The Asian Festival of Children's Content Seminars

The Asian Festival of Children's Content (AFCC) Seminars are sessions that focus on specific aspects of the literary community and this year’s seminars are on young adult literature, the translation of children’s books, and blogging! 

Of course I am writing this post to invite all of you to attend the blogging sessions. =D

The AFCC Seminars are on Monday, May 27, and the first blogging session (9:15 - 10:15 a.m.) is a presentation from Steph Su entitled "Getting the Most Out of Blogging." Steph is a ROCK STAR in the YA book blogging world and you definitely don't want to miss her presentation.

I'm moderating the next blogging session (10:15 - 11:15 a.m.), "Blogging - Today and Tomorrow," a conversation on the future of blogging and the blogging journeys of Steph Su and Candy Gourlay. While Steph is a rock star in the YA book blogging world, Candy is a rock star in the author blogging world and I am honored to be their moderator.

The last blogging session (11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.) is a panel discussion on "Fostering Relationships Within the Blogging Community" with blogging author Vivian Kirkfield, PaperTigers editor Marjorie Coughlan, and book blogger Michelle Chew. I'm particularly excited to listen to Marjorie speak because PaperTigers is one of the most important - if not THE most important - websites on multicultural children's and YA literature.

PROMISE THAT YOU'LL ATTEND THE BLOGGING SESSIONS. =D

The SingTel Asian Picture Book Award Shortlists

The shortlists are up for the inaugural SingTel Asian Picture Book Award, an annual award for an outstanding unpublished picture book with a distinctly Asian theme. Here is the shortlist for SingTel Asian Picture Book Award – Author, and here is the shortlist for SingTel Asian Picture Book Award – Illustrator. Congratulations! :o)

The winners will be announced at the Asian Festival of Children's Content in Singapore.

 
[Thanks to Naomi Kojima for the tip!]

The 1st Asia and Oceania Regional IBBY Congress

The Indonesian Board on Books for Young People is hosting the 1st Asia and Oceania Regional International Board on Books for Young People Congress - May 23 to 26 in Bali! This inaugural congress is open to all children’s literature specialists, writers, illustrators, publishers, librarians, storytellers, educators, and promoters, and will focus on how Asia and Oceania regional stories can play in the world children’s literature market and be used to educate children about respect, understanding, and tolerance in the global multicultural society.

I hope to attend this congress one year! Who's going? :o)

One month to go before the 2013 AFCC!

In one month, it'll be the 2013 Asian Festival of Children's Content (AFCC) in Singapore! The 2013 AFCC is:

The Preschool & Primary Teachers Congress
Date: May 25 (Saturday)
For: Primary, preschool, and kindergarten teachers; parents; librarians; and language specialists

The Parents Forum
Date: May 26 (Sunday)
For: Parents and children; primary, preschool, and kindergarten teachers; and librarians

Seminars
Date: May 27 (Monday)
For: Writers, illustrators, translators, BLOGGERS (!!!), and industry professionals

The Writers & Illustrators Conference
Date: May 28-29 (Tuesday-Wednesday)
For: Writers, illustrators, publishers, librarians, literary agents, distributors and retailers, translators, teachers, and other professionals related to children’s content

The Media Summit
Date: May 29 (Wednesday)
For: Producers, television and film executives, commissioning editors, comic artists, screenwriters, authors, publishers, app developers, animators, filmmakers, and content creators

Plus many more classes, programs, and events!

I attend the AFCC every year, and I always try to convince my friends to attend too. (I've been successful several times!) One of the questions they ask me is, "Isn't it too expensive?" My answer: Not if you're smart about it. =D =D =D I always use a budget airline and stay at a budget hotel (some participants bunk together) or with family or friends. There are early bird rates and special discounts (for example, if you are an SCBWI member) for registration. You don't have to register for the whole festival; you can buy a half-day pass for the blogging seminars, for example. (This is what I want you to do: At the very least, please buy a half-day pass to the blogging seminars. *conspiratorial whisper*) And eating out doesn't have to be expensive because Singapore is known for its very delicious street food. (I swear, the best meal I have ever eaten in Singapore was in this unassuming eatery in the Arab District.)

Whenever I'm saving up for my yearly Singapore trip, I remember this quote from Derek Bok: "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." The AFCC is the only place where I can learn about the children's and young adult publishing industry in other Asian countries, buy children's and young adult books from other Asian countries, and meet industry professionals from other Asian countries. Ultimately, that's why I save up and go every year. I'm in love with Asian children's and young adult literature and I'm terrified of missing out on a lecture, panel discussion, or author appearance or book signing. I'm terrified of falling behind and not being able to provide good content for readers of this blog.

So . . . See you at the 2013 AFCC? =D

Summer Komikon 2013: Never Too Young to Love Komiks (Komiks Are for Kids Too!)

PRESS RELEASE:

School is out, summer is in! What better way to spend your summer break than cooling off at the halls of Bayanihan Center reading your latest collection of Filipino comics at the Summer Komikon 2013!

