Saturday, January 25, 2014

SCBWI Japan Writers Day

(via Holly Thompson, SCBWI Japan Regional Advisor)

Saturday, February 22, 2014
SCBWI Japan Writers’ Day featuring
Jazz it Up! Writing Today for Children and Young Adults

Time:   Saturday, February 22, 2014, 9:00-4:00
Place:   Yokohama International School, Middle Building (Inge Building), Cafeteria—enter via Playground Entrance (for access info and maps visit www.yis.ac.jp)
Fees:   
Critique plus event (payment required in advance): 5,000 yen SCBWI members; 7,000 yen nonmembers
Critique only (payment required in advance): 4,000 yen members; 5,000 yen nonmembers
Event only (payment at the door): 3,000 yen members; 5,000 yen nonmembers
Reservations: Distance Critique manuscript submission deadline is Feb. 1, to register send an email to japan (at) scbwi.org as explained below. For event only reservations email japan (at) scbwi.org by Feb. 20.

This event will be in English.

February 22 Event Schedule (to be updated with further details)
Distance Critiques—Receive, React, Revise
Participants who paid for Distance Critiques will receive their written critiques back, react to them in a structured and supportive environment, then determine steps for revision. Open to all; for those who did not pay for critiques, writing prompts and other activities will be available. See further information below for Distance Critiques (manuscripts due February 5).

Andrea Davis Pinkney: The Write Stuff--An Author and Publisher Shares Trade Secrets for Crafting Works of Nonfiction and Historical Fiction for Children and Young Adults Andrea Davis Pinkney, author and editor, is preparing a pre-recorded talk for SCBWI Japan including Q&A on writing biography and/or historical fiction.

Five Things Learned Along the Way to Publication Every journey to publication comes with a learning curve. A panel of published authors will share some of their most important take-aways from their recent publication journeys. Panelists to be announced.

Comic-Book Writing with Sean Michael Wilson Sean Michael Wilson will share the basic steps involved in writing a graphic novel or manga including plot, script, description lines, dialogue, captions, panel and page layout using Sean’s comic book, The 47 Ronin (copies to be loaned for the session; optional purchase). In a collaborative activity section, groups will create a 1 or 2 page comic (in rough sketch style), based a set theme. We’ll end on a discussion/ question and answer section.
                                                    
School Visits with Wouter Laleman, Elementary School Librarian, American School in Japan What makes a great school visit? What elements are essential? What can authors, illustrators and translators do to create great programs? Wouter Laleman, ASIJ Elementary Librarian has hosted many authors and illustrators and will share tips and tales.


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Distance Critiques
 
Distance Critique Opportunity Distance critiques are available with a choice of either Anna Olswanger, Agent, Liza Dawson Associates, or Andrea Welch, Senior Editor, Beach Lane Books.

To register for a distance critique, send an email to japan (at) scbwi.jp with your full name, agent or editor preference for your distance critique, and type of work—e.g. picture book text, picture book dummy, middle-grade novel opening, young adult novel opening, J-E translation/ category. Instructions will be emailed to you.

Materials for critique must be submitted to SCBWI Japan by February 5 according to guidelines received after registration. Materials will be sent electronically to the editor/agent who will provide a written critique for each work. The written critiques will be distributed at the February 22 event which will focus on receiving and reacting to critiques and planning revisions for our creative work. Payment is also due on February 5.

SCBWI Japan members who cannot attend the February 22 event may register for a critique to be delivered electronically after the February 22 event; there is no critique discount for those not attending the February event.

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Speaker Bios (to be updated and additional speaker bios added)

Wouter Laleman is the Elementary School Librarian at the American School in Japan in Tokyo.

Anna Olswanger has been a literary agent at Liza Dawson Associates since 2005. She specializes in illustrated work, both fiction and nonfiction, for young readers and adults. She has sold to Balzer & Bray, Bloomsbury, Boyds Mills Press, Chronicle, Cinco Puntos, Delacorte, Dial, Eerdmans, Greenwillow, Houghton Mifflin, McElderry, Pelican, Penguin Classics, Pomegranate, Random House, and Sleeping Bear Press, among others. Anna enjoys discovering new authors and illustrators. She is looking for "voice," the sound and rhythm of an author that could be no one else's, and has a special interest in Judaica, well-researched historical fiction, and animal stories. 

She is the author of Shlemiel Crooks, a Sydney Taylor Honor Book and PJ Library Book, and Greenhorn, which is currently in film development.


Andrea Davis Pinkney is a New York Times best-selling writer of more than 30 books for children and young adults including picture books, novels and nonfiction. Pinkney is also Vice President, Executive Editor at Scholastic. During the course of her career, Pinkney has launched many high-profile publishing and entertainment entities, including Hyperion Books for Children/Disney Publishing’s Jump at the Sun imprint, the first African American children’s book imprint at a major publishing company.

Andrea Welch is a Senior Editor at Beach Lane Books, a San Diego-based imprint of Simon & Schuster. She has the pleasure of working with a long list of wonderful authors and illustrators, including Douglas Florian, Robert Neubecker, and Angela DiTerlizzi. Recent books she has edited include the New York Times bestselling LMNO Peas by Keith Baker,Baby Bear Sees Blue by Ashley Wolff, and the Brownie & Pearl series by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Brian Biggs. Andrea acquires projects for children of all ages—especially those that are filled with heart, humor, and irresistible characters.

Sean Michael Wilson, from Scotland, is a professional manga writer living in Japan. He has had many books published in the US, UK and Japan, such as an adaptation of ‘A Christmas Carol’ (Sunday Times ‘Best of 2008’),  ‘The Book of Five Rings’(Shambhala Publications) and ‘The 47 Ronin’ (Kodansha). He is also the editor of the critically acclaimed 'AX:alternative manga' (in Publishers Weekly’s 'Best ten books of 2010').