Phoenix Writer’s Club through the years (clockwise from top left): Daisy Long and another member, ca. 1955; Members join Governor McFarland to recognize National Poetry Day, ca. 1955 (The Arizona Republic); Members attend the Midtown Book Fair; Member Mrs. W. P. Moore (Francis Adams Moore), ca. 1930s; Member Mrs. Jay Hyde, ca. 1935 (The Arizona Republic); and Member Idah Meacham, ca. early 1900s (photos courtesy of Phoenix Writer’s Club).
In 1926, the city of Phoenix was roughly 5 square miles; its skyline was dominated by the Heard Building – completed in 1920 and home to The Arizona Republican and the Phoenix Gazette – and the Luhrs Building, the tallest building in the city once complete in 1924. The 1926 re-routing of the Southern Pacific Railroad’s main line through Phoenix was a key factor in the city’s growth, Sky Harbor airport would come along just three years later, and downtown and the greater Phoenix area was fast becoming a tourism destination.
Phoenix was a city of some 35,000-40,000 people and housing was beginning to push beyond the McDowell Road city limit as Encanto-Palmcroft, Willo and other “suburb” communities were being built. The city was booming. And it was this backdrop that set the stage for a feisty group of women journalists who, after being denied entry to the Arizona Press Club because of their gender, founded the Phoenix Writers Club (PWC).
The club tells the story of Gertrude Bryan Leeper, its first president. She was the feature and women’s editor at the Phoenix Evening Gazette. When she faced a closed door at the press club, she “saw the exclusion for what it was,” one PWC club member wrote, “And instead of knocking on that locked door forever, she built her own house.”
Fast forward to 2026, and the club, with its current roster of 100 members, is no longer just for women, nor just for journalists, but it still believes in its mission: to provide a space where writers and readers can join together, discuss and grow their skills and knowledge in the craft of writing. And this month, the club will host a Centennial Celebration that honors its roots and recognizes 100 years of “Writers helping Writers.”
Board members of the Phoenix Writers Club include (L-R): Beth Johnson, secretary; Ilsa Manning, social media; Navissa Kaiser, treasurer; Cindi Reiss, president and membership chair; and D’Anne Pientka, newsletter / critique group (submitted photo).
“As president of Phoenix Writers Club, it is a joy to celebrate 100 years of ‘writers helping writers,’” club president Cindi Riess told us. “In my 22 years as a member, I have had the pleasure of meeting hundreds of writers from all genres. I have been mentored by the best and have grown with every writer I met.”
The event, scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 12, from 4 to 7 p.m. at North Mountain Visitor Center, 12950 N. 7th St., will celebrate the “witty Western women who found a peaceful way to promote creativity and camaraderie in the face of adversity, demonstrating tremendous pioneering spirit in establishing a space for writers,” organizers said.
“Our club, founded by women, is a testament to the bonds women and men form as they learn, grow and share their stories,” Riess added. “I am honored to serve as president and follow in the footsteps of determined, insightful women who were not only writers, but pillars of the community.”
Creativity and camaraderie have been the foundational elements for the club, and that continues today, says Ilsa Manning. She has been a member of the club since 2013. She began by volunteering to handle social media for the club and serves on the board today. It was a search for community that first drew her to the club.
“I had recently moved back to Phoenix,” she recalled, “and I finally had the courage to say ‘I’m a writer,’ and I needed that community and support.”
The club meets on the third Saturday of the month at North Mountain Visitor Center, and welcomes writers of every genre, and since the 1990s every gender, to join them – regardless of whether they are experienced or just beginning their writing journey, Manning said.
“You walk in to our meetings and everybody is there because they are interested in writing, and they have that creative spirit.”
Beyond the monthly meetings, the club hosts writing contests, twice-monthly critique groups and publishes a literary magazine, among other endeavors. And they still lean in to that pioneering spirit of bringing people together to pursue and support shared interests.
“We are just a ragtag group from all these different backgrounds that have this passion for writing and creativity,” Manning said, “and we strive to support that in one another while achieving our goals is as writers and creators…and everybody’s welcome.”
Visit www.phoenixwritersclub.com to learn more about the club or to purchase tickets to the Centennial Celebration.
