Author/agent Sera Rivers and agent Linda Camacho joined us for an #HFGather conversation facilitated by author Heather Demetrios about their personal experiences crafting and sharing books with readers–Sera sharing as an author shaping her past into a novel and Linda as a friend of the Rebecca Dykes Writers’ mission and as a literary agent with her experiences selling books and supporting the authors and illustrators who create them. Heather will facilitate the conversation, and talk about her experience with the Rebecca Dykes Writers and her experiences teaching at the Highlights Foundation’s Writing Through Trauma to Empower Readers.

Highlights Foundation Program Director Alison Green Myers celebrated our 2024 scholarship program with some special guests: scholarship recipients Camellia Koo, Karol Ruth Silverstein, Elyse Arring and Shuba Mohan. Special thanks to our ASL Interpreter, Cynthia Norman. 

Erin Entrada Kelly and Laurel Snyder joined George Brown to discuss their writing process, how to write for the middle grade audience, their current works in progress, and their recent middle grade retreat experience.

Intisar Khanani joined George Brown to discuss writing the Mighy Girls series, being a mentor and mentee at the Highlights Foundation, and her writing process as an intuitive writer.

Nikki Grimes joined George Brown to discuss the Nikki Grimes Cottage on campus, her most recent book birthday, her works in progress, and her push to get people thinking about banned books.

Traci Sorell, Andrea Page, and Monique Gray Smith joined George Brown to discuss the in-community retreat for Native writers and illustrators, the new Native Creatives cabin, scholarshop opportunity for Native writers, and their writing process. 

Authors & Highlights Foundation team members Delia Ruiz and Alex Villasante joined George Brown to discuss the work they do for the organization, how they find community here, their works in progress, and the upcoming Latinx Kidlit Book Festival.

Illustrators Sara Gómez Woolley, Joe Cepeda, and Aram Kim joined George Brown on our podcast to talk more about their work style, upcoming projects, and insight into their visit on campus.

Courtney Pippin-Mathur joined George Brown on our podcast to talk more about her art method, and her upcoming projects as an author-illustrator, and the Highlights Foundation course she teaches: From Idea & Sketch to Dummy & Submission: An Author/Illustrator Online Course.

Author Rajani LaRocca and illustrator Abhi Alwar joined George Brown on our podcast to talk more about the creative, personal, and emotional process behind their new picture book SUMMER IS FOR COUSINS and Abhi's experience as an illustrator attending the Crafting Novels in Verse workshop.