Little Lit Fest

It’s been an incredibly busy summer for me, but I’d been setting aside a day for the NBDB Little Lit Fest ever since it was announced, because it’s been a while since I’ve touched base with friends in the industry.

I couldn’t attend both days, and the Day 2 sessions were better geared towards me, so I headed over to  Museo Pambata last Friday and made it in time for the first session!

I was able to attend three panels that day and I was glad I didn’t miss it. They flew in some of the speakers from this year’s AFCC, and paired them with their local counterparts. I picked out “Telling a story through picture books,” “Integrating culture and history in children’s books” and “Situating SE Asian traditions in picture books and graphic novels.”

Here’s a rundown of my favorite panelists for the afternoon:

Children’s book author Russell Molina (in apron!) drew a clever parallel
between a winning recipe and a good picture book.

Tall Story author Candy Gourlay shared her picture book influences
and her own attempts at picture book making.

Educator and book blogger Myra Garces-Bacsal explored collaborations in picture books.
Later that afternoon she also discussed my favorite kind of therapy — BIBLIOTHERAPY!

Writing team Felicia Low-Jimenez and Adan Jimenez tackled the places,
culture and history behind their Sherlock Sam series.

Trese co-creator and writer Budjette Tan discussed myth and history in the Trese comics.

Gestalt Publishing editor in chief Wolfgang Blysma shared his experience
in publishing indigenous comics.

Also dropped in on a writer’s panel for manuscripts — very, very interesting!

Did some shopping:

(Kuting Magiting!!! Squee!!!)

Made new friends:

Shared the lunch table with Adan and Felicia and bonded over common geekdoms.
They are just the absolute coolest!

And caught up with friends I haven’t seen in a while:
with Ken Spillman — finally, I have signed copies of his books!

with two of the most brilliant minds in kidlit — Myra and Candy!

We even had a postscript dinner last week:

Our long-awaited world domination strategic planning kidlit drink night:
That’s Candy, me, illustrator Jomike Tejido, Tahanan Books’ Frances Ong,
and book designer Jordan Santos.

Little Lit Fest was a blast, and I do hope that was only the start of an annual event for children’s literature.