Boston Bound for the Children’s Literature Association’s 39th Annual Conference

While I have not had the chance to fully catch my breath after the amazing Asian Festival of Children’s Content here in Singapore, I am now Boston-bound as I attend the Children’s Literature Association’s 39th Annual Conference to be held in Simmons College. We arrived in Las Vegas Saturday evening (where we are fortunate to be staying with family) and this evening we leave once again for Boston for another exciting conference.

The conference is doing a regional focus as well on the Philippines (woohoo!) and I am happy to share that I would be co-presenting a paper with travel buddy, research-collaborator-extraordinaire Professor Tuting Hernandez entitled: Finding Magic and Marvel in Ordinary Things: Narrative Themes of Award-Winning-Picture Books for Children in the Philippines from 1991-2011.

We are truly honored and humbled to be sharing a panel with the great Virgilio S. Almario, better known as Rio Alma and National Artist for Literature in the Philippines, who would be presenting a paper entitled Filipino Children’s Literature Today. Ms. Bellen’s paper on Agricultural Landscape, Labor and the production of Children’s Literature in Bicol would be read by Ms. Lara Saguisag, a doctoral candidate at Rutgers University.

I am also very excited to listen to the Butler Lecture which will be delivered by none other than Gregory Maguire and what a wonderful opportunity as well to finally see Karen Hesse in person whose Letters from Rifka we reviewed here in GatheringBooks. I’ve seen the conference programme and boy oh boy, there are just so many sessions I am eager to attend. Hopefully, I find the time to share bits and pieces here if and when I am able (I am sure I’d be busy touring Boston, seeing the sights, and meeting a lot of fabulous people). Any one from the kidlit community who would be presenting/attending the conference? Drop me a line here and I’d be happy to meet up with you. 🙂