SCBWI

Society of
Children's Book Writers
and Illustrators

Singapore

Singapore

  •       SCBWI Singapore July 2015   Dear Singapore SCBWIies, June was an amazing month for children's writers and illustrators in Singapore due to the wonderful AFCC. I do hope you managed to get along to some events and enjoyed the wonderful creative and sharing atmosphere. It looks like we have had a flood of new members join up since AFCC so welcome to you! It is great to have you aboard!  Here are a few of us gathered at AFCC before heading off to the SCBWI dinner at Boat Quay. I seriously underestimated how many people would come along to the dinner and so our venue was very squishy, but that didn't stop us having a great evening chatting with old and new friends from SCBWI Indonesia, Japan, Australia East, Australia West, New England and Hong Kong. Thanks to everyone who helped organise things on the night ! Our next meeting will be held on 22nd July (details below) uly meeting will be held and hopefully we will get to meet all or some of our new members.  We will be sharing our highlights from the AFCC as well as providing a show and tell. If you have a book published, a portfolio, a mock up book or something you would like to share please bring it along. All the best, from the SCBWI Singapore Team Assistant Regional Advisor (ARA): Catherine Carvell               email: cjcarvell@bigpond.com    SCBWI Singapore News Singapore SCBWI online critique group Don't forget to post your manuscripts this month ! The SCBWI Singapore Online Critique Group is a forum where SCBWI Singapore members can give and receive monthly critiques on their work in progress (be it manuscripts or illustrations). The aim of the group is to provide us with a place to chat, discuss works in progress, give and take advice on how to improve, receive encouragement to keep going when you’re feeling disheartened, and receive support and friendship from fellow creators.  If you are interested in joining the group please let me know and I will provide you with more information about how it all works. Please note, you must be a current Singapore SCBWI member to participate in this forum.       SCBWI International News International Awards If you received any book related awards last calendar year could you please let me know by July 3rd so I can ensure they are reported by international in one of our SCBWI SCBWI publications. Translators Please remember that SCBWI now recognises the importance of translators in the future of children's literature. As such, if you are a translator, please ensure to tick the 'translator' box on you personal profile under 'professional roles' so you can be kept up to date with news and information that may help your career.        Singapore SCBWI Upcoming Events   The Different Genres of Children's Literature   Date: Wednesday July 22nd  Time: 7pm Venue: Relish, on first floor of Cluny Court, oppostite the Botanic Gardens MRT.   We will discuss the main characteristics of the different genres of children's literature, from picture books to mid-grade to YA.    We would also like to have a show and tell so please bring along your latest project so we can see what we are all up to.   The Ins and Outs of Self-publishing   Date: Wednesday August 12th Time: 7pm Venue: To be advised         Local Opportunities   The 2016 Scholastic Asian Book Award (SABA) has opened for submissions             The Scholastic Asian Book Award seeks unpublished children’s chapter books and young adult novels written by authors living in Asia and of Asian descent, including of course Singapore. The winning book will be published by Scholastic, and the creator will receive SGD$10,000 in cash. The award will be presented at the 2016 Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC) in Singapore. The first and second runners-up also have a chance at being published by Scholastic. For more information and application forms go to; http://bookcouncil.sg/awards/scholastic-asian-book-award or http://www.scholasticbookaward.asia/SABA/index.html    The timeline of SABA 2016 is as follows: ·Closing of submissions: 1 September 2015 ·Announcement of shortlist to press: April 2016 ·Announcement of winners during AFCC 2016 at the National Library Building in Singapore: late May 2016 This is a wonderful opportunity for writers of Asian decent living in Singapore with a huge cash prize and a possibility if being published for a worldwide audience.             Please note that all entries must be submitted in soft copy and emailed to info@bookcouncil.sg by the submission deadline of 1 September 2015.                            Member News and Events **To share your news, please send details to Catherine by the end of the month.**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
