OCCUPY children’s book publishing at the Radical & Relevant Children's Books Mini-Conference

April 6, 2012 - PRLog -- Children's book authors, illustrators, and designers (or anyone aspiring to be one!) are invited to immerse themselves in the warm waters of a literary revolution at Reflection Press' first-ever Radical & Relevant Children's Books mini-conference May 12th, 2012 in San Francisco. During these economic times, many of the smaller publishers are diminishing while the need for books that genuinely reflect the diverse face and experience of ALL children is ever growing. This mini-conference hopes to support a publishing revolution, whether within or without traditional publishing, by sharing the evolving resources that free individuals to create high quality content infused with a spirit of social justice.

Currently less than 1% of children’s books published each year are written BY AND ABOUT people of color¹, yet nearly half (45%) of young people are people of color.² Additionally, less than 1% have lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) characters³ yet in a class of 30 students 8 (27%)⁴ will be part of the LGBT community in some way, either themselves, a family member, or someone they know. This lack of appropriate reflection in our children’s media has very real effects for our children of color and LGBT children including low self-esteem, invisibility, increased bullying, and more. There has never been a more potent time, both politically and technologically, to create and publish books with or without the help of a big publisher in order to change these statistics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPf5XoPHsSU



Presenters include award-winning multicultural children’s book illustrator and author, Maya Christina Gonzalez, former Executive editor of Children’s Book Press, Dana Goldberg and Matthew Smith-Gonzalez co-founder and publishing manager of Reflection Press. Participants will contemplate story and art as a political act, get insights into getting their story into the hands of a publisher and editor, as well as the resources available to self-publish all the while within a community of like-minded and revolutionary minds.

Space is limited so register early. Early bird registration is through May 1st at sliding scale of $90-$125. Reflection Press is committed to making the event as accessible as possible to anyone who would like to attend so scholarships are also available.
For more info or to register visit: http://www.reflectionpress.com/conference


¹ "Children's Books by and about People of Color Published in the United States." CCBC: Cooperative Children's Book Center. Web. http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/pcstats.asp.
² "The Changing Face of America: Time-lapse Map Reveals How Non-whites Will Become the Majority in U.S. within 30 Years." Mail Online. Daily Mail Reporter, 27 May 2011. Web. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1391346/The-changing-face-America-Time-lapse-map-reveals-non-whites-majority-U-S-30-years.html.
³ Lo, Malindo. "Stats on LGBT Young Adult Books Published in the U.S." 14 Sept. 2011. Web. http://www.malindalo.com/2011/09/i-have-numbers-stats-on-lgbt-young-adult-books-published-in-the-u-s/.
⁴ “Breaking the Silence for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Youth.” (1996) New Hartford, NY.

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About Reflection Press:
Reflection Press is an independent publisher of radical children's books and works that expand spiritual and cultural awareness. With the motto, “Create a New Reality,” their work focuses on gender identity awareness, dismantling gender stereotypes, bringing light to power and privilege, eradicating racism, sexism, heterosexism, ageism, sizeism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, and any other –ism or –phobia out there! Founded in 2009 in San Francisco.