SCBWI Midsouth Meetups

Midsouth meetups are a great way to form community in our region. Most are free and open to members and nonmembers alike.

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Are you a Midsouth Meetup Director who needs to add your local event to the calendar? If so, CLICK HERE!

July 2026


26 — Nashville SCBWI Social Gathering - July 26th

A social gathering to meet new friends and build community at The Factory in Franklin, July 26th 11am-1pm.

Time: 11am-1pm CST

Location: The Factory - in the main area between 5 Daughters Bakery and Jeni's Ice Cream

230 Franklin Rd, Franklin, TN 37064

Cost: Free

Contact person: Camille Smaby

To RSVP or ask questions: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScVRxPluQVb2BXgu6w6yXupNgQit-PIiwofb2i9vvejF-7JUg/viewform


August 2026


15 - Chattanooga Chat with Matthew Hubbard

Come meet us at Oaks Coffee and discuss publishing with local author, Matthew Hubbard.

Author of three young adult books as well as two forthcoming adult books, Matthew is a wealth of knowledge and excited to talk with us.

Time: 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Eastern

Location: Oaks Coffee House

2916 Silverdale Rd Chattanooga, Tennessee 37421

Cost: Free, with optional coffee and snacks for purchase

Contact person: Hannah Courtney


October 2026


18 - Chattanooga October Meet Up

Let's meet at Rosie Mae's Alpaca Farm for coffee, hanging out with some adorable alpaca's, and catching up on our writing one month post-conference.

Time: 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Eastern

Location: Rosie Mae's Alpaca Farm

550 Old Birmingham Highway, Wildwood, Georgia

Cost: Free, with optional coffee and snacks for purchase

Contact person: Hannah Courtney [email protected]

Monthly Online "Let’s Talk About” Discussions

Our Let's Talk About series is a FREE informal roundtable-style discussion for Midsouth members by Midsouth members. The sessions are NOT recorded. A link to join each month's chat is emailed directly to Midsouth members (no registration required) within a week of the start of each event. Be sure you've set the Midsouth as your home region on your SCBWI member home page to receive the link to join each month.

2026 Calendar of Talks

Please note there are no talks during February and September due to SCBWI conferences during those months.

Jan. 3 - Making the Most of SCBWI/Volunteer Opportunities

March 24 - Reaching Readers Part 1: Mailing Lists & Curating Content

April 29 - Reaching Readers Part 2: Pre-publication Tips for Building a Platform

May 28 - Self-Editing Tips

June 25 - Comp Titles

July 11 - The Author-Illustrator Relationship

Aug. 27 - Prepping for the Face-to-Face Critique

Oct. 26  - Reaching Readers Part 3: Street Teams

Nov. 16  - Reaching Readers Part 4: In-person Events

Dec. 15 - Finding Inspiration


Midsouth Regional Meetup Directors

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M Hendrix

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David Bell

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Hannah Courtney

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Danielle Y. C. McClean

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Nell Campbell

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Randi Mrvos

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Ashley Storm

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Amy Beaman

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Shannon Stocker

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Amy Murrell

Nashville - Camille Brea Smaby.png

Camille Brea Smaby

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Gretchen Sherrill

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Farrah Snyder

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Jennifer Lynn Alvarez

Anti-Harassment Policy

SCBWI has a zero-tolerance policy against harassment of any kind. Any violation of this policy is actionable. The Meetup Director has the right to refuse admittance to anyone whose behavior is disruptive to the event, attendees, or faculty.