View as Webpage

SCBWI Benelux Newsletter

June / July 2024

Dear friends,

 

Join us on our face-to-face meet-ups in Brussels, Amsterdam and Luxembourg this June! Feel free to share your events ideas and to volunteer spontaneously. We look forward to meeting you. 

 

What a wonderful year we’ve had with so many guest speakers about writing, illustrating and translating… Among them, Paddy Donnelly, author and illustrator, Sara Sargent – Senior Executive Editor at Random House Children’s Books, Joy Bean – Editorial Director at Arctis Books, Adria Goetz – senior agent at KT Literary, Nadine Pinede - poet, author, editor, and educator, along with two creative retreats, a new book club for Middle Grade novels, illustrators huddles and many community building and craft honing moments!

 

We learnt tons with you and would encourage you to pop in as often as you can, as SCBWI gives you back as much as you put in. Life comes first of course, yet the more we meet up and exchange, the more we grow our craft and friendships.

 

If you know fun prompting exercises that you found valuable, please contact me at benelux-ra@scbwi.org. We could organise new artists’ dates. It’s always a lot of fun to create and learn new tricks together.

 

We all work as volunteers and put our heart and souls into these events. We hope you enjoyed them. Feel free to share your event ideas and to volunteer on a particular project close to your heart.

 

Sending you all my wishes for a wonderful summer!

 

See you in September,

Fanély


Coffee Meet-ups

We're organising another series of face to face meetups! Contact Dean, Zita or Fanély (depending on your location) and let them know you're coming.


Belgium: Saturday, June 8th.11am. Parc Du Cinquantenaire, Brussels. Contact Dean for more info: dean_wallis@yahoo.com

The Netherlands: 29th of June in Amsterdam at the central library from 11:00 to 13:00 o’clock, at the cafe on the 7th floor with our member Zita Christie: zitachristie14@gmail.com

Luxembourg: Saturday 15th of June from 10am until noon at the Chocolate House. Are you coming? Please contact Fanély at benelux-ra@scbwi.org.

​​Illustrator Huddle

Hello, illustrators and author-illustrators!On Thursday, June 20th, give and receive peer feedback in this online illustrator huddle. Share what you are working on and get helpful takes from others.


In past huddles we’ve shared all kinds of work, from portfolios to character studies and even full dummies. Members met from the Netherlands, Romania, France, Canada, and beyond. Alina Manolache self-published her picture book "Little Red is making friends" after sharing the dummy as a work in progress in our huddles last year. She writes: "Thank you for the kind and to-the-point feedback. It helped a lot!"


This event is FREE, but you must register to participate.


WHEN: Thursday, June 20th, 19:00-20:30 CET

WHERE: Zoom (you will receive the meeting link via email once you have signed up)

Not to miss!

To help your career take off, make the most of these awards and submission / pitch opportunities!


SCBWI Summer Conference

Join the online SCBWI Summer Conference to learn everything about the current market and how to break into it. Premium members can also book pitch meetings with acquiring agents and editors!

Save the date! Europolitan Conference

At the Europolitan conference in Cologne on October 26-27, you have the chance to meet industry professionals face to face and further your career. Join their mailing list to stay up to date!

New picture book Alina Manolache

Congratulations to member Alina Manolache on her new picture book, Little Red Is Making Friends.


“Together with Grandma, Red embarks on a spirited adventure. Along the way she eats delicious blueberries, helps a blue jay build her nest, and befriends a pack of wolves (yes, you read that right, not one wolf but a pack).

In this book inspired by Little Red Riding Hood, lively illustrations reminiscent of watercolor are woven with the right amount of text to tell a captivating and touching story about playfulness, compassion, and making friends.”

Picture book by Lori Copperman Evans

Lori Copperman Evans published her picture book The Voyage of Aart Aap in May. It is now available via BookScout.

"Stuffed monkey Aart Aap is magically brought to life in a tiny Dutch village and charged with delivering hugs across the ocean.

On the giant container ship, Aart escapes his box, bites the ship's captain, steals bananas, and wins your heart. Will hugs win out over bananas? Includes lyrics and music."

New books out by Sandra Martins

Author and illustrator Sandra Martins has had two books come out in April and May.

One is written by Jhemp Hoscheid and illustrated by Sandra and came out on April. The other came out in May and is the second volume of Sasha and Flint (of which Sandra is both author and illustrator). Two more volumes are set to follow, one for each season.

Shortlisted: Mayra Calvani and Mary Scarbrough

Mayra Calvani and Mary Scarbrough were shortlisted for the 2024 Historical Novel Society’s First Chapters Competition

Mayra for Violeta’s Adventures in Doll-Land (gothic/horror) and Mary for From the Unbelievable Files of Owney: Globe-Trotting Adventurer, Detective, and Railway Mail Protector (adventure/humor). 

Category winners to be announced on June 10th. 

Hollis Kurman for Refugee Week 2024

Hollis Kurman was invited to contribute to Refugee Week 2024 through her guest blog, ‘Lost and Found Home’, for RefugeeWeek UK.

Do you have good news to share? A new book release? A book birthday? Signed with an agent? We’d love to celebrate with you in our newsletter. Email good news to benelux-ra@scbwi.org.

Looking to hone your craft? These podcasts will get you started.

  • SCBWI Podcasts is a weekly podcast hosted by archivist Theo Baker. He interviews publishing professionals as well as award-winning writers, illustrators, and translators who inform and inspire about the ins and outs of the children's book industry
  • The Manuscript Academy Podcast is free for everyone, and features interviews with top agents, editors and authors on the craft, business, and community of publishing.


Available via website, Spotify or Apple Podcast.

Regional virtual events

Boost your learning with amazing virtual programming offered by SCBWI regions worldwide. Find upcoming online events on a wide range of topics given by publishing experts and fellow creators. Check out the Regional Virtual Events page and mark your calendar!

Your All-Volunteer Benelux Team:

Fanély Gouguet, Regional Advisor

Mayra Calvani, Assistant Regional Advisor

Kara Frost, Illustrator Coordinator

Esther Scherpenisse, Newsletter Editor

Dean Wallis, Belgium Coordinator

SCBWI Benelux Website

SCBWI Main Website

Benelux on Instagram

You are receiving this email because you are an SCBWI member or registered user. If this is in error or if you would rather not receive this type of communication, please click below to unsubscribe.