By Zetta Whiting
The Latinx Kidlit Book Festival (LKBF) held their inaugural Latinx Storyteller’s Conference in New York City on Sept. 13 and 14, with Scholastic Inc. providing a space for majority of the events and the New School’s Tishman Auditorium hosting Friday night’s panel. The conference featured panels, manuscript consultations, book signings, ‘lunch and learn’ sessions with Big Five publishers at their headquarters, and a variety of master classes taught by Latine industry professionals, and more.
Scholastic Books on display at their Headquarters in NYC.
LKBF’s goals for the conference were to promote “community, connection, and belonging,” establish “craft and professional development,” and provide “industry access and networking.”
With eight masterclasses and over ten workshops, the Storyteller’s Conference offered multiple opportunities to learn alongside like-minded writers and hopeful publishers while hearing from illustrious literary icons.
Zoraida Córdova, author of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina, taught an impactful workshop on intellectual property where she talked about her experience writing projects for intellectual properties like Star Wars and Marvel. Michelle Herrera Mulligan, vice president and associate publisher of Primero Sueño Press/Atria Books, led a productive lesson titled “Dos Culturas: Writing About Identity, Culture, Inspiration, and Entertainment.” Her discussion emphasized the importance of telling a story, not just trying to make a point.
“It’s less authentic to let the culture drive the story. Every aspect of your book has to be fundamental to the story. Educating others about something should be a byproduct, not the purpose,” Mulligan explained.
Unlocking Our Truths Panel
Panels like “Unlocking Our Truth”, moderated by award-winning journalist Jeanine Ramírez, featured trailblazing authors Esmerelda Santiago, Jaquira Díaz, and Alejandra Campoverdi in a powerful discussion at the Tishman Auditorium about the making of their memoirs and what it means to be a Latinx woman navigating an oppressive world.
The weekend concluded with a closing keynote featuring Pulitzer Prize winner Maria Hinojosa that was moderated by Mayra Cuevas, LKBF co-founder and author, in a discussion about Hinojosa’s nearly 30-year career as a groundbreaking journalist and writer. Hinojosa had been an inspiration to Cuevas as a child, so moderating this interview was an emotional, full-circle moment that showcased the significance of representation within the writing industry.
“It was the 90s and cable TV had arrived on our street. CNN opened my eyes to the world, but the reporters on screen were mostly white Americanos. And then I saw a confident, smart, energetic, beautiful Latina [Hinojosa] … Suddenly, CNN seemed possible for a girl like me,” reflected Cuevas in an Instagram post.
On their website, LKBF emphasized the importance of uplifting and opening doors for Latine writers with events like this one.
“Just like when we launched the Latinx KidLit Book Festival with the goal of bringing the work of Latinx creators to more readers and educators, we hope that this conference will help more Latinx writers and illustrators become successfully published storytellers!”
The Bronx is Reading tabled with books written by Latinx authors on both days of the conference.
From introducing speakers for their workshops to flagging books for authors to sign, I had an incredible time working as a volunteer at the Latinx Storytellers Conference and meeting other student volunteers who value the power of books as much as I do. I’m looking forward to next year’s conference!
With the Storyteller’s Conference wrapped up, the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival, a virtual celebration of Latinx Kidlit books, is quickly approaching. This free festival goes live on September 27 and October 11, and will allow educators and students of all ages to engage with authors and illustrators. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!