About Me.
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Tonya Richardson is an award-winning writer, powerful storyteller, and dedicated literacy advocate with a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Writing from Georgia Southern University. For Tonya, writing is a necessity that feels like breathing.
Her path to becoming a writer began in 4th grade, when, on a last-minute whim, she entered a writing contest. Finding refuge and belonging in books and the library, she wrote and won the competition—an achievement that led her father to buy her a second-hand typewriter. That small victory solidified her life purpose. As a writer, she seeks to make sense of life's complexities, distilling joy and pain onto the page to create meaning. She feels an abiding duty to shape experiences into stories, hoping her words might help someone who hasn’t yet found their voice. For over two decades, Tonya honed her expertise in structure and clarity, working in high-level editorial and gatekeeping roles that instilled a rigorous attention to detail in every word she writes. Drawing inspiration from her personal battles with Triple Negative breast cancer, Tonya published her self-published fiction novel, Life, Perfection & Happily Ever After…Interrupted. She later shared a powerful, non-fiction piece, “An Open Letter to My Children,” published in Conquer Magazine. A proud Georgia native, she lives with her husband and children. When Tonya is not writing, she enjoys antiquing or diving into a good book with a cup of coffee and a brood of furbabies at her side. . EDUCATION
Georgia Southern University, Bachelor's of Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Writing, Justice Studies, and Sociology AWARDS / RECOGNITION
John Lewis Writing Award (2025) First Place Grant Recipient -“A Strong Family History” www.georgiawriters.org/john-lewis-writing-award George Brannen Non-Fiction Writing Award (2016) First Place Winner | “Saints’ Row” |