Workshops for Writers of Fiction for Children and Young Adults (Jamaica)

Thursday March 6 - Friday March 7, 2014

More than 40 children’s literature enthusiasts and aspiring writers turned out for the CODE/CaribLit workshop on writing for children and young adults, held first in Kingston, Jamaica as part of the Kingston Book Festival. The workshop ran on March 6 and 7 and will be repeated in Guyana and Trinidad over the next few weeks. Led by Jamaica’s Diane Browne and Canada’s Richard Scrimger, the workshop covered the craft of and opportunities for writing for children and young adults. Highlights from our facilitator’s remarks are included below (PDF download).  Sign up for updates on future workshops and opportunities (please include your specific interests in your comment).

Facilitators: Diane Browne, Richard Scrimger

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Highlights

Highlights from CODE/CaribLit/Kingston Book Festival Workshop on Writing for Children and
Young Adults, March 6 – 7, Spanish Court Hotel, Kingston (PDF)

Handouts

• Early Childhood Curriculum Activity - Weather
  
• Early Childhood Curriculum Movement - Gold Medals
  
• Fry Formula
  
• Island Princess in Brooklyn Handout
  

Burt Award

Submissions for the next Burt Award for Caribbean Lit for Children and Young Adults open June 1, 2014. Visit codecan.org for details. 

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Videos

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Photos from the workshop

Quotations

"There are no rules in children’s literature. Tell your own story. But the story has to be convincing." - Richard Scrimger

"Your first draft is your truest. Say the things you need to say. Then remove/add to make story better." - Richard Scrimger

"Children’s writers must know themselves well. Your values, issues, prejudices will show in your work." - Diane Browne

"Jamaican folklore has rich pool to draw on for supernatural, dystopian fiction" - Diane Browne

"The writer is a bad citizen. A liar. A terrible parent. Get the kids in your stories in trouble." - Richard Scrimger