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CONFERENCE

Nov 09, 2024

UCL - 20 BEDFORD WAY, LONDON, WC1H 0DS

Come and join us at the SCBWI British Isles conference in London! Children’s book creators at all levels will find unique opportunities to meet and network with industry professionals and fellow creatives at our vibrant in-person event. This is NOT a free event! Once Bookings Open, please BUY YOUR TICKET below to secure your place for the conference, including lunch and evening networking event. Programme subject to change without forward notice. NO REFUNDS.

Book by 15th October and get the chance to win a free ticket!

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GET YOUR TICKETS

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Conference Programme

Author Keynote

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Joseph Coelho

Joseph Coelho is the former Waterstones Children’s Laureate. Having attended a performance poetry course run by Apples & Snakes, Joseph started performing his poems in schools and running writing workshops for students. His first collection, The Werewolf Club Rules was published in 2014 and Joseph has been writing and performing ever since. Recent titles include the Fairytales Gone Bad series, Luna Loves Gardening, Our Tower, Ten Word Tiny Tales and the Carnegie-winning novel, The Boy Lost in the Maze.

Illustrator Keynote

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Helen Stephens

Helen Stephens is an award winning author and illustrator, best known for her 'How to Hide a Lion' series. She is Co-founder of The Good Ship Illustration who offer no nonsense advice for illustrators. 'How to Hide a Lion' was nominated for The Kate Greenaway Medal and The Redhouse Book Awards. It has been adapted for stage by The Polka Theatre in London, then it toured the UK. Helen’s most recent book, 'Smelly Peggy' is about her dog Peggy and all her bad habits.

Conference Speakers

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Ken Wilson-Max

Ken Wilson-Max is an award-winning author, illustrator, and publisher of children’s books. He was born in Zimbabwe, lives in London and has over 75 books published in many languages worldwide. His distinctive style always manages to capture special moments between children and grown-ups and his books are full of good, authentic representation. In 2020 his book, Astro Girl won the STEAM award for early years picture books. Of his other books, Where's Lenny? was listed in 50 Best Culturally Diverse Children's Books by The Guardian, while Stars With Flaming Tales, written by Valerie Bloom won the CLiPPA award in 2021. Several of his books are included in the core books list of CLPE and BookTrust for early years education.

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Becky Bagnell

Becky Bagnell is the founder of the Lindsay Literary Agency and has been in publishing for over 25 years. She worked as a commissioning editor at Macmillan before becoming a literary agent in 2008. Becky represents clients in all genres of children’s publishing, from picture books and non-fiction to middle grade and YA, and they have been published in multiple languages across the world. Her clients include the multi-award winning authors, Pamela Butchart, Sue Wallman, Sam Gayton, Larry Hayes, Louise Finch and Kate Peridot.

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Linas Alsenas

Linas Alsenas began his book career over 20 years ago as an editorial assistant at Abrams in New York City. In 2005 he moved to Sweden, where he focused on his own projects full-time: four picture books (which he wrote and illustrated) published by Scholastic and Abrams, as well as a nonfiction history book for teens and a YA novel. He moved to London in 2013 to return to the editorial side of children’s publishing. After two years working for Walker Books, he took a commissioning editor position at Scholastic UK in 2016, and over seven years progressed to Editorial Director. He moved over to Penguin Random House in 2023, and today works on the 6+ team’s middle-grade and young-adult lists. Books he has edited have won numerous awards and accolades, and he has taught fiction “masterclasses” for different groups. He is a co-founder of Pride in Publishing.

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Tiffany Leeson

Creative Director, Farshore Tiffany has worked as a designer in the Children’s Book industry for over 30 years. She’s always looking for exciting, commercial, and original illustration styles and clever concepts. She currently works at Farshore (part of HarperCollins UK) as Creative Director, managing a team of 20 designers. Tiffany is a Trustee at ‘Picture Hooks’ and helped develop HarperCollins Design Academy, which is in its third year. Tiffany looks after the design out-put for all the Farshore lists from board books to YA, Minecraft to Michael Morpurgo and Winnie-the-Pooh.

