Last night was the two-year anniversary meeting of the TorKidLit group! We were a small but delightfully ranty bunch, and it was lovely to spend more time than usual catching up with folks like Cheryl Rainfield, Maureen McGowan, Nelsa Roberto and Jo Swartz. Most of our recent events have featured 20+ local authors scattered across several tables, and while meeting so many people in a single night is fabulous, it’s also pleasant to have the time for more in-depth conversations.
TorKidLit is short for Toronto Kid’s Literature; the group was founded by Debbie Ohi and Claudia Osmond, who had the bright idea of setting up an in-person meeting for all the children’s and young adult authors in the Toronto area who were already chatting via Twitter. I joined a few months after the first meeting, thanks to an invite by Megan Crewe. Like many others, I was a bit nervous at first – would I fit in? would I feel out of place as a yet-to-be-published writer among so many established pros? – but the warm welcome and general camaraderie soon set those fears to rest. It’s wonderful to socialize with other people who really get the whole writing & publishing experience, and of course, in-person conversation goes into all kinds of nooks and nuances that no one would commit to email these days!
For more info about the event, check out Debbie’s summary of the evening, which features her round-up of each author’s current and upcoming projects. You can also follow the TorKidLit group and find out about upcoming events through our Facebook page.
