Meet SCBWI’s New Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer: April Powers!

After an extensive search and interview process, SCBWI brought April Powers on board in June as its first chief equity and inclusion officer. Recently Southern Breeze caught up with April to talk about herself, her job, and what’s planned for SCBWI. Here's the second part of our Q and A with April:

Q: I noticed SCBWI changed the logo for Pride Month. Is this emblematic of things to come? 

A: Making more use of social media is certainly a high priority. For instance, with the LGBTQ+ community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and others), we’re in contact with some of our members on an ongoing basis to figure out how to provide for people who are writing and providing content to and about LGBTQ+ families. I won’t speak for those members: I want to hear from you and learn your thoughts on where we’re lacking and how we can do better.

We’re also looking at highlighting some of our members’ work in months that are designated to highlight them—so when we update the profile page for you to tell us who you are, check those boxes that apply to you. Some of those months include Asian Heritage month, Hispanic Heritage month, etc.

Q: How are we addressing inclusion for students and members who are disabled? 

A: One step is to make the website and our social media accessible. For instance, if you include a hashtag in a social media post, the first letter of each word should be capitalized for the computer or translator to be able to read it aloud. Another step, which you will have seen if you’ve viewed any of the SCBWI digital workshops this summer, is we’re including an ASL (American Sign Language) translator.

Q: Any final thoughts for our members? 

A: Lin is unapologetically leading an antiracist organization. We support all creatives — every type. We can’t have an environment where any of that creativity is squashed, squandered, or made to feel less than because someone feels their story matters more. Or that their values matter more—a lot of misunderstandings are based on cultural values people misunderstand. I know we’re international, but our staff is small, mighty, and fierce, including our volunteers. I look forward to the time when we can resume in-person events. And I can’t wait to get to know as many of you as possible.

 ****

If you’d like to connect with April on social media:

Twitter 
Facebook 
LinkedIn 

If you’d like to email April directly, she can be reached at aprilpowers (at) scbwi (dot) org.

And special thanks to ARA Lisa Stauffer for this in depth Q and A with April Powers!

Meet SCBWI’s New Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer: April Powers!

“Whether you have children or not, we are all the ancestors of future generations on this planet. Let’s leave something great for them!” —April Powers, Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer, SCBWI

After an extensive search and interview process, SCBWI brought April Powers on board in June as its first chief equity and inclusion officer. She brings fifteen years of experience as the diversity, equity, and inclusion champion for a variety of companies, including such big names as Nestlé and Amgen. Recently Southern Breeze caught up with April to talk about herself, her job, and what’s planned for SCBWI.

Q: Welcome to SCBWI! 

A: Thanks! I’m very excited about this job on both a professional and a personal level. On a professional level, during the several months-long interview process, I found I really liked all the people involved in SCBWI. At this stage of my career, after working for some large companies and nonprofits, I’d worked in some positions where they weren’t committed to the work.

When you have the tone from the top, then it’s easy to say, “This is who we are as an organization.” Lin Oliver sets that tone. We’re all ambassadors for SCBWI all over the world.

On a personal level, I’m “Bluish,” which stands for Black and Jewish. I’ve been writing a kids book with my sons, and they wanted to know why my main character didn’t have golden hair.

I grew up with the angst of being a child who didn’t see herself represented in toys, stories, books, TV, or art. But our home and the media my sons see, I’d hoped, would be different. Their comment simply brought home that our society has a long way to go. I’d already begun researching how to publish a children’s book — and was planning to become an SCBWI member— when I got the job offer.

Q: What’s your top priority for SCBWI right now? 

A: First we’re training the SCBWI staff and regional leadership, since they’re essentially our main ambassadors to all the members as well as the public. As we move forward, I’m working on a way to make training in cultural competence, inclusion, and belonging accessible to all who volunteer in our regions worldwide.

Q: What steps are you taking to build equity and inclusion beyond training? 

A: At SCBWI, we’re pro-kid—we’re here for ALL children. And in the same manner we’re here for ALL of our members—writers, author/illustrators, illustrators, and translators.

So I want to know who you are. I invite members to email me or connect on social media. If you want to be more active in SCBWI in the arena of equity and inclusion, please reach out to me.

Another thing that’s in the works is to add a section to our member profile page, so that you can say who you are if you want to—it will always be optional. We’ll also be doing surveys to gain a better understanding of our membership.

As far as bringing in new members, I’m a recruiter at heart, and definitely think recruiting is a key part of what we’re talking about!

It’s important to reach out to people who are not traditionally in this space. We’ll be hunting in different fields. We know SCBWI is known within certain circles, such as among teachers or librarians. What we could do a lot better is to reach out to underrepresented writers to make sure their stories get told, too, especially BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or People of Color). We’re not taking away anything from anyone. We’re here to support all writers, author/illustrators, illustrators, and translators.

