Over the past year or so when I turned mum, I’ve pressed the pause button on things which consume too much time away from Caleb.
Writing commissioned picture books has given me good time-outs after a day of singing “Wheels on the Bus” for the umpteenth time. But author visits to schools and any book promotions are currently on hold. I’ve also tuned out the student in me who likes attending writer’s conferences and workshops for now. Quiet afternoons browsing the shelves of bookstores and the library are a thing of the past.
But there’s one event on this year’s calender which I’m looking eagerly towards and it has everything to do with kids’ stuff.
The Asian Festival of Children’s Content. It has been growing bigger and better with each year. As it toddles into its 3rd year, the National Book Development Council of Singapore has created its 3rd competition – The SingTel Asian Picture Book Award – to give another leg up to aspiring authors as part of this Festival.
Running from 26th-29th May, AFCC 2012 will see four days of conferences: Asian Primary and Preschool Teacher’s Congress, Asian Parents Forum, Asian Children’s Writers and Illustrators Conference (ACWIC), Asian Children’s Media Summit.
I have been thumping through the programme, like a kid studying a Christmas toys catalogue, to decide the sessions that I will be attending. And as an author and mum to a toddler, I get to double-dip value-wise in many of the sessions.
At the Teacher’s Congress, the Mum in me will be interested to hear on “Using Picture Walks before Reading to Create a Context for Fluent Reading” by the Professional Emeritus of Education of Wheelock College, U.S. as well as hear from educator Julia Gabriel on “Developing Children’s Reading Confidence through Meaningful Phonics”.
At the Asian Parent’s Conference, I will be keen to attend the “Telling Stories, Building Bonds” workshop by Claire Chiang of Banyan Tree Resorts as she shares about her lifes choices in her recent memoir.
I’m of course most excited about the Asian Children’s Writers and Illustrators Conference and Asia Media summit. I shall be seriously spoilt for choice on which sessions to attend with the number of big name authors, illustrators and publishers speaking in concurrent sessions. Walker Books. Penguin Group. Hot Key Books (the new imprint started by the former Editor-in-Chief of Bloomsbury who published Harry Potter). Newbery Honour recipient Magarita Engle (the Author’s equivalent of the Grammy Awards). Internationally acclaimed bestselling illustrator Suzy Lee. The list goes on.
And I might even stand a chance of having the first page of my unpublished manuscript read at the critique session First Pages by these big names.
So, the babysitting arrangements have been made. My mum and Ben will take turns to watch Caleb so I can soak in the magic vibe emanating from Harry Potter’s former editor, rub shoulders with acclaimed international authors and illustrators and also speak on the “Local Authors, International Audience” panel during ACWIC with my fellow wordsmiths Shamini Flint and David Seow.
It’s going to be four full days of adult talk over seriously kid’s stuff. I won’t be singing “The Wheels on the Bus” there but I’ll certainly be all ears for all that kid’s talk.
The Asian Festival of Children’s Content programme and registration (for single day and full festival passes) is at http://www.afcc.com.sg.
Thank you so much, Emily, for this wonderfully informative post about the Asian Festival of Children’s Content. I know you will have a wonderful time taking part in what sounds like a conference that is jam-packed with super workshops and presentations.
I also wanted to thank you for putting me in touch with Mr. Rama, the director of this program. There is even a chance I might be able to come to the 2013 Festival…wouldn’t that be amazing?
By the way, did Show Me How arrive yet? I know that international mail can take quite a long time…I hope you will get in before your conference.
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