PYI 2026 Sessions: in person ON Saturday, October 24, 2026

Speaker: DANIELLE DANIEL

Verse novels must contain all the same core elements as prose novels, but in a concise, poetic package. How can we make our story impactful and engaging with so few words? In this workshop, we’ll open our poetry toolbox and look at specific ways to amp up key story components and make the most of the verse format.

Speaker: SHARI GREEN

How can we make our audiences weep when our characters weep…or cheer when they cheer? In this workshop, we’ll explore multiple strategies to create compassionate tension in readers, through positioning them almost microscopically close to a character’s thoughts and emotions, while also providing them with clues to the peril of the “big picture” that lies outside the character’s understanding.

Speaker: SUSAN CURRIE

How is it that we can feel warmth when looking at a piece of art? What about an image makes us laugh with the characters? Empathize with them? In this talk I’ll walk viewers through my process in creating illustrations with strong emotional impact. We’ll discuss how colour, shape and composition affect the viewer's interpretation of illustrations and how we can use those elements to craft meaningful work.

Speaker: LYNN SCURFIELD

The Breaking-In Panel is a discussion between newly published authors to share their experiences in the publishing industry. They discuss topics on how they became traditionally published and/or acquired agents and share tips and tricks to inspire and motivate other aspiring authors in the audience. Everyone has a different publishing journey to share.

Speakers: DELANO BROWN, IAN DUNCAN, HOWIE SHIA,  TAMLA TANEIKA YOUNG

Moderator: HOWIE SHIA, SADÉ SMITH

Learn how to mine and develop personal symbols, and weave them into your storytelling to deepen meaning and draw readers in. Danielle will share examples from her own work and guide you in building a personal lexicon of symbols to enrich your writing and strengthen the symbolic threads running through your stories.

Speaker: DANIELLE DANIEL

Drawing on industry experience and case studies, Sara will explore the many ways that illustrators can create and share their work in order to be "found" by art directors and editors. Sara will discuss her path in publishing, how to bring more design and art direction thinking into your creative process, and how to collaborate effectively with a creative team in publishing.

Speaker: SARA GILLINGHAM

How do picture book authors and illustrators craft authentic narratives and tackle complex topics in ways that truly connect with kids? Yewande Daniel-Ayoade and Ken Daley, the creators of The Little Regent, join Jennifer Stokes, editorial director at Owlkids Books, to discuss their creative process, reflect on why diverse stories matter, and share insights on how to navigate challenging themes with care and clarity.

Speakers: KEN DALEY, YEWANDE DANIEL-AYOADE, JENNIFER STOKES

Have a great idea for a non-fiction book? In this engaging presentation, two award-winning, non-fiction children's book authors offer 7 practical steps to help you go from idea to bookshelf. They'll discuss how the process is different from fiction, give you some expert-level pointers, and help you sculpt a winning pitch.

Speakers: JOYCE GRANT & ANDREA CURTIS

BIPOC representation in children’s books is essential to inspire today’s youth and ensure a vibrant future for our entire community. Using examples from her work, Nneka will show us that creating BIPOC characters is more than selecting shades of skin colour, and demonstrate how to draw Black characters that jump off the page.

Speaker: NNEKA MYERS

This panel is consistently the most popular session at PYI. Each year a different group of publishers discuss their perspectives and experience in Canada's kidlit scene.

Speakers: ERIN HAGGETT, ALI MCDONALD, GAYNA THEOPHILUS

Moderator:  YASEMIN UÇAR

An author-editor shares strategies for elevating your writing through an iterative approach to self-editing. Learn how to sharpen scenes, chisel characters out of prose, root out writing ticks, and avoid common problems that make editors wince. Before-and-after examples demonstrate how to apply practical tips.

Speaker: HADLEY DYER

Challenging notions of too hard, too complex, and fears of getting it wrong, Carranza talks us through her journey from PhD in social justice education to writing about racism for children. An inspiring workshop on writing authentically, fearlessly, and sometimes autobiographically about the everyday experience of racism and its impact from a child’s POV.

Speaker: LEONARDA CARRANZA

The Claire Mackay Memorial Lecture is sponsored by the Peter and Eleanor Daniels Foundation

While I have loved so many of the books I have published, I want to talk about those which might have made a difference, brought about change, helped to open children’s eyes.

Speaker: PATSY ALDANA