For people who would like to join SCBWI but it’s out of their budget, we have scholarships and are actively looking for some individuals and groups to sponsor really full scholarships. We’re looking into what a full scholarship would look like, beyond the membership or conference fees.

****

Join us next week for more of our Q and A with April Powers, SCBWI's Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer!

Breezers in Your Neighborhood: Labor Day Weekend at the DBF! (Part III)

We've got something for everyone at the AJC Decatur Book Festival, happening Labor Day weekend in Decatur, Georgia! You can find the detailed list of talks, panels, and live drawings, along with the times our members will be appearing here at the Southern Breeze website. But here's a sneak peek of book covers and the activities, authors and illustrators. Recognize one of your Breezer friends? Come out and bring your friends and say hello! (And if you don't know us yet, come out and make a new friend in the kidlit writing world!)

Look for these SCBWI books (and authors and illustrators!) at Booth #405 on Sunday, starting at noon:

We're starting with an illustrator Sketch-Up! Join Miles Davis and Tara Garrigan for drawing fun.

Judi Howe will give tips on teaching hard history.

Join Sheri Dillard for a fun storytime that preschoolers will love!

Author Monique Fields explains how real life can spark a book idea.

Need inspiration? Author Loie Chambers has it covered.

Illustrator Tatjana Mai-Wyss will show the step-by-step process of making words come to life, and you'll want to stick around for her Sketch-up!

Teri Polen will talk about making the leap from indie publishing to traditional publishing.

It's all about birds with author Heidi Stemple. Want to learn how to call owls? Be there!

We'll have an illustrators panel where you can ask questions of Miles Davis, Tara Garrigan, Art Roche, Laura Freeman, and Tatjana Mai-Wyss. What do you want to know about illustrating children's books?






Cool off at a storytime with Melinda Falgoust, author of Ten Little Crawfish.

Tara Garrigan will help you draw and create your own characters (no matter what your skill level may be).

The struggle is real, finding books for 13 and 14-year-old readers. Author Theresa Kiser can help.








Join Christyne Morrell for storytime with Bob the Bunny and a bit of magic.

Peggy Shaw will share a not-to-be-missed talk about the ten things that make a good book editor.

Author Susan Riley has a mystery for you to solve in this secret message hands-on activity.

Come celebrate the 50th anniversary of man walking on the moon with Heidi Stemple.






You can read all about Saturday here on the Southern Breeze blog, and remember, books will be available for purchase and authors and illustrators may appear in more than one time slot during the day. But if you want your purchase specially autographed, make sure to be there when the author or illustrator is signing. So check the schedule here and make your plans!

To find out more about the AJC Decatur Book Festival, including parking and where you can find our booth, check out the DBF website here. We can't wait to show you all that SCBWI and Southern Breeze has lined up for you, so come spend the day with us on Saturday, August 31st or Sunday, September 1st for Breezers in the Neighborhood at the DBF!

Breezers in Your Neighborhood: Labor Day Weekend at the DBF! (Part II)

We've got something for everyone at the AJC Decatur Book Festival, happening Labor Day weekend in Decatur, Georgia! You can find the detailed list of talks, panels, and live drawings, along with the times our members will be appearing here at the Southern Breeze website. But here's a sneak peek of book covers and the activities, authors and illustrators. Recognize one of your Breezer friends? Come out and bring your friends and say hello! (And if you don't know us yet, come out and make a new friend in the kidlit writing world!)






Look for these SCBWI books (and authors and illustrators!) at Booth #405 on Saturday afternoon, starting at 2 PM:

Come join illustrators Shanda McCloskey and Laura Murray for a Sketch-up! (That's live drawing,y'all, and so interesting to watch artists talk through the process while they sketch!)

Author Nathaniel Lachenmeyer (The Singing Rock and Other Brand New Fairy Tales) will talk about the art of writing graphically.

Author Nina Moreno will speak about connections and selling a novel.

Let Shelli R. Johannes introduce you to Cece, a budding and inquisitive scientist, at her storytime.

You'll have fun with author Jodi Wheeler-Toppen and her dog and cat interesting facts!

Michael Lackey, multi-published author, answers all your questions.







Join Doris Brown as she reads her book, Pauly Penguin and Friends, a storytime for kids age 5 to 10.

Come hear Loie Chambers' inspiring story about never giving up on your dream!

Learn the ropes about developing exciting characters for your books from author and illustrator, Miles Davis.

Judi Howe will give a talk about what to do (or not to do) when it comes to teaching American history. Suitable for parents and educators.

