SCBWI Virtual Summer Conference

It's OFFICIAL!

The 2026 Virtual Summer Conference has been announced! The conference will be July 31st through August 2nd! 

Logo by John Hendrix

And even more exciting news! The keynote speakers for this year's event will be none other than Pam Muñoz Ryan and Brian Selznick! Check out their bios below!

Born and raised in Bakersfield, California, Pam Muñoz Ryan is an "American author and the 2026 U.S. nominee for the international Hans Christian Andersen Award. She is the author of ECHO, a Newbery Honor book and the recipient of the Kirkus Prize. She has written over forty books, including the novels ESPERANZA RISING, BECOMING NAOMI LEÓN, RIDING FREEDOM, PAINT THE WIND, THE DREAMER, ECHO, and Mañanaland. She is the author recipient of the National Education Association’s Civil and Human Rights Award, the Virginia Hamilton Literary Award for Multicultural Literature, and is twice the recipient of the Pura Belpré Medal and the Willa Cather Award."

"Honors include the PEN USA Award, the Américas Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, and the Orbis Pictus Award."

To read more on Pam Muñoz Ryan, visit her website HERE!

Brian Selznick is an award winning author and illustrator of many books for children and young adults, including The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Run Away With Me, Wonderstuck, Big Tree and many, many more. 

"To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the beloved Harry Potter series, Brian created new covers and a box for all seven books."

"Other books include The Marvels, The Doll People trilogy by Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin, The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley and Amelia and Eleanor Go For a Ride by Pam Muñoz Ryan."

His work ranging from novels to short stories to works on the big stage, Brian has "written the story for a new version of The Nutcracker at the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago, choreographed by Tony Award winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon (An American In Paris). Brian has worked professionally as a puppeteer with Basil Twist, and he’s created three toy theater pieces directed by Dan Hurlin."

To read more on Brian Selznick, visit his website HERE

The SCBWI 50th Anniversary Summer Conference Begins Online Tomorrow! (With Pre-Conference Intensives Today)

 

Inspiration, information, and expertise will be shared by over 100 conference faculty...

Check out the full schedule, and the list of faculty, here.

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

More From BookExpo America

Here's more from the whirlwind book-o-rama of BEA. Aaron Hartzler, (SCBWI Director of Communications) and were I running our legs off meeting up with some of our favorite editors and agents--many of whom are coming to the 2010 Summer Conference in July. (Okay, I was running mainly to keep up with Aaron who has long legs, is a foot taller than I am, and can part a crowd like Moses at an ocean.) At SCBWI we work hard to keep in in touch with top editors and agents in the industry at events like BEA, so we can bring them to you at our terrific conferences. 

Here's the round-up:

Ari Lewen, Senior Editor at Disney/Hyperion (right) will be doing critiques and workshops at the summer conferece. We ran into her with Inara Scott (left),author of the DELCROIX ACADEMY books. Book One: The Candidates drops on August 24th.

We ran into Francesco Sedita author AND Publisher of Grosset and Dunlap, and Price Stern Sloan, two children’s imprints at the Penguin Young Readers Group. He told us about a great new series he has coming out: FRANKLY FRANNIE by A.J. Stern. The series is about a little girl who wants an office job, and debuts today! Be sure to catch Francesco's workshop on seies fiction this year at the summer conference!

Publisher Elizabeth Law was holding court at the Egmont booth where she gave us the scoop on the forthcoming titles:

• THE INVISIBLE ORDER, the first in a new series by Paul Crilley.
• VIRGIN TERRITORY the second novel by The Trevor Project founder James Lecesne.
• MIDDLE WORLD the first of the Jaguar Stones series by J&P Voelkel.
• Vordak the Incomprehensible's HOW TO GROW UP AND RULE THE WORLD

And just then, Vordak the Incomprehensible (aka Nico Medina) happened to wander by...

 

At the Random House booth we chatted with Delacorte Executive Editor Wendy Loggia who just nabbed Tyra Banks' Young Adult series MODELLAND due out in summer 2011.