Come join us for another fun-filled day of buying local comics, meeting your favorite comic artists, challenging your drawing and story-telling skills on April 13, 2013 from 10 am – 7 pm at the fifth consecutive year of Summer Komikon, also from the organizers of the main Komikon held every last quarter of the year (since 2005).

For a Php 100 entrance fee, fill all of your comics’ cravings for the year in just one day! It’s FREE for 12 until 12! All kids (under 12) arriving before noon get to enter for free! So grab our Summer Komikon Tabloid: The First Edition at the entrance so you will not miss out on anything, especially the list of all the new titles being released.

Highlights will be on our kid-friendly comic creators with special guests like Jomike Tejido – creator of Foldabots published in K-Zone and Mikrokosmos comic strips, Robert Magnuson – artist of Shirley’s Pets (Junior Inquirer) and OMF’s The Great Duck and Crocodile Race and Elbert Or – creator of Bakemono High (K-Zone) and also the artist for Lola: A Ghost Story by J. Torres.

Want to see the latest in the independent comics scene? Then visit our Komiks Tiangge and discover upcoming local comics creators. Start collecting their early works, and who knows, in a few years, they’ll be one of the hottest comics superstars! Like Macoy’s work, Mascot, turned into an independent film by Directors Chris Costello and Mihk Vergara, with a sneak preview on stage!

Meet and greet the best of the best of the Filipino artists working for the International scene at the Komiks Kalye. Bring home your personal masterpieces from these international masters: Carlo Pagulayan, Stephen Segovia, Roy Allan Martinez, Harvey Tolibao, Lui Antonio, Heubert Khan Michael, Dennis Crisostomo and Jomar Bulda.

More Filipino artists are expanding to the international scene with Tintin Pantoja illustrating the manga “Who is AC?” written by Eisner Award Winner Hope Larson. Get your books signed at the National Book Store booth from 4-5PM. Beloved children’s book publisher Lampara Books and popular romance publisher Precious Pages have expanded to graphic novels with Black Ink Comics, with new titles being released this Summer Komikon.

We’ve also invited artist colleagues from Singapore: Otto Fong and C.T. Lim to talk about “Successful Comic Self-Publishing in Singapore” and the “Current Trends in Southeast Asian Comics” to see how the regional comics scene can affect and influence creators here in the Philippines.

Find out who will triumph in our Comic Creation Contest, Character Making Contest, Create Your Own Foldabots Contest and the Titus Pens Create Your Own Seven Notes Cover Contest. Winners of HBO Game Of Thrones: Join The Realm Create Your Own Family Arms Contest will also be awarded on stage.

Summer Komikon 2013 is presented to you by Komikon, Inc., in partnership with National Book Store. It is also brought to you by Lampara Books, Precious Pages Publishing, Black Ink Comics, Comic Odyssey, PSICOM Publishing, Animation Council of the Philippines Inc (ACPI) and Wacom. Special thanks to Titus Pens, Seven Notes, Quantum, Bag-iw Society, UP Lunarock, UP Grail and to our Media Partners: Hero TV, MYX.PH, Manila Bulletin, FlipReads, WhenInManila.com, ClickTheCity.com and Geekmatic.

For more information on the floor plan, schedule of activities and detailed comics release information, please visit http://www.komikon.org, like us on http://www.facebook.com/komikon.org, follow us at http://www.twitter.com/komikontweets or email us at inquiry [at] komikon.org .

Support the Filipino Komiks industry. See you there!

Press Release: Young Artist from Bulacan wins PBBY-Alcala

The Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) awards the 2013 PBBY-Alcala Prize to Dominic Agsaway, an illustrator from Bulacan and a member of Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang InK). This is Agsaway’s first time to win the contest.

This year’s PBBY-Alcala Prize called for entries based on the 2013 PBBY-Salanga Prize-winning story, “Ngumiti si Andoy” written by Michael Jude C. Tumamac, a story inspired by the life of Andres Bonifacio.

Honorable Mentions in this year’s contest went to artists Sergio Bumatay III and Francin Cruz. Bumatay and Cruz are also members of Ang InK.
 

 
Agsaway shall receive twenty-five thousand pesos, a medal, and an opportunity to be published. Prizes will be awarded in a ceremony to be held during the celebration of National Children's Book Day at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on July 16, 2013.

For inquiries about the contest, please contact the PBBY Secretariat at pbby@adarna.com.ph.

Congratulations to the winners of the Bangkok Book Awards!

To celebrate Bangkok, Thailand being the 2013 UNESCO World Book Capital, some international schools organized the Bangkok Book Awards. Congratulations to the authors, illustrators, and publishers below!

Bangkok Book Awards - Picture Book Category Winner

The Umbrella Queen, written by Shirin Bridges and illustrated by Taeeun Yoo (Greenwillow Books, 2008)

Bangkok Book Awards - Junior Book Category Winner

Tua and the Elephant, written by R.P. Harris and illustrated by Taeeun Yoo (Chronicle Books, 2012) 

Bangkok Book Awards - Teen Book Category Winner

Behind the Painting: And Other Stories by Siburapha (Silkworm Books, 2001)