  •   SCBWI Singapore   Dear Singapore SCBWIies, Our Sketch n' Scribble walk through the Botanic Gardens on April 17th was an absolute delight! So much so that the five of us that attended are super keen to do it again. Some possible locations for our next outing include Sungei Buloh and the Junk Shop on the ring road near Turf City. Our walk, which was slow and steamy and involved a lot of sitting in the shade, listening, breathing and capturing the experience through paper and pen. A huge thank you to the incredibly talented David Liew for running the show and inspiring us all. Lunch in the airconditioning afterwards gave us plenty of time to catch up and talk shop. For those of you who missed the event, we enjoyed ourselves so much we will definitely plan some more. Also, we have plenty more activities scheduled for the coming months so check the details below and save the dates. We hope to see you there. All the best, from the SCBWI Singapore Team   Regional Advisor (RA): Ken Quek                                                email: kqky168@gmail.com Assistant Regional Advisor (ARA): Catherine Carvell               email: cjcarvell@bigpond.com    SCBWI Singapore News Singapore SCBWI online critique group Don't forget to post your manuscripts this week ! The SCBWI Singapore Online Critique Group is a new forum where SCBWI Singapore members can give and receive monthly critiques on their work in progress (be it manuscripts or illustrations). The aim of the group is to provide us with a place to chat, discuss works in progress, give and take advice on how to improve, receive encouragement to keep going when you’re feeling disheartened, and receive support and friendship from fellow creators.  If you are interested in joining the group please let me know and I will provide you with more information about how it all works. Please note, you must be a current Singapore SCBWI member to participate in this forum.                Upcoming Meetings May Meeting   Date: Wednesday May 13th, 2015 Time: 7pm Topic: Developing characters.  Venue: Relish, cnr of Bukit Timah Road and Cluny Park Road, first floor Cluny Court opposite Botanic Gardens MRT   AFCC Social Dinner, an opportunity to get together with local and international SCBWI members in Singapore for the AFCC.   Date: Thursday 4th June Time: 6.30pm to 11pm. Venue: Cedar Grill, 63 Boat Quay Cost: $40 ++ (drinks not included) RSVP by 22nd May is essential.   MENU Salad Fattoush (Romane lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, radish, garnished with summac and dried mint topped with extra virgin olive oil and toasted pita bread) Cold Mezza: Hummus (chickpea puree with sesame paste topped with extra virgin olive oil served) Baba Ghanoush (char-grilled eggplant with mixed capsicum topped with extra virgin olive oil) Moutabal (aubergine puree topped with extra virgin olive oil) Pita Bread Hot Mezza Falafel (deep-fried fava beans croquettes served with tahina sauce) Cheese Roll (Deep fried pastry with feta cheese filling) Mains  Shish Taouk  (Chicken cubes specially marinated overnight with Lebanese herbs & spices, char-grilled to perfection) Lamb Kebab Kofta (Char-grilled minced lamb with Arabic herbs & spices) Mousakaa (Char-grilled eggplant cooked with chickpeas & onions, stewed with tomato sauce) Vermicelli Rice                Member News and Event Congratulations to Pauline Loh whose book Not in the Stars has been shortlisted for the Hedwig Anuar Children's Book award 2015. The winner will be announced at on May 30th at the opening ceremony of the AFCC. We have our fingers crossed for you Pauline!   Congratulations to Linda Fitzpatrick for being awarded first place in the Federation of Australian Writers (FAW) 2014 National Literary Awards for her (as yet) unpublished short story, The Day Mum Sold the Touchscreen.   "From the short list of nine, first prize winner, The Day Mum Sold the Touchscreen, stood out from first reading with its immediacy and authentic dialogue and humour—sibling rivalry and its repercussions with an unexpected ending."  Margaret Campbell (judge) Book Launches Several SCBWI Singapore members have books being launched at the upcoming AFCC. Go to the AFCC Book Launch page for more details. Pauline Loh's picture book, Playtime with Ye Ye will be launched as part of the Singapore Memory Project. This delightful story shares the nation’s history through Ye Ye’s account of his immigration to Singapore, the Japanese Occupation and Singapore’s independence.  The Adventures of Squirky the Alien #3 written by Melanie Lee and illustrated by David Liew. Squirky and Emma land on Planet R and are treated as intruders. They are brought to the mysterious Red Commander, who seems especially unfriendly and unwilling to help. However, the Red Commander reacts strongly upon finding out who Squirky is. Why? Will Squirky get any closer to finding his birth parents?   The annotated bibliography, Forest of Stories, edited by SCBWI Singapore member Evelyn Sue-Wong and Dr Myra Garces-Bacsal showcases a selection of trees and forest-themed picture books and information books from around the world, which can be used as a teaching resource or find interesting books for children to read.     **To share your news, please send details to Catherine by the end of the month.                                                          Other (Non-SCBWI) Items The 2015 Asian Festival of Children's Content (AFCC)  is looking fab and is approaching fast.  SCBWI members receive a 10%  discount.   When you register via the AFCC Eventbrite ticketing system, just enter the discount code “SCBWI2015” without the quotation marks.   http://afcc.com.sg/2015/page/register-2015   The discount is only applicable to the Full Festival Pass and to the Writers & Illustrators Conference 3-day Pass  
