Jemiscoe Chambers-Black, Agent, Andrea Brown Literary Agency
Jemiscoe, or Jem as she likes to be called, cannot say that reading and writing came naturally. Rather, these interests were inspired by pizza. At seven, her school offered free Pizza Hut and Shakey’s Pizza coupons as a reward for reading books, and Jem was sold. Eventually, the books held more interest than the pizza ever did. While reading was a love, Jem spent her first career as an Assistant Director for film and television for over a decade. But apparently, her love for books couldn't be ignored, and after she received her MFA in Fiction, she joined the Andrea Brown Literary Agency as an agent in 2020 and hasn't looked back. She represents illustrators and picture book, middle grade, young adult, and adult fiction authors.
Rachel Diebel, Editor, Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group
Rachel Diebel is an editor at Feiwel & Friends (an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group), acquiring middle grade, young adult, and graphic novels. Throughout her career, she has worked on multiple New York Times bestsellers, celebrity projects including books by Natalie Portman and Jake Gyllenhaal, and California Book Award winner Ophelia After All. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her partner and extremely naughty cat.
Sally Morgridge, Senior Editor, Holiday House Publishing
Sally Morgridge (she/her), editor at Holiday House, loves working on books for children of all ages. Recent highlights include Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor early reader graphic novel Owl and Penguin, by Vikram Madan; Horn Book Fanfare selection and New York Public Library Best Book of the Year Great Carrier Reef, a nonfiction picture book by Jessica Stremer, illustrated by Gordy Wright; and The Carrefour Curse, a spooky middle grade novel by Dianne K. Salerni, which received three starred reviews and was a JLG Gold Standard selection. A new project that she’s excited about is Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers' Rights, a forthcoming YA anthology edited by Printz Honor author Ashley Hope Pérez, illustrated by Ignatz-nominee Debbie Fong. Sally lives in New York City with her husband and two rambunctious children, where she loves cooking, exploring city parks, and watching too much TV.
Alex Weiss, Agent - Azantian Literary Agency
Alexandra Weiss joined the world of publishing in 2016 as an associate agent with the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency. In 2021, she joined Azantian Literary Agency where she represents fiction and nonfiction picture books, middle grade, young adult, graphic novels, and select adult nonfiction. She is particularly on the hunt for cozy fantasy settings, thrillers that make her heart race, and stories that feature non-western folklore or magic systems. She holds a BFA in creative writing and publishing from Columbia College Chicago and has written for Bustle and Buzzfeed, among others. She regularly volunteers with literary organizations and has a soft spot for working with young readers.