I am doing a series of interviews with invited guest speakers and other conference attendees: a Pre-AFCC 2013 Glitter, if you will. A shower of golden fairy dust and pixie glitter and virtual confetti to signal the coming of the Asian Festival of Children’s Content this year!
I am very happy and excited to feature one of our inspirations in the kidlitosphere and the blogging community, a real rockstar lady from the amazing PaperTigers website (which just celebrated its 10th year anniversary, talk about longevity!), the beautiful Corinne Robson!
She and the other PaperTigers ladies showed us such welcoming warmth when we were just starting out in the blogosphere that we feel as if we have been doing this forever! PaperTigers also has an incredible outreach program that you may want to check out here. Truly they are ladies after my own heart.
You will be moderating a masterclass session on “Transforming Facts into Riveting Reading”. Do let us know what to expect during this panel discussion.
This panel session will feature author Chris Cheng (Australia), author/publisher Shirin Yim Bridges (USA), and author/editor Mio Debnam (HongKong). Together they will discuss how they turn dry fact into happy, riveting reading. While fiction looks like it has a flashier bag of tricks for enticing readers, there’s a knack to writing non-fiction that can lure kids into enjoying what could otherwise be a dry and dull read.Chris, Shirin and Mio will share their knowledge and expertise with us.
Another session that you are moderating is our Project Splash! Asia presentation – do give our readers a sampler of what to look forward to in this panel.
Project Splash! Asia is a project near and dear to my heart as I was invited to be involved on the organizing committee. The United Nations has designated 2013 as the International Year of Water and the National Book Development Council of Singapore thought that to celebrate, it would be great to put together an annotated bibliography of water-themed children’s books from or about Asia.
This bibliography will be unveiled at the AFCC and we will have a special Project Splash! Asia session on Wednesday, 29 May, from 1:45 – 2:30pm. I invite everyone to come out and celebrate the bibliography launch with us. Learn more about the team behind the project (including the amazing bibliography illustration team), find out more about the themes generated for the bibliographies and the books listed, meet some of the authors and illustrators whose books are included and more!
Our hope is that the bibliography (which includes over 100 books!) will be a useful resource for parents, teachers, storytellers, librarians, and more! In addition we hope that the Project Splash! Asia bibliography will not only inspire Asian children to treasure their Asian heritage but will showcase Asian children’s literature to the world and at the same time highlight the universal importance of water in our lives.
What are you most looking forward to during this year’s Festival?
The people! It is such an inspiring feeling to be surrounded by those who share the same passion for children’s literature, who are always so warm and welcoming, and who are eager to share their areas of expertise with others.
This is your second time in Singapore (am I right?), what are the places you are excited to visit this time around?
My first visit to Singapore was for the 2011 Asian Festival of Children’s Content and I’ve been looking forward to returning ever since. I was so enamored with the city that I wanted to pack my bags and move there. I loved that I could go out for a stroll and return to my hotel a few hours later feeling like I had just traveled the globe; the sights, smells and sounds of Little India, the Arab quarter, Chinatown, the Colonial District and more! I love the diversity in Singapore – it truly is a gathering spot for people of many ethnicities and religions and in part that makes it the perfect spot to hold AFCC. When I’m not at the AFCC I just want to get out walking and absorb the different vibes that each Singaporean neighbourhood offers.
Very excited to see you again, Corinne! Safe travels!
Check out these posts about the Asian Festival of Children’s Content done by PaperTigers:
Looking for a little Pre-AFCC (Asian Festival of Children’s Content) Glitter?
Shortlisted candidates for the Singtel Asian Picture Book Award (Author)
Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award and SingTel Asian Picture Book Award Shortlists Announced!
Gathering Books 
Myra…wonderful post on Corinne…I can hardly wait to meet both of you!
I agree 100% with Corinne…I think the best thing about these types of conferences is…the PEOPLE!
LikeLike
Pingback: Gathering books’ Pre-AFCC Glitter Post Featuring PaperTigers’ Corinne Robson
Pingback: [Monday Reading] Award-Winning Picture Books from the Philippines: Tight Times and Naku, Nakuu, Nakuuu! |