Austin SCBWI Annual Conference Wrap-up

If you write kids' books here in Austin and you weren't at the annual SCBWI conference this past weekend, um...okay, I'll say you. You seriously missed out. It was an amazing conference with amazing people giving amazing talks and making amazing conversation. From the cocktail party Friday night (which had some of the most breathtaking readings I've heard in my life) to the all-day Saturday event filled with small-group intensives, critiques, and keynotes that will never be forgotten, we here in Austin know how to throw one amazing conference!

I'll do my best to tell it with pictures.

Egmont publisher Elizabeth Law with Bethany Hegedus, author of TRUTH WITH A CAPITAL T (Delacorte, 2010)


Austin authors E. Kristin Anderson and Jessica Lee Anderson (author of BORDER CROSSING (Milkweed, 2009)) with Houston author Melissa Buron. I'll see Melissa again in April at the Houston SCBWI conference!


Chris Barton, author of SHARK VS. TRAIN (Little, Brown, 2010) with fantastic editor Arthur Levine (who is now also an author! Check out his brand new picture book MONDAY IS ONE DAY (Scholastic, 2011)



Okay, the font thing again. I wrote Arthur's name on the board in monster letters.


K. A. Holt, author of BRAINS FOR LUNCH (Roaring Brook, 2010), and Jenny Ziegler, author of the upcoming SASS AND SERENDIPITY (Delacorte, July 2011)


Houston author Joy Preble, author of DREAMING ANASTASIA (Sourcebooks, 2010) and HAUNTED (Sourcebooks, 2011)


Austin author Gene Brenek (who always makes any event more fun!)


Jessica Lee Anderson and Me


Super Agent Emily van Beek, Kathy Nuzum (from Longmont, Colorado), and Austin author Nikki Loftin


Jessica Lee Anderson, Stephen Roxburgh, editor of Namelos, and K. A. Holt (with E. Kristin Anderson in the background)


Amazing illustrator David Diaz, Carolyn Coman, author of the super-fantastic THE MEMORY BANK (Scholastic, 2010) (review coming soon!), and Chris Barton


Kimberly Willis Holt, author of THE WATER SEEKER (Holt, May 2010), and Austin author Jeanette Larson, author of HUMMINGBIRDS (Charlesbridge, 2011)


The geniuses behind MONDAY IS ONE DAY (Scholastic, 2011), illustrator Julian Hector and author/editor Arthur Levine

Our fantastic Austin SCBWI RA Debbie Gonzales with Stephen Roxburgh


Trinity Faegen, author of the upcoming THE MEPHISTO COVENANT (Egmont, September 27, 2011) with Egmont Publisher Elizabeth Law


Houston author Jenny Moss, author of SHADOW (Scholastic), with Jessica Lee Anderson


At the faculty dinner afterward...the chef of the best quesadilla I've even had in my life with Jessica Lee Anderson


The mirror I created for the silent auction

Mirror back

Until next year...