donations to the Patrons Fund, which provides the awards to the authors. Finally, FAW officers are getting ready for the April luncheon which includes a brief annual meeting. Speaking of the annual meeting, members will vote on the new officers and directors for 2024-2025. Please attend the April luncheon because we need a quorum of at least 30 members.
Membership in FAW has held steady at around 100 members, but it is time to push for an increase. Thanks to those of you who bring guests to luncheons because this is the best way for us to grow. Almost every time I invite a guest, they join. So, if everyone brings a guest to the April and May luncheons, we could double our membership for next year.
Click HERE to donate to the Patrons Fund
☛ FAW Literature Committees Adult Literature Committee has selected our prize-winning books for 2024! Thanks to the leadership of Karen Pulver and Carrie Brenner, and the careful efforts of Committee members Tammie Bob, Adrienne Bornstein, Karen Burnett, Mary Robb Clark, Dale Davison, Ida Hagman, Kathy Katz, Diane Miller, Kim Swartz, and Barbara Smith, two outstanding books have emerged as winners.
Young People's Literature Committee Many thanks to the hard work of the Young People's Literature Committee. There were so many great books submitted.
Please plan on attending the Awards Luncheon on Friday May 10th to celebrate both the books and their authors.
☛ Calling All FAW Members The FAW Board Members plays an important role in making Friends of American Writers a premier literary organization. Our success depends on the volunteer work of our members to fill positions on the FAW board. We are looking for new members to volunteer to fill some positions on the board. Please call or email Christine Spatara or Ida Hagman if you are interested, or send an email to info@fawchicago.org.
☛ FAW Scholarship Award At the November meeting, Friends of American Writers presented a $3,000 scholarship to Alexandra Riseman, an MFA candidate studying English and creative writing at Columbia College Chicago.
Adult Literature Awards
KIRK W. JOHNSON for The Fishermen and the Dragon: Fear, Greed, and a Fight for Justice on the Gulf Coast (Viking) $2,500
TOYA WOLFE for Last Summer on State Street, (William Morrow) $2,500
Young People's Literature Awards
ANGELA JOY for Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement, (Roaring Brook Press) $1,650
XIXI TIAN for This Place Is Still Beautiful, (HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray) $1,650
LINDSAY S. ZRULL for Goth Girl, Queen of the Universe, (North Star Editions-Flux) $1,650
See the Friends of American Writers YouTube Channel for recordings of our virtual meetings.
Our mission shall be to encourage new, talented writers associated with the Midwest and to promote the arts, especially literature, among our members.
Friends of American Writers celebrated 100 years in 2022. Join FAW and help continue the mission of excellence in writing.
Friends of American Writers (FAW) was established in 1922 by Mrs. John Bohr of Oak Park and a group of literary minded women in the sixth district of the Illinois Federation of Women's Clubs. Friends of American Writers was legally organized on April 3, 1922 at the Oak Park Library with the purpose of specifically fostering good literature. The tradition of giving awards to outstanding contemporary writers began only seven months after the founding of FAW.
Over the years, FAW has honored and celebrated the accomplishments of many authors, by recognition at a Awards Luncheon and a monetary award. Among the many emerging adult authors recognized over the years are Sara Paretsky, Jane Smiley, Toni Morrison, Harry Mark Petrakis, Carl Sandburg, Kevin Fenton, Chad Harbach, Sara Gruen, Gillian Flynn, and Ruta Sepetys. We hope to see some of our new winners added to this list of outstanding and well recognized authors.
In 1960, FAW introduced awards for Juvenile Literature authors. Clifford Hicks won the first award for First Boy on the Moon. Recent winners range from delightful picture books to edgy YA novels.
Additionally, through the FAW Foundation Fund, students pursuing advanced degrees in writing are given recognition and cash awards to offset tuition.
FAW membership
Do you enjoy reading, writing, or supporting new writers who are starting their career? Join Friends of American Writers for one of our excellent programs at The Fortnightly of Chicago. Monthly meetings features a three-course luncheon and an interesting program. We hold a book group, Readers & Reviewers, which meets to discuss a selected novel. The Literary committees which select our award winning authors are always looking for new members to participate in the selection process. Membership for the full year is $50.00 . Download the membership application and send it in today. Our programs are open to members and their guests, but if you don't know a member and would enjoy trying a meeting, contact the Membership Chairman, and we can arrange for you to attend a meeting.
Membership Chairman:
Jennifer Zvi at info@fawchicago.org
Membership form (PDF file)
| President | Ida Hagman |
| Vice President | Karen Burnett |
| Secretary | Patti Smart |
| Treasurer | Diana Adams |
| Newsletter Editor | Tammie Bob |
| Foundation Fund Chair | Karen Burnett |
| Foundation Fund Trustees | Vivian Mortensen, Christine Spatara |
| Literature Awards | Karen Pulver/Carrie Brenner |
| Young People's Awards | Angela Gall |
| Luncheon - Social | Carol Eshaghy |
| Membership | Jennifer Zvi |
| Programs | Tammie Bob/Christine Spatara |
| Revisions | Ina Flink |
| Sustaining Clubs | Helene Madsen |
| Yearbook - Awards Program | Dale Davison |
| Website Manager | Karen Baker |
Board meetings are held at The Fortnightly at 10:30 a.m. the mornings of the luncheons.
We all love a good book. We also love our local book clubs! At the next meeting of your club, urge your members to consider becoming one of the Sustaining Clubs of Friends of American Writers. We have several local groups that are Sustaining Clubs.
The process of becoming a Sustaining Club is easy, and it costs only $50 per club per year.
Contact Helene Madsen at info@fawchicago.org for more information or download a membership form.
Bad Dog Book Club
The Woman's Reading Club of Riverside
