LIZ CONRAD JUROR
2026-27 Liz Conrad Juror Sasha Illingworth
Sasha Illingworth is currently an Associate Creative Director at Little Brown Books for Young Readers, where she oversees a diverse list of formats, including chapter books, middle-grade and teen novels, along with select picture books and graphic novels. After earning her BFA in illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design, she moved to New York, where she started her career in publishing and illustrated over 30 book covers. Sasha has art directed and designed a diverse list of bestselling and award-winning books, such as Thank You Omu (Oge Mora), Saturday (Oge Mora), Malala’s Magic Pencil(Malala Yousafzai/Kerascoet), Hello, Tree (Ana Crespo/Dow Phumiruk), Parks and Recreation: Leslie for Class President (Robb Pearlman/Melanie Demmer), Strong Mama (Robin Arzon/Addy Rivera Sonda), and many more.
Learn more about Sasha at your website: https://www.sashaillingworthdesign.com/
PAST JURORS
2025-26 Liz Conrad Juror Mina Chung
Mina is a New York-born-and-bred designer and crafter, and like a true New Yorker, complains about the weather four seasons long. She is an SVA grad who got her start designing children's books at Sterling Publishing. She spent over a decade developing her craft and love for picture books at Dial Books/Penguin Random House. A small number of highlights from her time at Dial Books include The Little Senses series, the simultaneous bilingual pub Coqui in the City/De aquí come el coqui, Sibert Honor Award winner Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom, the coming-of-age graphic novel Huda F Are You, and Yes We Will: Asian Americans Who Shaped This Country.
Mina joined the stellar team at Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group in 2021 as the Associate Art Director, working on Picture Books for Feiwel & Friends, Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, and Roaring Brook Press. In her time at MCPG, she had the privilege of collaborating with many talented artists, designing and art directing recent titles such as What Can a Mess Make, Bye Land Bye Sea, May You Love and Be Loved, Mole Is Not Alone, and the simultaneous bilingual pub Until Someone Listens/Hasta que alguien me escuche.
Learn more about Mina at her website: www.mina-chung.com/