Kweli: The Color of Children’s Literature Conference
Presented by Kweli Journal
Kweli’s annual Color of Children’s Literature Conference is designed to help emerging writers hone their craft, introduce them to established authors willing to share their experiences and expertise, and connect them with editors, agents and publishers who can introduce their art to the world.
Over the years, dozens of writers—including Angeline Boulley, Jerry Craft, Emeline Lee, Laura Obuobi, Andrea L. Rogers, J.E. Thomas and Brian Lee Young—met their agents or editors at Kweli. #KWELI23 may be your opportunity to do the same.
Our 2023 conference will offer day-long, in-person sessions for the first time since the pandemic began, and we couldn’t be more delighted.
Our Friday, March 31 in-person masterclasses are in picture books, graphic novels, middle grade revision, YA revision and poetry/non-fiction.
Saturday, April 1 in-person sessions provide in-depth craft workshops on humor, plot points, partnering with publishers on marketing, romcoms, and more.
Keynotes will be delivered by the incomparable Jacqueline Woodson (winner of the MacArthur “Genius” Award, Hans Christian Anderson Award, Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, Newbery Award, National Book Award and Coretta Scott King Book Award among many others), multi-award winner Malinda Lo (recipient of the National Book Award, Stonewall Book Award, Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, Michael L. Printz Honor, and LA Times Book Prize finalist), the amazing Leah Henderson (SCBWI Golden Kite Award finalist, Bank Street Best Book notable and Children’s Africana Book Award notable), and breakout debut author Andrea L. Rogers (NPR Best Book and Walter Award recipient).
Sunday, April 2’s virtual program includes workshops and discussions on the business of publishing, graphic novels, novels in verse, DIY marketing, fantasy—and a not-to-be-missed conversation with Edwidge Danticat and Dr. Ibram X. Kendi.
Ms. Danticat is a National Book Award finalist, National Book Critics Circle Awards winner, MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, Ford Foundation Fellow, United States Artists Fellow, two-time winner of The Story Prize, Neustadt International Prize recipient, and more. In addition to authoring multiple NYT bestsellers, Dr. Kendi is a MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, the recipient of the National Book Award, and W.E.B. Du Bois Book Prize, among many other distinctions.
To see the current list of conference faculty, click here.
To see the program schedule, click here.
To apply for a scholarship, click here.
For your convenience, you may register for both Saturday and Sunday’s programs or for either Saturday or Sunday separately. Optional in-person masterclasses and manuscript critiques are available to those who register for Saturday and/or Sunday programs.