Are you a children’s literature writer or interested in becoming one? Hurry and apply for this conference organized by Kweli.

 

Kweli’s annual Color of Children’s Literature Conference is designed to help emerging writers hone their craft, introduce them to established authors willing to share their experiences and expertise, and connect them with editors, agents and publishers who can introduce their art to the world.

Over the years, dozens of writers—including Angeline Boulley, Jerry Craft, Traci Huahn, Anna Lapera, Andrea L. Rogers, and Brian Lee Young—met their agents or editors at Kweli. #KWELI24 may be your opportunity to do the same.

 

Their 2024 conference will offer three(3) day-long, in-person sessions at the Teachers College, Columbia University:

 

•  On Friday, April 19, there will be in-person masterclasses on picture books, chapter books, speculative fiction, YA revision, and poetry/novel in verse.
• Saturday, April 20 in-person sessions provide in-depth craft workshops on plot points, biography in verse, strong scenes which end in a shift in character or circumstance, collaborating with an agent or editor, horror writing, and more.

Keynotes will be delivered by the incomparable Jason Reynolds (recipient of a Carnegie Medal, Newbery Honor, A Printz Honor, and NAACP Image Award, among others), the sensational Amina Luqman-Dawson (winner of the 2023 John Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award), the award winning poet Safia Elhillo (longlisted for the National Book Award, received an Arab American Book Award and a Coretta Scott King Author Honor) and the amazing debut author and Kweli alumna, Autumn Allen (whose novel was a Kirkus Reviews Best YA Books in 2023).

• Sunday, April 21 in-person programing includes discussions on the business of publishing, illustrated books, marketing, science fiction and fantasy, and more.

 

How to Apply for the Color of Children’s Literature Conference

Kweli is pleased to say that for the first time since 2019, the entire conference weekend will be IN-PERSON. For those who cannot join them in person or want to keep the learning going, they will be offering virtual programming post-conference weekend!

 

They are also using Eventbrite for registration. You will be able to purchase just the Conference Weekend OR the Conference Weekend + Manuscript Critique. After you select your ticket type, you can add a masterclass. However, you can NOT purchase a masterclass without a conference weekend ticket.

• Conference Weekend: Saturday and Sunday (INPERSON)

$225

 

• Critique Sessions (INPERSON OR VIRTUAL)

$50.00

This is to be purchased when you register for the conference weekend.

You can NOT register for a critique alone.

 

All registration must be done through the official registration link. Kweli advises you to read and answer the questions carefully. But if you make mistakes, contact Chantel Kelly at events@kwelijournal.org as soon as possible. For more information about the colours of children’s literature conference, visit the Kweli Journal X (FKA Twitter) Page.

If you are interested in other conferences and workshops, then check out the open Cassava Press Nonfiction Workshop.