2023 Recipient of the Sustainable Arts Fellowship

Tonya Johnson has worked as a professional writer, editor, and journalist for more than 20 years. She is currently pursuing the completion of her first children’s picture book biography on the life of the late award-winning playwright August Wilson. As an aspiring children’s book author, she intends to educate young people (and the adults in their lives) about important historical figures. Her first book focuses on August Wilson’s self-determination to reach his goals in life and overcome obstacles. Johnson wants to contribute to the literary world efforts to create a wide variety of diverse books that represents the children who read them. She wants to uplift the next generation of readers by sharing a wider range of role models they may be unaware of. She also wants her future debut book to encourage children to keep writing.

Follow Tonya Johnson on Instagram @mychildrensbookjourney