The last day of my first ever literary festival ... I began day three at the Asian Festival of Children's Content by attending a roundtable discussion on entering markets abroad, conducted by Cynthea Liu, Emily Lim, Helen Mangham. What was particularly wonderful about this event was the rounded perspective it had, as the speakers comprised one publisher, one writer and one literary agent. Author Emily Lim's words spoke to me the most, as she told us with her charming tinge of humour about how the key to getting a publisher, national or international, is a mixture of perseverance and patience. She spoke of standing on the sidelines at the festival at Bologna, looking pleadingly at publishers until one took pity on her ... Attending the session on Immersive Storytelling: Augmented Reality and Games to Engage Young Adults, conducted by Saad Chinoy and Nataly Rios Goico, was like … [Read more...]

Visiting a place for the first time can't be work and work alone, especially when there's so much to see and do. On days two and three at the Asian Festival of Children's Content, I attended fewer sessions, trying to make the most of my time in Singapore! Penning for the Preteen, conducted by Holly Thompson, was a good experience for me, since that's the age-group I write for, and it's always nice to have ideas and thoughts affirmed by a group of writers. It helps me feel a little less lost. During the session, what struck me most were views on what a preteen is like -- and the idea that preteens often have confidence that is almost irrational. They are superheroes! It's before the slide and crash of self-doubt and identity begin ... How interesting it was that this notion of preteens seems to cross so many cultures! Sarah Odedina's session, Lessons to be Learnt: Complex … [Read more...]

The Asian Festival of Children's Content in Singapore was the first literary festival I attended. Here's what I did there. The first session, Cracking the Golden Egg at Literary Festivals, was conducted by Felicia Low-Jiminez and Maria Alessandrino. It was a useful panel discussion, even though it focused more on how to deal with being invited to speak at literary festivals than on 'cracking the golden egg' when you're just another attendee, which is what most of us were. The fine line between networking and pestering people to keep in touch or read your work remains unknown terrain for me! The Irresistible Fantastical Supernatural: Writing a World that Beckons conducted by Cynthia Leitich Smith was simply lovely! She made us write a bit, helping us create a creature that rings true. She spoke of the way in which she writes, the letters she receives ... all with a delicious … [Read more...]