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Teri Terry

Teri Terry has lived in France, Canada, Australia and England, collecting degrees, passports and an unforgettable name along the way. A scientist, a lawyer, an optometrist and now a writer, she is the author of over a dozen award-winning, best-selling thrillers for teens. It began with the Slated trilogy; most recent are chilling ghost story, Scare Me, and Dark Blue Rising, the first of the Circle trilogy. The Stepdaughter's Lie and The Patient are her recent psychological thrillers for adults.

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Helen Boyle

Literary and Illustration Agent, Pickled ink Helen is a literary and illustration agent at Pickled Ink, representing a small clutch of authors and illustrators. She has worked in children’s publishing for over twenty years, beginning her career in marketing and design before moving into editorial. After stints as a commissioning fiction editor and a foreign literary scout, she joined Pickled Ink as a managing agent in 2016. Pickled Ink is a small, boutique illustration and literary agency representing the best in illustration and writing. Helen’s authors and illustrators include Laura Ellen Anderson, Annaliese Avery, Melissa Castrillón, Angela Woolfe, Phil Corbett, Lo Cole and Dominique Valente.

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Philip Kavvadias

Philip is an author, playwright, poet, illustrator and screenwriter. In his day job he works on Sustainability, helping decarbonise world-wide supply chains. Philip has been working with children as a Scout Cubs Leader for quite a few years. His mission is to get more kids reading! Especially boys, whose reading stats are consistently lower than girls'. Philip's Microraptor series aims to get boys reading again!

Workshop Break-Outs

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Picture Book Creators - Expanding Stories With Visual Thinking

* No Drawing Skills Needed!* Join renowned illustrator Helen Stephens into the enchanting world of visual storytelling, creating narratives that resonate deeply with your own childhood memories. In this hands-on workshop, Helen will show you how to use visual thinking to transform your storytelling and enhance your writing process, making your stories personal and heartfelt, ensuring they connect with readers of all ages. You'll learn innovative techniques to craft entire stories, and explore how some simple doodling can help you visualise your narratives and generate fresh ideas. Whether you're a seasoned artist or just starting out, Helen's expert guidance will help you unlock new ways to bring your imagination to life on the page. * Please bring along a favourite soft toy from your childhood, or something you keep on your creative shelf. *This workshop is all about creativity, not artistic skill.

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Young Fiction Writers - How to Write a Book that Will Grip BOYS with Philip Kavvadias

This engaging and interactive writing workshop, designed specifically for authors who want to master the art of writing for boys, will delve into the unique interests, challenges, and perspectives of young male readers, providing you with the tools and techniques to create compelling stories that resonate with them. Understand Your Audience: gain insights into the preferences and reading habits of boys, including popular genres, themes, and character types that capture their imagination. Craft Relatable Characters: develop strong, relatable protagonists and supporting characters that boys can see themselves in and root for. Master Action-Packed Plotting: discover how to create dynamic, fast-paced plots that keep young readers on the edge of their seats, with plenty of twists, turns, and excitement. Incorporate Humor and Adventure: Explore ways to infuse your stories with humor, adventure, and the kind of fun that boys love, making your writing both entertaining and meaningful.

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MG/YA Writers - How to Find the Story YOU Want to Tell with Teri Terry

If you have trouble finding your voice or deciding which story to write from a multitude of ideas and directions, this workshop is for you. If you are setting out to reinvent yourself by writing in a completely different genre or age group, likewise. And if you’re already well on your way and know your story inside and out, but an indefinable something just doesn’t feel quite right, this workshop may help you hone your focus and make it work . . . or you might find yourself wanting to write something completely different. Be prepared to delve into your psyche and figurative bookshelves.

Industry Panel and Ask Me Anything Q&A

What HOOKS an Editor, Agent or Art Director?

Leading Industry Professionals Provide Insight into WHY they Bought or Sold a Bestselling Title and Share their Top Tips for how to HOOK them in. Following the Panel, Attendees will have the opportunity to ASK THE PANEL ANYTHING!

