The Georgia Conference on Children’s Literature draws hundreds of teachers, school media specialists, public librarians, authors, illustrators, and children’s literature scholars from the Southeast and beyond. Join us for the 55th Georgia Conference, where we will have an exciting lineup of keynote speakers, workshop sessions, and a diverse offering of breakout sessions. Additionally, the 2023 Georgia Children’s Book Award winners will be announced! The submission window for breakout session proposals will open in September 2023.

Keynote Speakers:

David Bowles
David Bowles is a Mexican American author and translator from Texas. He has written multiple award-winning titles, most notably The Smoking Mirror, the 13th Street chapter book series, the young adult graphic novel series Clockwork Curandera, the picturebook My Two Border Towns, and the award-winning novel in verse They Call Me Güero.

Elizabeth Dulemba
Elizabeth Dulemba is an award-winning illustrator, author, professor, blogger, and speaker. She has over three-dozen books to her credit, including her debut novel, A Bird on Water Street, for which she was named Georgia Author of the Year. Three of her recent picturebooks as illustrator were written by New York Times Best-selling author, Jane Yolen: Merbaby’s Lullaby (2019), Crow Not Crow (2018), and On Eagle Cove (2020). Her newest title, Teacup, is published under the pseudonym of Bae Broughton, after the street she lived on in Scotland.

Torrey Maldonado
Torrey Maldonado was born and raised in Brooklyn’s Red Hook projects. He has taught in the New York City Public Schools for over twenty-five years. His fast-paced and compelling stories are inspired by his and his students’ experiences. Torrey’s popular young readers novels include What Lane, Tight, and Secret Saturdays. Hands, his latest novel, is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, has received a starred review from School Library Journal, and is a “Best New Book of 2023.”

Stacy McAnulty
Stacy McAnulty is a children’s book author, who used to be a mechanical engineer. She has written an impressive number of STEM picturebooks, and some wonderful middle-grade novels, including the 2023 GCBA winner Millionaires for a Month. When she’s not writing, Stacy likes bake (and eat!) triple-chocolate cupcakes. Originally from upstate NY, she now lives in Kernersville, NC with her 3 kids, 3 dogs, and 1 husband.

Bob Shea
Bob Shea is an award-winning author-illustrator of many popular titles, including the 2023 GCBA picturebook winner Chez Bob. Bob has worked with Comedy Central, was the designer of the PBS Kids logo, developed an on-air character for Playhouse Disney, worked with Nick Jr., has appeared on Noggin and The Sunny Side Up Show. Dreamworks is developing one of his books into a television show. He lives in a yellow house with his wife and son.