  •     SCBWI Singapore   Dear Singapore SCBWIies, A big thank you to SCBWI Singapore members, Sarah Mounsey and Emma Nicholson for their honest and informative insights into the pros and cons of self-publishing at our meeting last month.    The discussion covered all aspects of self-publishing from how to apply for an IBN and how to find an illustrator, to hidden costs, the trials of marketing and of course, the joy of finally holding that longed for book in your hands. I'm sure I can speak for everyone who attended when I say it was was an extremely valuable evening. For those of you who missed the event, we have plenty more activities scheduled for the coming months so check the details below and save the dates.We hope to see you there. All the best, from the SCBWI Singapore Team   Regional Advisor (RA): Ken Quek                                                email: kqky168@gmail.com Assistant Regional Advisor (ARA): Catherine Carvell               email: cjcarvell@bigpond.com        SCBWI Singapore News   Connect with a Singapore SCBWI critique group   If you would like to start a critique roup, join a group, or have an existing critique group with room for a new member, email Catherine Carvell on cjcarvell@bigpond.com I will send you a brief questionnaire to find out what sort of group will suit you best and put you in touch with other members with similar expectations.  Room to Read book donations. This month SCBWI Singapore authors and illustrators donated a basketful of books to Room to Read.  http://www.roomtoread.org/   This gorgeous collection of local books will be auctioned to raise much needed funds for this wonderful charity. Well done SCBWI Singapore!   Room to Read is a global organization that transforms the lives of millions of children across 10 countries in Asia and Africa by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education.    A big thank you to Sarah Mounsey for coordinating this fantastic effort!    Upcoming Meetings Critiquing 101 Date: Wednesday 11th March, 2015 Time: 7.00pm  Venue: TBA Would you like to join a critique group but lack the confidence?  In this relaxed and friendly workshop, we will go over the basics on how to give (and take) a good critique. And the best bit ?!! Four lucky members will have the opportunity to have their manuscripts critiqued. If you have a manuscript you would like to be critiqued please see the guidelines detailed below. Guidelines for manuscript submissions Submissions should be to 1000 words maximum. Submissions should be emailed to Catherine at cjcarvell@bigpond.com as a separate word document attachment. The work should show the title, your name, genre and word count, be in 12-point, times new roman, double-spaced, and paginated.             Label the attachment with your name and the title of the work, example: “CATHERINE CARVELL-Title of Story”             Submission deadline Sunday 8th March 2015. (NB. If more than 4 submissions are received we will apply a highly scientific decision making process and draw names out of a hat.)             Sketch and Scribble Walk   Date: Friday 17th April, 2015 Time: 10am  Venue: We will meet at the Bukit Timah entrance to the Botanic Gardens (next to Botanic Gardens MRT)   Please join us for a morning of peaceful inspiration at the Botanic Gardens. Bring notepads, pens, sketchbooks, and whatever fancy colouring-in devices float your boat.  The tour will be led and coordinated by David Liew and will be followed by a coffee and/or lunch at Simply Bread at Cluny Court.    May Meeting   Date: Wednesday May 13th, 2015 Time: 7pm Venue: TBA   AFCC Social Dinner   Date: Thursday 4th June Time: 7.30pm for pre-dinner drinks. 8.30pm for dinner. Venue: TBA Cost: TBA   This will be an opportunity to get together with local and international SCBWI members in Singapore for the AFCC, for a social dinner.   SCBWI International News   2014 Crystal Kite Awards   The annual Crystal Kite Award is a peer-voted award to recognize great books from 15 SCBWI regional divisions around the world. If you have an eligible book published in 2014, please ensure you enter via the process below: 1. Add the book to the publications on your member profile 2. Indicate that you would like the book entered by clicking the relevant box Books must be entered electronically by 15 March.    The Caldecott and Newberry Awards go to SCBWI Members Dan Santat was awarded the Caldecott for Beekle: Kwame Alexander won the Newberry for The Crossover                Member News and Events   Upcoming Events:   Book Launch:    SCBWI members Melanie Lee and David Liew will be launching Who is the Red  Commander? the third book in their collaborative Squirky the Alien series!   There will be story telling, drawing demonstrations and build-your-own-spaceship crafts for the kids so save the dates and please help spread the word.   Saturday 14th March at 3.30pm at Kinokuniya, Ngee Ann City and Saturday 21st March at 2pm at Kinokniya, Jurong.         Congratulations:   To SCBWI Singapore member Evelyn Wong whose bilingual picture book The Naughty Mynah will tour preschools in Singapore from April until July 2015 as part of the Story Box Series by  The Learning Connection.     This fun and interactive play is about a clever but mischievous mynah who is bilingual and agrees to help a visiting art teacher speak Mandarin to surprised students on his first day at school in Singapore. The Naughty Mynah is the second show in the Story Box Series. The first was the popular Purple Paw Prints written by Sarah Mounsey (another fabulous Singapore SCBWI member).    **To share your news, please send details to Catherine by the end of the month.          Other (Non-SCBWI) Items Registrations are open for the 2015 Asian Festival of Children's Content (AFCC)  which will run from 29th May to 7th June. SCBWI members receive a 10%  discount.   When you register via the AFCC Eventbrite ticketing system, just enter the discount code “SCBWI2015” without the quotation marks.   http://afcc.com.sg/2015/page/register-2015   The discount is only applicable to the Full Festival Pass and to the Writers & Illustrators Conference 3-day Pass    