Storytime with Christian author, Vanessa Fortenberry. (There may be laughing and singing!)

Author Rhonda Knight wants you to know how to keep your children mentally tough through books!








You can read all about Saturday morning here on the Southern Breeze blog, and remember, books will be available for purchase and authors and illustrators may appear in more than one time slot during the day. But if you want your purchase specially autographed, make sure to be there when the author or illustrator is signing. So check the schedule here! And stay tuned to the blog this month for more highlights of the Sunday authors and illustrators at the festival.

To find out more about the AJC Decatur Book Festival, including parking and where you can find our booth, check out the DBF website here. We can't wait to show you all that SCBWI and Southern Breeze has lined up for you, so come spend the day with us on Saturday, August 31st or Sunday, September 1st for Breezers in the Neighborhood at the DBF!

Breezers in Your Neighborhood: Labor Day Weekend at the DBF!

We've got something for everyone at the AJC Decatur Book Festival, happening Labor Day weekend in Decatur, Georgia! You can find the detailed list of talks, panels, and live drawings, along with the times our members will be appearing here at the Southern Breeze website. But here's a sneak peek of book covers and activities, authors and illustrators. Recognize one of your Breezer friends? Come out and bring your friends and say hello! (And if you don't know us yet, come out and make a new friend in the kidlit writing world!)





Look for these SCBWI books (and authors and illustrators!) at Booth #405 on Saturday morning, starting at 10:00 AM:

Illustrator Lina Maslo will kick off the fun with "How to Draw Famous People." (And you can try your hand at drawing, too!)








   Author Sandra Godfrey talks about the remarkable dragonfly (and her book!)

 

Heather Montgomery takes a #Fresh Look at Roadkill.














Lyssa Sahadevan brings us a Building Bridges Hands-on Activity.

Join author Andrea Cassell for storytime with Kibby, the Space Dog?

Author Vanessa Fortenberry talks about Families Growing in Faith.

Storytime with Author Sheri Dillard (and the Farmer)!

Author of Two by Two, Lisa Lowe Stauffer will rev up your writing through reading in how to Read Like a Writer.

Author and illustrator Laura Murray shares all about coloring books and amazing spots in Georgia.

Published in several different genres, author Michael Lackey wants you to Meet the Author and bring your questions.








Authors and illustrators may appear in more than one time slot during the day, and books will be available for purchase, too. But if you want your purchase specially autographed, make sure to be there when the author or illustrator is signing. So check the schedule here! And stay tuned to the blog this month for more highlights of the Saturday afternoon and Sunday authors and illustrators at the festival.

To find out more about the AJC Decatur Book Festival, including parking and where you can find our booth, check out the DBF website here. We can't wait to show you all that SCBWI and Southern Breeze has lined up for you, so come spend the day with us on Saturday, August 31st or Sunday, September 1st for Breezers in the Neighborhood at the DBF!

Southern Breeze at the DBF, Part Two

For the first time in a number of years, Southern Breeze authors and illustrators will have a booth at the Decatur Book Festival in downtown Decatur, Georgia. And we have so many authors attending, we couldn't fit 'em all in the first post!

On Labor Day weekend, from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon (Aug. 31 - Sept. 2), this festival offers a nonstop roster of speakers, panels, and entertainment that goes on all over the downtown area--and it's all free!

So where will we Breezers be? Our booth is #621, and it’s smack dab in the middle of the children’s section on Sycamore Street. Breezers will be signing as well as selling, so here's the rest of the rundown of what and who you'll find at our booth and when they'll be signing:

Lucyann Wagner and Delia Blackstone's book, NORAH BEDORAH AND THE PINK DOUGHNUT WITH SPRINKLES, is a rhyming story about a spunky little girl who wants to eat LOTS of pink doughnuts with sprinkles for breakfast at her Groovy Grandmas' house.  The Groovy Grandmas ( with pink doughnuts!) will be signing on Saturday 12-2 and Sunday 2-4.

Andy Klein is back with his 3rd book in the 'Oliver Phenomena' series. 'Oliver and the Little Bigfoot' has the boy with an unusual flair for the supernatural meeting up with a young sasquatch who is very shy and just as helpful. Andy will be signing copies of all his books on Sunday from 12-4pm.

Did you ever yearn to hop on a plane and fly to Paris?  In Pap Pap Goes to Paris, and so does Ricky, a five-year-old boy convinces his parents to let him travel to Paris with his beloved grandfather, so they can climb the Eiffel Tower together.  Author Janie Dempsey Watts will sign copies on Saturday and Sunday from 12-2 p.m.

Alayne Smith's novel, Ellen and the Three Predictions, is set in 1959 Marshall, Alabama, where an elderly soothsayer, Luella, makes predictions about all the babies' lives.  Stop by Sunday from 2:00 to 6:00. Luella may have a prediction for you!

