Singapore Writer’s Festival 2024: Capturing the Minds and Hearts of Young Readers
November 10, 2024, 4.3pm at The Arts House, Screening Room
What inspires writers to write children’s books that excite and resonate with young readers? In this panel discussion, you get to hear how these authors from different nationalities and backgrounds transform their love for the imaginative world into actual writing that piques the interest of the little ones.
Alan John
Alan John is a journalist and writer of children’s picture books. He has collaborated with illustrator Quek Hong Shin on four books: The One And Only Inuka, Ubin Elephant, Grandma’s Tiger and Harry Hippo’s Holiday. All these books are based on true events in Singapore, when animals made the headlines. Grandma’s Tiger won the Singapore Book Award 2023 and the Hedwig Anuar Book Award 2024 for best picture book. The One And Only Inuka won the Popular Readers’ Choice Award for best picture book.
Briony Stewart
Western Australian Briony Stewart is an award-winning children’s author and illustrator. In 2022, she won the Prime Minister’s Literary Award with Sheryl Clarke for the illustrated verse-novel, Mina and the Whole Wide World, and was a 2021 Honour Book recipient in the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards. Briony has lectured on children’s literature at Curtin University and conducts talks and workshops across Australia.
Briony Stewart
Western Australian Briony Stewart is an award-winning children’s author and illustrator. In 2022, she won the Prime Minister’s Literary Award with Sheryl Clarke for the illustrated verse-novel, Mina and the Whole Wide World, and was a 2021 Honour Book recipient in the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards. Briony has lectured on children’s literature at Curtin University and conducts talks and workshops across Australia.
Moderator
Denise Tan is a bookseller who has worked with children’s literature for over a decade. In 2013, she very delightfully co-founded Closetful of Books. With Closetful of Books, she shares her love for stories by bringing super-duper fun bookfairs, as well as talks and workshops with authors and illustrators to schools.