  •   SCBWI Singapore   Dear Singapore SCBWIies, Welcome to 2015! We kicked off the year in style with the first of our monthly get togethers. January's meeting was at Relish in Cluny Court, and it was great to meet some of our newest members as well as catch up with old regulars.      The discussion revolved around what we would like to get out of SCBWI during 2015 and there were certainly plenty of ideas to keep us busy throughout 2015 and beyond. The next few meetings have been scheduled so check the details below and save the dates.We hope to see you there. All the best, from the SCBWI Singapore Team   Regional Advisor (RA): Ken Quek                                                email: kqky168@gmail.com Assistant Regional Advisor (ARA): Catherine Carvell               email: cjcarvell@bigpond.com        SCBWI Singapore News   Connect with a Singapore SCBWI critique group Do you feel like you’re working in a bubble without any idea of whether you’re on the right track? You don’t need to go it alone.  A critique group can offer feedback on your work in progress, advice on how to improve it, encouragement to keep going when you’re feeling disheartened, and support and friendship from fellow creators.  It only takes a few writers and/or illustrators willing to read their work or share their art, and eager to exchange opinions, to form a cohesive critique group.   How does a critique group work? That’s up to the members. If you’re starting a critique group, or as you fold into an existing group, you’ll have some decisions to make together. Talking through each person’s expectations, goals and styles at the onset will help ensure you’re all on the same page. Here are some things you’ll want to discuss: •    How regularly do you want to meet? Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or as needed? •    Where? In person at a home, library, cafe or online? •    Will you include refreshments and food, or are you there strictly for critique?  •    If you’re critiquing each other’s novels, are you comfortable reading an entire manuscript, or would you  prefer to bring individual scenes for critique? •    How do you prefer to review each other’s work—in advance by e-mail, or on the spot while read aloud at your meeting? •    Will the writer read his or her own work aloud or have someone else do the honours? •    Will the writer provide photocopies for each group member? •    How will you comment on each other’s work—taking turns or letting the feedback flow freely as inspired? •    What will be the group’s size and how will you bring in new members (or not)?   Before you join a group it can be helpful to think about what kind of group will work best for you.  •    Do you prefer to mingle exclusively with others in your genre or field, or are you open to mixing (eg picture book writers only;  all children’s writers; writers only; or writers and illustrators)? •    How productive are you and how often do you need feedback? •    How do you handle comments? Are you able to listen to criticism without getting defensive?  •    Are you willing to give others’ suggestions a try, even if at first you disagree? •    Do you feel more comfortable with others at your same level, or are you more inspired when you work with people across levels of experience?   If you would like to start a group, join a group, or have an existing critique group with room for a new member, email Catherine Carvell on cjcarvell@bigpond.com I will send you a brief questionnaire to find out what sort of group will suit you best and put you in touch with other members with similar expectations.   Room to Read book donations. SCBWI Singapore member, Sarah Mounsey is a volunteer for Room to Read.  http://www.roomtoread.org/   and is hoping to collect a basketful of books from local authors and illustrators to be used as an auction/raffle prize at an upcoming charity event.    Room to Read is a global organization that transforms the lives of millions of children across 10 countries in Asia and Africa by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education.    If you are able to donate a book/books that would be super.  If so please contact Sarah at sarahmounsey@hotmail.com and let her know which title (s) and when you could get them to her. Sarah will be at the SCBWI Singapore meeting on the 10th of Feb, or otherwise she can arrange a time and place to meet.      Children's Cancer Foundation   Are you interested in volunteering to read or illustrate at the Children's Cancer Foundation at Novena Square? If so, please contact  David Liew at bluewolfe@gmail.com     Tree Bibilography   Kenneth and Evelyn are working on a project to create an annotated bibliography of children’s picture book titles around the theme of trees. In the past two years they have produced “Splash! Asia” and “All About Rice” around the themes of water and rice respectively. These bibliographies contain 50 word annotations that help teachers, librarians and parents to find more picture books about these subjects to share with their children. Kenneth and Evelyn are seeking your help in two ways: - to recommend “Tree-themed” picture books to be added to the bibliographies. While the focus will be mainly on “Tree-themed” Asian titles, a classic like The Lorax by Dr Seuss would also be considered for inclusion. - to help in writing some of the annotations. These are fifty word synopses which explain the storyline and it’s relevance to the theme. If you are only able to help with the recommendations, that’s fine too. If you have any questions, or titles to recommend, please contact Kenneth or Evelyn.                  