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Publisher

Ken Wilson-Max, Alanna Max and Kumusha Books (HarperCollins)

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Literary Agent

Becky Bagnell, Lindsay Literary

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Creative Director

Tiffany Leeson, Farshore

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Illustration and Literary Agent

Helen Boyle, Pickled Ink

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Editorial Director

Linas Alsenas, Penguin Random House

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Illustration Agent

To Be Confirmed

School Visit Slam!

There are slams for poetry, hip hop and tennis ... why not school visits? Calling all school visiting authors! Have you got a 5-10 minute tidbit from your school visit that children love, teachers rave about (and copy) and is guaranteed to bring the house down? Share it with other authors and illustrators at our hugely entertaining SCHOOL VISIT SLAM. Five minutes of inspiring school visit performance excerpts to inspire and spark new ways to connect with young audiences. Game on!

Have you got five minutes of absolutely inspirational school visitology you can share at this year's SCBWI conference School Visit Slam? Then fill in this form!

How in the world are we going to pick from all you brilliant people? 

• Yes, you have to be a conference attendee

• We are capping each tidbit at 5min

• The tidbit must be on a specific theme or a single activity (examples: a poetry warm up, a how to draw activity, a storytelling game)

• We are hoping to represent a broad variety of ages, genres and ideas (from preschool to young adult!)

• We are hoping to fit as many of you in as possible

• If we get an outsized response, we might organise another event during the year (and why not invite teachers and librarians?)

Want to Participate and Showcase Your School visit?

DEADLINE for pitching: 10 October 2024

Click here to participate

Industry Networking Party

Networking Party, Mass Book Launch and Crystal Kite Award Presentation

Join us for an exciting opportunity to network with Conference Faculty, special Industry Guests and Attendees in an evening social event. Celebrate the launch of fellow SCBWI members' books published in 2024 and the Crystal Kite Members' Choice Award for the British Isles. Bring fancy hats! This opportunity is included in your conference ticket. (Please see separate instructions belowfor how to participate in the MBL if you are a paid-up SCBWI member with an eligible book, and how to purchase an evening only ticket).

Mass Book Launch

Most of us join SCBWI before we’ve ever had a book published, hoping desperately that one day we’ll get that email, call, meeting from an agent or editor saying “Yes! Your book is going to be published!” Watching your story or sketches evolve from a rough idea, through countless revisions and edits, into an actual book is something that many pre-published (and published!) writers and illustrators dream about. Come and join us in celebrating members' books published this year!

ELEGIBILITY: You are eligible to take part in the MBL if you are SCBWI Premium Member (you can check your status or become a premium member by logging into your SCBWI account) and have had a book (or books) traditionally published between November 2023 and November 2024, or self-published during that period and the book has sold more than 500 copies- and you are planning to attend the launch in person on the night. Is that you? If so, you need the details below!

DEADLINE: The last day to confirm your participation is WEDNESDAY 9th OCTOBER 2024 (due to time constraints there will be no exceptions to this deadline, so please get the form filled in ASAP!). 

You will need to complete a form with details of you and your books, please

CLICK HERE TO FILL IN THE FORM

If you are not attending the conference AND are eligible for the MBL, but wish to come just for the evening celebration, you must book a SEPARATE ticket. Sorry, no guests, numbers are limited.

If you have any questions about the MBL please get in touch with Anna by emailing

conferencembl@britishscbwi.org


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Book your ticket

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Get excited with the Conference Video

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Scholarships

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How to get there

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FAQ

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SCBWI Policies

Conference Committee and Volunteers

Natascha Biebow
Co-Regional Advisor
Alison Gardiner
Co-Regional Advisor
Tita Berredo
Illustrator Coordinator
Philip Kavvadias
Co-Assistant Regional Advisor
B B Taylor
Co-Assistant Regional Advisor
Eva Wong Nava
Co-Assistant Regional Advisor
Mo O'Hara
Author
Tracey Guiry
Author
Candy Gourlay
Author, Illustrator
Anna Cole
Author
Sara Grant
Author, Editor

This webpage was created by Tita Berredo. Images from How to Hide a Lion were a courtesy of Helen Stephens.