On November 5, the Illinois chapter of the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) is having its annual conference, Prairie Writer’s and Illustrator’s Day. The one-day conference is held at the Wojcik Conference Center, at Harper College in Palatine, Illinois.
This conference contains valuable information for people who craft children’s books, with information about everything from picture book creators to middle grade and young adult. I was especially pleased to see that this year the conference includes a diverse group of faculty – agents, editors, writers and illustrators. Details on the faculty are available here: https://illinois.scbwi.org/event-pwid2016/test-faculty/
You can find out more about PWID at https://illinois.scbwi.org/events/pwid2016/
I think it is important that more diverse authors and illustrators attend these kinds of conference. Therefore, I have decided to mark this event and the sterling faculty by offering to pay the base conference tuition for a diverse author or illustrator to allow them to attend the conference. This is an opportunity to meet and greet with publishing professionals, learn from other writers and illustrators, and to have manuscripts and/or art portfolios seen by editors and agents, bypassing the slush pile.
The scholarship is available to first time attendees and will pay tuition. You do not have to be an SCBWI member to win or to attend PWID.
If you would like to attend Prairie Writer’s and Illustrator’s Day on November 5, but cannot do so due to economic constraints, fill in the form below to be considered for this scholarship. Applications must be submitted by Saturday, August 27, 2016.
The scholarship winner will be notified by August 30.
PWID registration opens on Sept 1 at noon.