Upcoming Meetings Self Publishing - What does it take? Have you ever thought about self publishing your children's story? What does it take to self-publish? What are the benefits? What are the drawbacks? How do I start?  Come along to our meeting in February for a general discussion about all aspects of self-publishing, including the practicalities of book production, marketing, promotion, distribution and social media.   Date: Tuesday 10th February, 2015 Time: 7.00pm  Venue: Relish at Cluny Court, 501 Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore 259760 RSVP: to Catherine by Friday 6th February so I can verify the booking numbers.   Critiquing 101 Date: Wednesday 11th March, 2015 Time: 7.00pm  Venue: TBA Would you like to join a critique group but lack the confidence?  In this relaxed and friendly workshop, we will go over the basics on how to give (and take) a good critique. And the best bit ?!! Four lucky members will have the opportunity to have their manuscripts critiqued. More details later.   Sketch and Scribble Walk Date: Friday 17th April, 2015 Time: 10am  Venue: We will meet at the Bukit Timah entrance to the Botanic Gardens (next to Botanic Gardens MRT)   Please join us for a morning of peaceful inspiration at the Botanic Gardens. Bring notepads, pens, sketchbooks, and whatever fancy colouring-in devices float your boat.  The tour will be led and coordinated by David Liew and will be followed by a coffee and/or lunch at Simply Bread at Cluny Court.    SCBWI International News 2014 Crystal Kite Awards The annual Crystal Kite Award is a peer-voted award to recognize great books from 15 SCBWI regional divisions around the world. If you have an eligible book published in 2014, please ensure you enter via the process below: 1. Add the book to the publications on your member profile 2. Indicate that you would like the book entered by clicking the relevant box Books must be entered electronically by 15 March.                     Member News and Events Upcoming Event:   Meet-The-Author of Find and Seek Singapore Singapore SCBWI member Sally Roydhouse 7th February 2015 (Sat), 3.30 p.m. Kinokuniya Singapore Main Store Level 4, Ngee Ann City   In the newly released picture book - Find and Seek Singapore, a small boy arrives in Singapore with his family and discovers the sights, sounds and tastes of an intriguing city.   Ask questions and have your books signed by the author. A coloring station will also be set up for kids to come along and get creative.   For more information go to www.findandseebooks.com and/or www.facebook.com/findandseekbooks   Congratulations:   To SCBWI Singapore member Evelyn Wong whose bilingual picture book The Naughty Mynah Bird will be converted into a storytelling performance for the Story Box Series by The Learning Connection.       **To share your news, please send details to Catherine by the 1st of the month    Other (Non-SCBWI) Items Registrations are now open for the 2015 Asian Festival of Children's Content (AFCC)  which will run from 29th May to 7th June. SCBWI members receive a 10%  discount.   When you register via the AFCC Eventbrite ticketing system, just enter the discount code “SCBWI2015” without the quotation marks.   http://afcc.com.sg/2015/page/register-2015   The discount is only applicable to the Full Festival Pass and to the Writers & Illustrators Conference 3-day Pass   This year the AFCC has organised a Writers and Illustrators Retreat at Bintan. The Retreat is open to local and overseas children’s content creators writing, illustrating or creating content with an Asian focus. Only twenty slots available! A slot in the Retreat will be given according to the merit of the work submitted. The deadline for submissions is 28 February 2015. For more information click HERE.   Three workshops coming in February: Beyond Words: Book Publishing Beyond Words: Writing and Illustrating Children's Picture Books Beyond Words: Picture Books & Young Adult Fiction These workshops are run by the Academy of Literary Arts & Publishing / Singapore Book Council
  •       SCBWI Singapore News September 2015   Dear Singapore SCBWIies, We had a huge turn out at last month's meeting and it was fantastic to meet some new authors and illustrators and hear about their journeys so far. The topic of discussion was 'The Different Genres of Children's Literature' but of course, we managed to cover much more than that, and many new creative connections were formed in the process. Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday 15th September (details below) and we will be discussing the 'Ins and Outs of Self Publishing.' If you are interested in learning from our self published members about the good the bad and the ugly in self bublishing please do join us. And if you have already self published a children's book please do come along and share your experiences and expertise with the rest of us. We would love to hear your self publishing story! All the best,  Catherine Carvell Singapore SCBWI RA                email: cjcarvell@bigpond.com    SCBWI Singapore News Singapore SCBWI online critique group Don't forget to post your manuscripts this month ! The SCBWI Singapore Online Critique Group is a forum where SCBWI Singapore members can give and receive monthly critiques on their work in progress (be it manuscripts or illustrations). The aim of the group is to provide us with a place to chat, discuss works in progress, give and take advice on how to improve, receive encouragement to keep going when you’re feeling disheartened, and receive support and friendship from fellow creators.  