Jodi Wheeler-Toppen's Dog Science Unleashed: Fun Activities to Do With Your Canine Companion teaches the science of dogs with hands-on activities and behind-the-scenes peeks into current pup-related research. She'll be signing (and petting dogs) from 10-12 on Saturday and 4 to 6 on Sunday.

Over on a Desert is the seventh book in the “Over in” series of animal counting books written by Marianne Berkes and illustrated by Jill Dubin, published by Dawn Publications. These nature books show a wonderful array of animals and background material illustrated using cut paper collage. Jill will be signing books on Saturday 12-4.

Illustrator Laura Freeman will be signing a handful of books she's illustrated on Saturday from 2-6pm, including Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race, (written by Margot Lee Shetterly). The incredibly inspiring true story of four black women who helped NASA launch men into space was named as one of the ten “Books All Young Georgians Should Read for 2018." 

Laura will also be signing a book she authored and illustrated, Natalie's Hair was Wild!, inspired by her own childhood adventures with her hair!

That's all but it's quite enough! Don't forget to check the DBF map for parking and the location of the SCBWI Southern Breeze booth. And remember: wear comfortable shoes and plenty of sunscreen, and be sure to come by the booth and say hello! We'd love to see y'all!

EVERYONE A WINNER AT WIK'18: Meet the Regional All-Stars!

Can I confess something? I know we’re not supposed to play favorites with our children or characters or conference formats, but I’ve always liked WIK a little better than SpringMingle for one reason: regional speakers. Both conferences bring editors and agents and famous authors from the far reaches of the country, but at WIK we also get to hear from our own. And our own have some good stuff to share!

This year is no exception. Wherever you are in your writing journey, and whether you’re in the mood for craft or business, our regional all-stars have something for you.

Author Christina Farley will be opening the door to the publishing world and demystifying the basics for entry.

Author Jaimie Engle offers how to land a literary agent, both what to expect and what not to expect.

Author and Southern Breeze Assistant Regional Advisor Cathy Hall will teach you how to put yourself out there by taking advantage of opportunities that SCBWI offers for both the published and unpublished among us.

Author Irene Latham and Archivist Jim Baggett will share their secrets for using research to create rich, authentic historical settings.

Author Debbie Dadey will reveal Five Steps to Worldbuilding that we know work because she’s on her 13^th book series and has over 42 million copies in print.

So check out some all-stars at WIK this year. You’ll be glad you did!

~ Sharon Pegram

                       REGISTRATION IS STILL OPEN! CLICK :::HERE:::TO REGISTER!

Sharon Pegram is the Southern Breeze Co-Assistant Regional Advisor. You'll find her at wik'18, in the sessions and the intensives, taking really great notes. She's also a pro at answering any questions you might have--just ask!

         

EVERYONE A WINNER AT WIK'18: Deborah Halverson and Teen Talk Tips

The deadline for submitting manuscripts for formal critiques may have passed (hope you all got your manuscripts in on time!), but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still great opportunities for those attending wik’18 to enhance their conference experience with optional activities. 

There are still slots available for One-on-One sessions with an agent, and Linda Sue Park, Matt Ringler, Janice Hardy, Heather Montgomery and Jodi Wheeler Toppen, Kami Kinard and Rebecca Petruck, and Deborah Halverson are all teaching morning intensives on Sunday.

Deborah Halverson is one of SCBWI’s superstar teachers. When it comes to writing for teens, she wrote the book – literally, THE book on how to write for teens and young adults.

We hear it all the time: you need to have the right “voice” for your teenage character. Easier said than done when it comes to writing dialogue. For some of us it has been decades since we were teens ourselves, and have you tried to actually talk with teens the way teens talk?

Oh, the way they look at you, like you’re all creepy or weird even if you get the jargon just right. There’s just something about an AARP member throwing around teen slang in a conversation that feels awkward.

So if you can’t converse in teen-talk with teens to make sure you get it right, what can you do to develop that skill?

I was lucky enough to attend one of Deborah’s intensives on writing for a teen audience while at an SCBWI conference, and know that those attending her intensive will come out with new tools in their writing toolbox. You won’t want to miss a single tip, resource url or sneaky way to eavesdrop on teens talking with teens. Way better than camping out at the food court in the mall.

                         REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! CLICK :::HERE:::TO REGISTER!

Claudia Pearson, Regional Advisor for Southern Breeze, is a retired trial attorney, earned a masters degree from Hollins University in Children's Literature, speaks French, and once worked as a sous chef in a French restaurant. She writes a bit of everything and has published two books about children's books.