Conference 2009
The 1st Annual Scarlet and Gray
Writers & Illustrators Conference
On Saturday, October 3, 2009
University Plaza Hotel and Conference Center
3110 Olentangy River Road
Columbus, OH 43202
http://www.universityplazaosu.com/
*We have a block of rooms reserved for $99/night, plus tax
Conference Speakers:
Erin
Murphy Literary Agency, founded in 1999, represents authors and
author-illustrators of works for children, middle graders, and young
adults, focusing primarily on novels and picture books.
For more information, please read
Ruta Rimas, Associate Editor at Balzer &
Bray (Harper Collins). Ruta Rimas joined HarperCollins
Children's Books in 2007, after a three year stint teaching algebra
and geometry to teenagers. She has a wide range of what books she
likes: from snarky (á la Lemony Snickett) to thriller sci-fi (Gone
by Michael Grant) to poignant (Jerry
Spinelli) to intelligent (The Disreputable History of
Frankie Landau-Banks). Some of her picture book favorites
include: Little Pea (Amy Krouse Rosenthal (Author), Jen
Corace (Illustrator)); Not a Box
(Antoinette Portis); Mo Willems; Bob
Shea; Kate & Jim McMullan; and Kevin Henkes.
As part of the Balzer & Bray team, she is looking to acquire fresh,
exciting, and fabulous talent. Originally from
Kaylan Adair, Associate Editor at Candlewick Press in Somerville, Massachusetts. Kaylan acquires everything from picture books through upper YA, although she specializes in middle-grade and young-adult fiction. Among the projects she's edited are the YA novels DOWN SAND MOUNTAIN by Steve Watkins and SWIM THE FLY by Don Calame, and the early reader SQUIRREL'S WORLD by Lisa Moser, illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev. She is the American editor of the YA novel THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO by Patrick Ness, winner of the 2008 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and the Booktrust Teenage Prize. Previously, she was the American editor of the Maisy books by Lucy Cousins. Kaylan is looking for fresh, original voices and compelling stories. She loves characters with a lot of heart, whether the story itself is humorous, quiet, sad, or gritty. She tends to shy away from poetry, non-fiction, sci-fi, and fantasy.
Cinda Chima, author, began writing romance novels in middle school, which were often confiscated by her English teacher. Her first published novel is The Warrior Heir, a modern young adult fantasy set in Ohio (Hyperion, 2006). A sequel, The Wizard Heir, was released in May, 2007, and her third novel, The Dragon Heir, was published in August, 2008.
The Heir series has appeared on The New York Times best-seller list, and The Dragon Heir on the USA Today and Indie Bestseller lists.
Chima has contracted with Disney-Hyperion Book Group for a new fantasy trilogy. The first book, The Demon King, is set to release in fall, 2009.
Chima lives in Ohio with her family, and is always working on her next novel. For more information, please visit
www.cindachima.com
A former classroom teacher,
Shelley Pearsall now writes popular books for middle grade and teen readers. Her topics range from the Underground Railroad to Elvis Presley. Ms. Pearsall's first novel, Trouble Don't Last (Knopf), received the 2003 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction among other honors. Her first contemporary novel, All of the Above (Little, Brown & Co.) was a 2007 ALA Notable selection. Other titles include Crooked River and All Shook Up, both published by Random House. Ms. Pearsall has been a Children's Writer in Residence at the James Thurber House in Columbus, Ohio and she visits more than 30 schools and libraries each year as a guest speaker and writing workshop presenter. Her website is
www.shelleypearsall.com.
Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, author, considers herself a teacher first. She is a Literacy Coach at Endeavor Elementary School in West Chester, Ohio, part of the same district where she grew up. A proud alumni of The Ohio State University, she majored in special education, and received her master's degree in reading from Miami University of Ohio. In addition to writing poetry and novels for children, Tracie’s creates teacher guides, book club guides and curricula which are sought after by both award-winning authors and publishers. Tracie is a dynamic speaker who inspires students and adults to read widely and to explore the magic of writing for themselves. Her novels include The Floating Circus, 42 Miles, Reaching for the Sun, Sketches from a Spy Tree and the upcoming poetry book, Steady Hands: Poems about work. For more information, please visit
www.tracievaughnzimmer.com