If you are interested in joining the group please let me know and I will provide you with more information about how it all works. A new monthly meeting with a focus on Picture Books One of our Singapore SCBWI' members, DeDi Hassan, suggested a monthly meeting with a specific focus on Picture Books (on top of our current monthly meetings which have a much broader focus) might be of benefit to a lot of our members.   If you write, or think about writing picture books and would like to be involved in this exciting initiative please contact Dedi at  csoulisak@yahoo.com Thank you Dedi, for volunteering to coordinate this venture. I am sure it will prove to be a very popular one. Private SCBWI Singapore facebook page We have created a new (private) SCBWI Singapore facebook page the Singapore SCBWI Support Group. The posts on this page will be seen only by its members and as such will give us more freedom to ask questions and share ideas without everything being public. All current SCBWI Singapore members will receive an invite to the page very soon. PLease feel free to; - introduce you and your work  - provide useful info and help to inspire others  - share news and topics relevant to children's literature and our industry             SCBWI International News           On-the-Verge-Emerging Voices Grant Applications for the on-the-verge grant will be accepted between September 15 and November 15, 2015 Any writer or writer/illustrator from an ethnic and/or cultural background that is traditionally under-represented in children’s literature in America is eligible to apply. (American Indian, Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic, Pacific Islander) The manuscript must be an original work written in English for young readers and may not be under contract.  The applicant must be over 18, be unpublished, and should not yet have representation. For more information click here https://www.scbwi.org/awards/grants/on-the-verge-emerging-voices-grant/                 Singapore SCBWI Upcoming Events The Ins and Outs of Self-publishing   Date: Tuesday 15th September Time: 7pm Venue: Relish, first floor Cluny Court opposite Botanic Gardens MRT   If you want to learn how to go about self publishing in Singapore, this is a MUST for you. Self published authors and illustrators will talk about their experiences, lessons learned, the positives and negatives of self-publishing. And if you are already self-published , then please do come along and share with us your experiences. We would love to learn from you.    Singapore SCBWI Christmas Dinner     Date: Saturday 5th December     Time: 7pm      Venue: Ellenborough Market Café, Swissotel Merchant Court     Cost and payment method: To be advised               Non SCBWI News Beyond Words: Malay and Tamil Picture Books and YA Fiction The National Arts Council and National Book Development Council of Singapore invite children’s  and young adult fiction writers writing in Malay and Tamil to submit their unpublished manuscripts of children’s and young adult fiction to be published under the Beyond Wordsproject. Selected manuscripts will be funded under the Beyond Words scheme for Print and adaptation into Enhanced eBooks or App formats. The open call will close 30 August 2015. You can find more information here. Please direct all queries to prema@bookcouncil.sg. Understanding Rights and Contracts for Writers and Illustrators (21 Sep) Learn how to better manage your contractual relationship with your publisher. This 3-hour course specially designed for writers and illustrators will enlighten you on the terms in a publishing contract and other important know-hows.  You will also learn whether your works are copyright protected and how you can obtain the necessary copyright clearances for your works. Writing and Illustrating Picture Books (26 Sep) Join children’s writer and illustrator, Lee Kow Fong (Ah Guo), as he guides you through the process of writing, translating, editing and understanding the principles of children’s picture books. Suitable for new or emerging writers and illustrators of picture books. For more information, visit the ALAP website or email alap@bookcouncil.sg                Member News and Events Multilingual Storytelling Workshop Evelyn Wong will be doing a multilingual storytelling workshop, in collaboration with storyteller Tan Joo Hymn, at Singapore Writers Festival. More on the workshop and the Singapore Writers Festival in the next newsletter.   Book Launch You are invited to Hidayah Amin's launch of her illustrated children's book: Mina meets Cambridge. The book is about dreaming big and persevering to achieve one's ambitions despite adversities and challenges. The content is suitable for children 9 years and above. The book is illustrated by new SCBWI member Muhammad Jafri.                                   **To share your news, please send details to Catherine by the end of the month.**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
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SCBWI in Singapore

