Packaging Your Imagination (PYI) Conference
Registration opens in JULY for Packaging Your Imagination 2025.
Join us IN PERSON: Saturday, October 25 2025 in Toronto .
OR
Connect with PYI RECORDED: Professionally recorded PYI sessions will be available in November.
Photos from PYI 2023 by Caroline Fernandez | CANSCAIP’s Packaging Your Imagination ConferenceCANSCAIP has hosted this highly regarded professional development conference for 40 years. You are welcome to join us for this inspiring day of learning, business and networking. Be part of the community of Canada's children's writers, illustrators, performers and publishers, who gather together annually for Packaging Your Imagination (PYI).REGISTRATION opens in JULY! Saturday, October 25, 20259:00 am to 5:00 pm
Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute
209 Victoria Street, Toronto
Videos of PYI sessions and keynotes |
PICK YOUR OWN PYIYou choose 4 of the 12 in person (or recorded) sessions. ALL registrations include both keynote speakers. RECORDINGS OF ADDITIONAL SESSIONSAfter selecting four sessions for PYI IN PERSON or PYI RECORDED, | PYI 2024 SESSIONS & SPEAKERS1. Un-Stick Your Picture Book Manuscript: Tell It What It Is - ERIN ALLADIN 3. Illustration as Productive Rebellion - JACK WONG 4. Turning Up the Volume: The Story Behind So Loud! SAHAR GOLSHAN, SHIVA 5. Reading by Flashlight: Using Suspense to Hook Young Readers - CHRISTINA KILBOURNE 6. Set Your Silly Goose Loose! Writing Early Chapter Books That Delight - ANNA HUMPHREY 7. Breaking In Panel - JILLIAN DOBSON, ROSENA FUNG, PRITI MAHESHWARI, ANDREW KATZ (Moderator) 8. The Unforgettables: Crafting Memorable Characters in Fiction and Nonfiction - WANDA TAYLOR 9. Collage 101 - ASHLEY BARRON 10. Publishing Panel – SARAH HOWDEN, KAREN LI, SAMANTHA SWENSON, 11. Writing the Tough Stuff - VIKKI VANSICKLE 12. The How-to of Humour: A Serious Study of Hilarity - MARCUS CUTLER OPENING KEYNOTE: The Importance of Storytelling | MELANIE FLORENCE |
ONE-TO-ONE EVALUATIONSAdd a One-to-One to your PYI IN PERSON registration for $75. A One-to-One is a 15-minute meeting with a publishing professional who has evaluated 1,000 words of your manuscript, or 10 images from your online illustration portfolio. One-to-One meetings are in person at the PYI venue on Sat Oct 26, between 5:00 and 8:30pm ET. (Sorry, SOLD OUT) One-to-Ones are verbal evaluations without written notes. PYI 2024 ONE-TO-ONE EVALUATORS Erin Haggett, Scholastic Canada Kathleen Keenan, Kids Can Press Jieun Lee, Annick Press Karen Li, Groundwood Books John Martz, Tundra Book Group (portfolios) Khary Mathurin, Annick Press Patricia Ocampo, Kids Can Press Peter Phillips, Tundra Book Group Ella Russell, Owlkids Books Emma Sakamoto, Groundwood Books | WHAT ATTENDEES ARE SAYING"I always come away from PYI having learned something, having been inspired, and feeling more confident about my writing." "Always amazing--I recommend it to EVERYONE." "So well organized with great variety of presenters. I felt welcomed to this writing community as soon as I entered the building." "Thank you so much for this fantastic conference, for the speakers who know their stuff, and for the editors who give their time for the always-valuable One-to-One sessions." |
Social Events for Your PYI Long Weekend!To encourage CANSCAIPers from across Canada to come to Toronto for PYI, we’re adding some fun pay-your-own-way events, so you can plan a terrific PYI Long Weekend. Come early for PYI and stay later! Friday October 24 from 6:00 to late is PUB NIGHT at the Firkin on Yonge (2 blocks from the PYI venue). Everyone is welcome to this informal gathering with drinks, food, and conversation. Saturday October 25 from 12:00 to 1:30pm is a NETWORKING LUNCH at the PYI venue, with activities and opportunities to connect with other conference goers. The extended lunch break gives you time to pick up your lunch from many nearby restaurants—or you can bring your lunch from home. Sunday October 26 at 11:00am is a BRUNCH BUFFET at the famous Hothouse Café at the corner of Church and Front Streets—in the historic heart of Old Toronto. This large and welcoming restaurant has a legendary buffet, plus an omelet station, roast beef and ham carving stations, desserts by the dozens, and much, much more! Monday October 27 is the BOOK AWARDS GALA presented by the Canadian Children's Book Centre. It’s a nice evening event, but not formal. We'll let you know when the CCBC puts the Gala tickets on sale. |
THANK YOU!Your registration for our conference helps support CANSCAIP and our PYI speakers. |
CANSCAIP
720 Bathurst St., Suite 412, Toronto, ON M5S 2R4
Email: office@canscaip.org
Phone: 1-416-515-1559