Seminar: Children's and Young Adult Books

to be held on 21 October 2017 in the Auditorium at the Sandton Public Library

This seminar features a number of authors talking about the path to publication, both traditional and independent, about the power of dreams and hard work. It promises to be stimulating, thought-provoking and motivating.

Cost:               Early bird payment by 13 October: R100 SCBWI members, R200 non-members

At the door: R150 SCBWI members, R300 non-members

RSVP:            By 19 October to Jenny at SCBWI.SAGauteng@mweb.co.za

All welcome - members and non-members. This event is for illustrators and writers – aspiring and published.

Tea and coffee will be available but participants are asked to bring their own lunch boxes.

PROGRAMME

09:15       Welcome: A day away from adult concerns to one filled with children’s stories and young adult dreams - Jenny Hatton: writer of numerous textbooks, three children’s picture books published by Jacana Media and a play published by Junkets, editor of children’s fiction and non-fiction, organizer of SCBWI events in Gauteng and general plodder.

09:30       A fairy tale in Joan Rankin style - Joan Rankin: writer and illustrator of more than 100 books published nationally and internationally, awarded the HAUM Daan Retief Publishers Competition for Children’s Book Illustration in 1986, the Katrien Harries Award for Children’s Book Illustration in 1991 and 2009, the Oppenheimer Toy Portfolio Gold Award in 2003, the MER Award in 2011 and the Tienie Holloway Gold Medal for Children's Literature in 2012.

                Traditional publishing                       

10:00       Seeing yourself in the story: Writing a series for young people - Bontle Senne: a literacy advocate and writer of fiction for children and teenagers with two books published by Cover2Cover,  these part of an Afrocentric adventure/fantasy trilogy for 9-12-year-olds called Shadow Chasers, Army of Shadows and Lake of Memories.

10:45       Tea                                                       

11:00       Where to now: What happens after the first book has been published?            - Susie Dinneen, writer, thinker, doodler, picture lover, general nerd, reader and copy editor whose first book, Nombulelo and the Moth, was published by Puffin Books.

                Traditional and self-publishing      

11:45   Going hybrid: traditional publishing versus publishing my own books - Joanne Macgregor, a bird of many feathers, is a prolific writer of children’s and young adult books amongst which are two children’s picture books about Jemima Jones, three eco-warrior YA books published by Protea Books, six YA self-published books and even a book for adults, all this between counseling work as a psychologist.

12:30       Lunch                                                  

13:15       Don’t preach! Writing about serious topics for teens - Fiona Snykers, author of the Trinity series of novels, the Sisterz series of mobile phone novels commissioned by the Shuttleworth Foundation and  Now Following You, a thriller published by Modjaji Books, nominated for the Sunday Times Fiction Prize; also a reviewer of books for the Times and the Sunday Times

14:00       The marketing of self-published books: a tough exercise for a shy person - Damaria Senne, an activist, journalist, writer, communications specialist, blogger and publisher had her first story, The Doll That Grew, published in 1993 by Macmillan Boleswa but has also written educational materials, brochures, pamphlets, newsletter copy, website and blog content and established Storypot where she began to publish some of her content online independently and later established Damaria Senne Media.

14:45   Thanks

Exclusive Books IBBY SA Award for the best picture book of 2013 and 2014

Fiona Moodie’s Noko and the Kool Kats (Tafelberg) has been announced as the winner of the 5^th Exclusive Books IBBY SA award -  for the best picture book of the past two years (2013 and 2014).   In the words of the jury, “It’s a witty and engaging tale, seamlessly accompanied by illustrations that are deceptively simple, their spontaneity underpinned by a keen eye and fine sensibility. The likeable and down-to earth character of Noko the porcupine is hilariously offset by the spoilt and egotistical Kool Kats. The generous scale of the book contributes a great deal to its appeal.  This is a notable contribution to picture books that celebrate our home in Africa.”

 The two runners-up are also wonderful examples of high quality South African children’s literature:

• Wendy Hartmann and Joan Rankin’s   Sisi goes to school and other stories (H&R 2013) is described by the jury as “ a delightful compilation of story and rhyme, filled with warmth, love and friendship.  Joan Rankin’s watercolour illustrations are astonishingly beautiful and create the right atmosphere of gentleness and charm.”
• According to the jury, in Dianne Hofmeyr and Piet Grobler’s  The name of the tree is Bojabi (H&R, 2013), “Piet Grobler creates in his illustrations a humorous but real world inhabited by the animals of Africa. The story has a repetitive element which makes it wonderfully suitable for storytelling, and children will enjoy the playful names and rhymes.”

Warm congratulations and thanks to the books' publishing teams.  They are books to be proud of.  

IBBY South Africa is grateful to Exclusive Books for generously partnering us in this award - and for hosting yesterday's celebratory brunch.    

Genevieve Hart - IBBY SA Chairperson