Singapore SCBWI aims to provide a range of activities for our members to network and learn from each other. We meet monthly to discuss different aspects of the industry and we have an online critique group where our members can give and receive feedback on their works in progress. 

SCBWI Singapore is also a partner of the

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EVENTS CALENDAR

Hi folks,
Some reminders and announcements to kick off the year:

1. JANUARY MEETUP@ DAVID'S PLACE
THURSDAY 19 JAN 2016 7pm
Details in the recent email

2. CRYSTAL KITE AWARD 2017
Submission deadline: 21 March 2017
https://www.scbwi.org/awards/crystal-kite-member-choice-award/
SCWBI Singapore got its first flag up on to the hill last year - let's get some more up there!

3. THE SCWBI WINTER 2016-2017 READING LIST
Our presence is really starting to get felt on the SCWBI stage...

In the 2016 Summer List, we had 6 members' work on the list:
1. Jason Erik Lunderberg: A Curious Bundle for Bo Bo and Cha Cha
2. David Seow: A Day with the Duchess
3. Melanie Lee / David Liew: Why Am I Blue?
4. Adan Jimenez / Felicia Low: Sherlock Sam and the Obento Bonanza in Tokyo

Winter is here... and we have ANOTHER SEVEN members whose books have made the list!
1. Melanie Lee / David Liew: Where Is My Mama?
2. Srividhya Venkat: Brushing is no fun!
3. Lily Kong: Dad's Too Busy
4. Namita Moolani Mehra: The Magic Spicebox
5. Lianne Ong: Maxilla
6. Don Bosco: The Legend of Lady Yue (Sherlock Hong, Book 4)

4. AFCC 2016 DISCOUNT FOR SCWBI MEMBERS
And here's an announcement from your friendly neighbourhood Book Council :)

"As done in previous years, members from SCWBI will be able to enjoy a 10% discount off the 3-day Writers & Illustrators Conference ticket, and the Full Festival Pass.

The SCWBI Members can use this discount code, ‘AFCC2017dcSCWBI’ to register for AFCC.

Please note:
- The discount code will offer a 10% off the price available during the period the ticket is purchased.
- We encourage you to use the discount code by 31 March 2017, 11.45pm, to enjoy a 10% discount off the Early Bird rate.
- The discount code will expire on 14 May 2017, 11.55pm Singapore time

If you are keen in applying for the AFCC Writers & Illustrators Retreat, you do not have to purchase your conference tickets first, as the payment for the Retreat will include admission to the 3-day Writers & Illustrators Conference."

Other SCBWI Regions

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