SCBWI New Mexico Handsprings 2026: Session Descriptions

Friday, November 6, 5:00-7:00 p.m. MST ❖ Our conference kicks off at one of Albuquerque's independent book stores, Books on the Bosque, where you can enjoy a mocktail and munchies, mingle with fellow conference goers, and buy books by faculty and fellow attendees and get them signed! Books will not be sold at our Saturday event space, so this is your chance to pick up some of the amazing work of our literary community. This conference event is FREE and OPEN TO ALL, even if you can't attend the full conference. Registered attendees will get a drink ticket for a mocktail on us, but mocktails will also be available to purchase if you aren't attending the conference. (Or if you need more than one. We hear they're delicious...)

Saturday, November 7 @ 9:00 a.m. MST — CNM Workforce Training Center, Room 101 ❖ Zahra Marwan, award winning writer and illustrator, works as a traditional artist with watercolor and ink. Zahra creates work that reflects her cultural roots in Kuwait as well as her life now in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her debut picture book, Where Butterflies Fill the Sky, was published by Bloomsbury Books and named one of the New York Times/New York Public Library’s 10 Best Illustrated Books as well as NPR’s Best Books of 2022.

Saturday, November 7 @ 10:15 a.m. MST — CNM Workforce Training Center, Room 101 ❖ As a writer, Laurel aims to write books that help all children feel valued and seen while fostering empathy. In this session, we’ll explore how Laurel’s writer journey led her to a community and mentors that were essential to her writing success. She will dive into her books' common themes, the importance of backmatter, her mission, how to read a picture book to foster identity and empathy, review local and national resources for writers, and what it means to be an author advocate.

Saturday, November 7 @ 10:15 a.m. MST — CNM Workforce Training Center, Room 104 ❖ We want our novels to strike a chord with readers, but how do you create that harmony out of thin air—or even your messy first draft? In kidlit, it all starts with character. In this session, we'll explore the core of your main character(s) arc and play with the other key elements of your narrative (setting, action, symbolism, subplot, and theme) to make that arc resonate through ever layer of your manuscript. Bring ideas for a middle grade or YA novel—or a completed or partial draft—to workshop!

Saturday, November 7 @ 11:15 a.m. MST — CNM Workforce Training Center, Room 101 ❖ Eavesdrop as veteran children’s authors Caroline Starr Rose and Vaunda Micheaux Nelson have a conversation on the writing life and what truly matters. The two friends will chat about what it's like to do this work year in and year out, long-term relationships with agents and editors, and disappointments, successes, and how to stay grounded. They will touch on how to keep the spark alive and move forward, as well as critique groups as a source of support and growth. Listen in, then join the discussion with questions and comments of your own.

Saturday, November 7 @ 11:15 a.m. MST — CNM Workforce Training Center, Room 104 ❖ Join award-winning illustrator Zahra Marwan for a special, illustration-focused workshop.

Saturday, November 7 @ 2:00 p.m. MST — CNM Workforce Training Center, Room 101 ❖ Despite knowing how important marketing is for a writing career, for some authors (Alexandra included) it is one of the hardest things to get around to doing. Excuses, lack of funds, if only, and should haves take over and nothing gets done. In this workshop we'll explore ways to kick our rears into gear to get that news about your book out there, find what motivational strategies work for each individual, and explore different forms of marketing that might be less mentally daunting and more fruitful than traditional forms. Participants will also be given a marketing scenario/conflict to resolve, and then discuss the ideas they had with the rest of the participants. After the conference, there will be two "accountability" group sessions where participants come online for a silent hour and get their marketing done while Alexandra "watches" them.

Saturday, November 7 @ 2:00 p.m. MST — CNM Workforce Training Center, Room 104 ❖ Many new picture book creators feel overwhelmed by conflicting advice while facing this question: To Self-Publish or Not? It may feel frustrating trying to break into a highly competitive traditional book market, and the self-published market continues to grow and evolve. So, how do we best support our dreams of seeing our books in the market and reaching the kids that need them most? This session offers a transparent look at Ali's first-time self-publishing journey; highlighting real trial-and-error moments, why she chose to self-publish to begin with, and the takeaways from this experience she carries with her as she gets ready to release her second self-published picture book. As a hybrid author—a self-published author as well as an aspiring traditionally published author—Ali takes methodologies and craft from both sides of the book market for this talk in order to strengthen authors' knowledge of and success in the marketplace.

Saturday, November 7 @ 3:00 p.m. MST — CNM Workforce Training Center, Room 101 ❖ Literary Agent Stephanie Fretwell-Hill will answer questions about the publishing industry and her list from the moderator and attendees.

Saturday, November 7, 4:15 p.m. MST — CNM Workforce Training Center, Room 101 ❖ Vaunda Micheaux Nelson’s books for young people include Bad News for Outlaws; The Book Itch; No Crystal Stair; Small Shoes, Great Strides; and Let ‘er Buck. Among her awards: the Boston Globe-Horn Book, Coretta Scott King, Jane Addams Children’s Book, WWA Spur, Will Rodgers Medallion, and National Storytelling Network’s Talking Leaves Oracle. Her latest, Radiant, was a 2026 ALA Notable Children’s Book, a 2025 SLJ Best Book of the Year, an NCTE Notable Verse Novel, and won the Paul Rhetts 2025 New Mexico Book Award.  She has served on several awards committees and was the New Mexico Centennial Children’s Author.

Sunday, November 8th on Zoom (Choose a time slot between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. MST) ❖ Prepare a 90-second elevator pitch of a project and pitch to a Zoom Room full of acquiring agents! Five literary agents will hear your pitches, including Sara Megibow of Megibow Literary, Kaitlyn Sanchez of Bradford Literary, and Adria Goetz of KT Literary. Agents will request additional materials from creators whose pitches they are interested in. This is not an opportunity for feedback, but it is an excellent opportunity to practice verbal pitching in front of industry professionals and hopefully make a connection.