Also at the Random House booth, author James Dashner (left), here with his agent Michael Bourret, was signing teaser chapters of THE SCORCH TRIALS the forthcoming sequel to his his debut book THE MAZE RUNNER. Be sure to catch Michael Bourret's workshop on Monday, August 2nd at the summer conference. He'll be talking with his author Jill S. Alexander about being ready for the publishing process once your manuscript is accepted by an editor.

Summer Conference Opportunites for Illustrators & Published SCBWI Members

Registration for the 39th Annual SCBWI Summer Conference is well under way and there are a few great opportunities still available for both illustrators and SCBWI members who are published or have books under contract. These classes and tracks offer specialized instruction with great teachers and are a steal at $100. Check them out (and if you're interested, act fast).

FOR ILLUSTRATORS there are still a limited number of spaces open in two pretty awesome Master Classes:

Writing and Illustrating Children's Graphic Novels, with Mac McCool

Mac McCool freelanced for a decade for the likes of Disney and currently teaches illustration and sequential art at Cal State, Fullerton. His class, which has a couple of homework assignments that much be completed prior to attending, helps those interested in creating graphic novel to expand their stills, sharpen dialog, create great characters (over and over) and more. The class is also open to writers, too, and participants will both write and illustrate, even if one is not their forte. Click here for more information and to register.

Pushing Pixels: Picture Book Illustration in the Digital Age, with William Low
William Low has been working as an award winning painter and illustrator for more than 23 years with a long list of impressive clients, and is the author of, among others, MACHINES GO TO WORK (2009) and the upcoming CITY MACHINES GO TO WORK (2011). His class offers hands-on instruction in digital techniques (check out this video) that will teach illustrators how to create digital art that doesn't look so, well, digital! (No cold, flat, computer-y looking images here.) Participant requirements include a laptop and Adobe Photoshop. Click here for more information and to register.


PUBLISHED SCBWI MEMBERS can still registers for the Summer Conference Pro Track with special sessions and events just for them:

Pro Track Series Luncheon & Book Sale

Participants in this track must be P.A.L. SCBWI members, that is they must have a book under contract with, or published by, a publisher listed on one of the the SCBWI Market Surveys. There are eight targeted courses offered (including a couple of sessions with yours truly), plus Friday’s lunch for PROtrack attendees offering a tasty conversation on “Staying Afloat Financially.” PROtrack conference-goers also have the opportunity to sell their book in the PROtrack Bookstore at Friday night’s wine & cheese reception honoring published attendees. And in addition Website Consultation, Author Photo, or SCBWI.org “Find A Speaker” Video Shoot options are also available. Click here for more information and to register.

Welcome to My New Blog

Waving hello now...

After blogging for four years as editor of Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market (a position I just left), next week I'll begin blogging full force for SCBWI! (Please pardon our dust--we're still under construction.)

This blog will be similar to my last--but more so. I'll post a little more frequently and include more SCBWI news. And, as a member of SCBWI TEAM BLOG, you'll find pre-conference news and interviews here as well (leading up to the Annual Summer Conference which starts July 30th. Click here to register.)

Here are a few things I'll be doing regularly on my SCBWI blog:

• Interviewing editors and agents
• Featuring SCBWI success stories/debut authors and illustrators
• Highlighting great industry blogs
• Featuring markets/new markets/new imprints
• Getting your questions answered by industry experts
• Reporting on SCBWI news and events
• Hosting writers stopping by on blog tours
• Sharing my favorite tweets for children's writers
• Offering general publishing news
• And more!

Now here's what I'd like from you:

• If you followed my old blog, please follow my new one, too!
• If you're a debut author or illustrator--especially if SCBWI had a part in your success--I'd love to hear from you.
• If you have publishing-related questions you'd like answered here, let me know.
• If you're embarking on a blog tour and would like to stop by, drop me a note.
• If there's a particular editor or agent you'd like to see featured, I'll take requests.

You can email me at: alicepope@scbwi.org

Now I'm going to take a few days to gear up. (I just left my job of 18 years--a girl deserves a few days...)

Come back Monday, May 10th when Alice Pope's SCBWI Children's Market Blog officially kicks off. (There might be cake. And fanfare.)