Books offer people an opportunity to travel to places outside of themselves. Whether you’re reading a heartwrenching novel or the author writing it, there is a space literatura takes up that nothing can touch.
A reality that many Latino and Latine creators encounter when trying to get their eloquent stories from their screens to print isn’t linear. It can be an uphill battle. For this reason, Alex Villasante and Mayra Cuevas, award-winning authors, co-founded the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival y por ende created the LKBF Latinx Storytellers Conference.
To Uruguayan Villasante and the Puerto Rican Cuevas, this conference was more than just a literary gathering, it was a movement looking to help their community advance. As authors, they have a deep understanding of the precarious and vulnerable paths that can unfold when one seeks to pursue something in publishing.
The Latinx Storytellers Conference emphasizes community, connection, and belonging for Latino and Latine creators of all creeds and cultural backgrounds
Villasante tells Latinidad Collective, “The first step is to acknowledge just how diverse we are — in race, culture, and origin, not to mention our intersecting identities of gender, religion, sexual orientation, language, and so much more.
“What brings us together is that we are storytellers navigating the world through the lens of this multitudinous Latinidad,” Villasante continues.
The Grief Keeper author asserts that “we are stronger together,” and through the conference, hopes to serve those who have felt unseen within the industry.
The co-founder adds, “An idea marginalized folx encounter in publishing a lot is that there are only so many spaces at the table — that we are somehow in competition with other Latinx creators.”
“With this conference and with all we do, we want to explode that idea as a myth. The table is infinite; we make room for each other,” Villasante emphasizes.
Cuevas adds that the goal of the conference is to provide “Latinx writers and illustrators access to the publishing industry in a tangible way”
“In 2020, we launched the Latinx KidLit Book Festival with the goal of connecting students, educators, and librarians with Latinx authors and illustrators and their books. From day one, this has been a mission-driven, community-led, grassroots organization,” Cuevas explains.
The Does My Body Offend You? co-author continues, “We work with creators, educators, and publishers to foster a love of story amongst young readers and bridge the gap between the number of Latinx students in the classroom and the books that represent them. The natural next step was to create a pipeline for Latinx storytellers to publish their stories.”
As authors, Villasante and Cuevas felt a “deep responsibility to share” their networks with their community. So, they got to work and received a world of support.
“When we discussed the idea of a conference with the LKBF Board of Directors, Aevitas Creative Management Partner and literary agent, Adriana Dominguez, immediately jumped on board,” Cuevas added.
Dominguez, much like Cuevas and Villasante, is a heavyweight in her own right, but the founding member Las Comadres’ literary conference, wasn’t the only one to join the founding team. LKBF Deputy Director Megan Jensen, LKBF Social Media Lead Ines Lozano, and CNN’s Laura Diaz, also jumped on board.
The conference also counts with support from industry giants like Hachette Book Group, Macmillan Publishers, the Scholastic Corporation, Penguin Random House, and HarperCollins Publishers.
Both the Aevitas Creative Management and Writers House literary agencies have thrown their hat in the ring as well. The Latinx Storytellers Conference also counts with community partners like Latinx in Publishing and The Authors Guild.
Authors, Illustrators and attendees will have two days packed with everything needed to advance their craft in a meaningful way
“We have an incredible slate of masterclasses! We have a track of adult novels, children’s books, illustrators, and poetry. Next year, we will be adding a nonfiction track,” Cuevas adds.
The author continues, “Attendees have the opportunity to learn craft from Newberry and Pura Belpré winner Donna Barba Higuera, and award-winning book creators Aida Salazar, Juana Martinez-Neal, and Joe Cepeda.”
“They also get access to an incredible slate of hard-to-reach editors! This is the first time Alloy Entertainment’s Vice President of Book Development, Joelle Hobeika, will be sharing her development process at a conference. Veteran Hachette editor Cheryl Klein and former Simon & Schuster editor Marcela Landres will be helping writers revise their manuscript,” Cuevas explains.
Villasante shares three key points with those attending.
“First, breathe. You are going to be okay! Everyone in the room will be, or will have been, in a similar part of their journey as you are. We get it, we’re storytellers, too! So, we see you. Take a breath and feel welcome,” the 2020 Lambda Awad winner notes.
Villasante adds, “Second, have a clear idea of what you want to know. Make sure you have three or four questions that you’d be thrilled to have answered at the end of the conference. These questions might be about publishing logistics, querying, or marketing, for example.”
“Whatever your questions are, write them down, practice them if you get nervous, and ask! We’re all here to help each other get our stories into the world. And finally, know that you are already part of this community. We built this conference with you in mind and we can’t wait to welcome you,” the co-founder concludes.
Visit LKBF Latinx Storytellers Conference for more information.
