SCBWI CenCal Writers and Illustrators Day 2026

08 Wednesday Jul 2026

Posted by Judy Y Faulkner in Central Coast, Illustrators Day, Tri-Regional News, Writers Days

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Carrie Turley, Carter Hasegawa, CenCal Writers and Illustrators Retreat, illustrators, Julie R. Sanders, Kayla Cichello, Lara Law, Lynn Becker, Merry Miller Gass, pitches, Rachel Diebel, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, writers

*The 2026 SCBWI CenCal Writers and Illustrators Day will take place at the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District Auditorium*

by Ann Rousseau Smith, SCBWI CenCal News Liaison

Join us for CRAFT, CREATIVITY, AND COMMUNITY at Writers and Illustrators Day 2026!

Meet up with other creatives on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District Auditorium, 1605 E. Burnley Street in Camarillo (same as last year). Lunch is provided. In addition to our speakers and first pages panel, we’ll be offering written critiques, writing contests, prizes, and a chance to mingle with other writers and illustrators. There will be an optional pitchfest on the next Saturday, October 31, 2026, via Zoom.

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Treasure Chest: July 2026

01 Wednesday Jul 2026

Posted by Eori Tokunaga in Central Coast, Contests & Grants, Illustrators Day, Industry Conferences, Los Angeles, PAL, SoCal, Treasure Chest, Tri-Regional News, Writers Days

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Alvina Ling, Andrea Loney, Aubrey Hartman, author-illustrator, authors, awards, Carter Hasegawa, contest, Critique Day, Crystal Kite Award, Emerging Voices Award, FAB Long Beach, Fall Harvest, Festival of AAPI Books, illustrators, Judy Campbell-Smith, Karina Grande, Los Angeles Kids Book Festival, Los Angeles Libros Festival, Michaela Whatnall, middle grade, PAL, Pitch-Perfect Translation Grant, Priscilla Burris, published, SCBWI Annual Summer Conference, SCBWI community, SCBWI Critique Groups, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, Summer Conference, volunteer, workshop, Write for Kids, Writers & Illustrators Day, young adult

Events, Opportunities, and Resources happening now and coming soon for the Tri-Regions and beyond

Check out more resources at the end of the post!

OPEN NOW
Register for the Virtual SCBWI Summer Conference 2026 today! “Dive into every aspect of the children’s book world, from writing and illustrating to translating, marketing, and self-publishing. Put your art in front of industry pros in the career-launching Portfolio Showcase. And get inspired by sessions tailored for illustrators, picture book authors, nonfiction writers, graphic novel creators, and more—no matter your path or publishing background. Best of all? You’ll have access to all sessions through September 13th, so you can learn and grow at your own pace. Join us and invest in your passion. It’s time to bring your stories to life!” The annual conference will take place online over Zoom from July 30, 2026, to August 2, 2026.

SAVE THE DATE—AUGUST 23
Add the annual SCBWI-LA Critique Day to your calendar on August 23, 2026! Critique Day is a free event on Zoom where you can “share your words or illustrations with a supportive small group who will give you feedback on your efforts.” Once the event page is listed, make sure to register so that we can send you the free Zoom link! “PLEASE NOTE: You are not registered until you press the green BOOK A SEAT button at the bottom of the registration page. You may need to scroll to the bottom or reduce the size of your screen if you haven’t found it.”

OPEN NOW
Registration for the 2026 SCBWI SoCal Fall Harvest Writers and Illustrators Day is now open! “Writers and illustrators are invited to a full day of speaker presentations, critiques, pitches and mingling with fellow creatives! We’ll have agents, an editor, an art director, published authors and an illustrator. This hybrid event is both in-person and via zoom. Attendees will have access to the videos for 30 days following the event and receive submission guidelines from all our faculty.” This annual hybrid event will take place on Saturday, October 3, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. We hope to see you there!

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Interview with Harshini Vankineni: Writing an Answer to an Insistent Question (and More)

26 Wednesday Mar 2025

Posted by Judy Y Faulkner in Author's Perspective

≈ 3 Comments

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Candlewick, Carter Hasegawa, Dara Hyde, Harshini Vankineni, interview, Neha Rawat, publishing, SCBWI community, writing

by Judy Faulkner

*Author Harshini Vankineni with the proof copy of her debut,* What Color is the Baby?

Harshini Vankineni is a writer and an immigrant from India and lives in Southern California with her husband and children. Her debut picture book, What Color is the Baby?, is set for release on April 1, 2025. Harshini writes picture books, young adult fantasy, and new adult romance. She likes to write complex characters who are often dealing with societal pressures head-on and to tell stories that are a lens to her culture.

Judy Y Faulkner: Welcome to Kite Tales, Harshini! Tell us a bit more about your history. Have you always been a writer?

Harshini Vankineni: Thank you, Judy. I think I’m a specimen of what middle-class Indian kids are brought up to be—despite many dreams and talents, you end up becoming a computer engineer or a doctor because of parental and societal pressures. I’m a graduate of Software Engineering. I came to the USA, or should I say was sent to the USA, to pursue a master’s in Computer Engineering. But I have been writing since the day I read an abridged version of The Tempest (with pictures and everything). My first manuscript was a really messy tale inspired by Johanna Spyri’s Heidi. I was twelve then, and boy, did I plagiarize. I wrote it in an expired, dated journal that an uncle gifted me, and my mother preserved it until I burned it. Because in that, the villain was my mother.

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Events, Opportunities, and Resources happening now and coming soon for the Tri-Regions and beyond

Check out more resources at the end of the post!

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