About the Payson Book Festival, Inc.

The Payson Book Festival, In.c. is brought to you by the Rim Country Chapter of Arizona Professional Writers (APW). It features appearances by authors from Rim Country and around Arizona. The book festival also features book signings and book sellers, projects for the kids, presentations, live music, and food available in the hotel & casino premises.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Payson Book Festival, Inc. is to enhance the love of reading by providing an environment that encourages personal interaction between readers and Arizona authors. Its goal is to promote literacy and showcase Arizona authors.

Presented By:

Rim Country Chapter of Arizona Professional Writers

Arizona Professional WritersAPW typing woman logo

Arizona Professional Writers (formerly Arizona Press Women) is a nonprofit organization of women and men who work as professional communicators, journalists, writers, novelists, poets, scriptwriters, editors, journalism teachers, photographers, film producers, freelancers, and public relations specialists. Through APW, members sharpen career skills, network with top professionals and enjoy the camaraderie of peers.

Arizona Press Women was founded in Flagstaff in 1953 by several women journalists  when female journalists were not allowed to join the Arizona Press Club. APW received its official charter in 1954 and soon afterwards became affiliated with the National Federation of Press Women (NFPW)

APW is currently organized by three Chapters: Southern Chapter in Tucson, Central Chapter in the Phoenix area and Rim Country Chapter in the Payson area.

The Rim Country Chapter was established in Payson in 2003. In addition to sponsoring the Payson Book Festival, Rim Country Chapter holds monthly virtual meetings on Zoom. Meetings feature speakers who are published writers or experts in other areas of professional communications, and opportunities to discuss and review members own books at meetings.

APW offers a college scholarship to a high school senior or college student who is planning to major in communications at an Arizona university or college, and the Chapter funds a scholarship for a student at the Payson campus of Gila Community College.

Today, APW members are women and men from many facets of communications. We are editors, newspaper reporters, television anchors, radio announcers, free-lance writers, public relations executives, scriptwriters, novelists, poets, video producers, photographers, educators, students, and managers of communications-related businesses.