Asian Festival of Children’s Content 2012

Greetings from Singapore! I’m absolutely psyched to be here this weekend for the Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC), an annual gathering of the community of children’s content creators across Asia.

Organized by the National Book Development Council of Singapore and The Arts House, the event aims to develop the writing and illustration of children’s stories and content, to promote the publishing of Asian content, and to provide the world with access to Asian content.

Happening at the AFCC from the 26th-29th are the Asian Primary & Preschool Teachers Congress, the Asian Parents Forum, the Asian Children’s Writers and Illustrators Conference, and the Asian Children’s Media Summit.

I’m glad to be part of the AFCC this year, because the Philippines is the featured country for 2012.

Representing our country at the AFCC are award-winning authors Russell Molina and Jomike Tejido, internationally-recognized and multi-awarded author Candy Gourlay and illustrator Isabel “Pepper” Roxas, fellow Filipino book blogger Tarie Sabido, National Book Development Board executive director Andrea Pasion-Flores and PBBY member Neni Sta. Romana Cruz, and Singapore-based educator (and also a fellow blogger) Dr. Myra Garces-Barsal. Filipino folk singer-songwriter Noel Cabangon will also be performing at AFCC!

Oh, and yes, *surprise, surprise* I’ll also be part of the panel for “The Art & Science of Writing Book Reviews: Online vs. Print.” This will be the first time I’ll be speaking in public as the author of this blog (unless you count that talk I gave a dozen third-graders at the Scholastic warehouse!), and (while I’m stewing nervously about public speaking) I’m truly honored to sharing the panel with two lovely ladies: writer, editor and book reviewer Daphne Lee; and author (and also book reviewer) Anu Kumar.

I’m spending the day getting lost in the city, then tomorrow it’s off to the AFCC — will keep you posted!