Asian Festival of Children's Content Press Conference 2014

A few days after our return from London, the National Book Development Council of Singapore held a press conference for the upcoming Asian Festival of Children's Content. Originally conceived as the Asian Children's Writers and Illustrators Conference by NBDCS Director, Mr Ramachandran, the festival has grown exponentially and includes conferences for teachers and parents and is now popularly known as the AFCC. As Mr Rama has said over the years, he hopes the festival will bring Asian content to the world's children.

Mr Ramachandran, Ms Lim Li Kok, Ms. Claire Chiang, HE Vijay Thakur Singh, Mr Kenneth Quek

As Deputy Director of the Council and Festival Director of the festival, Kenneth kicked off the press con with a detailed overview of what participants can expect from the conference. And this year's conference looks set to be even bigger and better than the previous years', if that's even possible. Some of the literary glitterati who have attended the event in previous years include Susanne Gervay, Wendy Orr, Norman Jorgensen, James Foley, Chris Cheng, Alvina Ling, Rukhsana Khan, and  Sarah Odedina.

Ken and the book 'Water' which was launced at last year's AFCC.

Once again, there will be an impressive line-up of panels, workshops and masterclasses for parents, teachers, authors and illustrators. This year you'll  get the chance to get up close and personal with the likes of Sally Gardner, Atanu Roy, Leonard Marcus, Subir Shukla, Sampurna Chattarji, Sandhya Prabhat, Frane Lessac, Kathleen Ahrens, AJ Low, Mariko Nagai,  Andrew Weale, James Mayhew, AJ Low, and Ken Spillman to name a few. 

And if you are an aspiring author or illustrator, this may just be the year you'll find yourself on the road to publication. You'll have the opportunity to pitch their story ideas to agents and content developers.

Catherine Carvell "Darcy Moon and the Deep Fried Frogs", Sarah Mounsey "Purple Paw Prints" and Emma Nicholson "Princess Petunia's Dragon" are just some authors who attended the festival and were subsequently published! Not bad, right?

This year's country of focus is the Asia's literary heavyweight -India! 

HE Vijay Thakur Singh

After Kenneth's introduction to the this year's festival, the Indian High Commissioner , Ms Vijay Thakur Singh, took to the podium to talk about India's rich and vibrant history in story-telling.

Then it was time for Claire Chiang, Chairman of AFCC's Board of Advisors to announce the shortlist for the Scholastic Asian Book Award. 

Ms. Claire Chiang

The shortlisted authors are:

1. Aditi Krishnakumar for Ergo Sum (India)

2.  Catherine Torres for Sula's Voyage (Philippines)

3. Thia Shi Min for Dragonhearted: The Fine Spell of Words Alone (Singapore)

4. Sophia Lee for What Things Mean (Philippines)

5. Vivek Bhanot for Robin and the Case of the Summer Camp Kidnapping (India)


Congratulations to all of the shortlisted writers and if you would like to find more about the AFCC please click this link @AFCC Registration. I hope to see you there!

Leonard Marcus Singapore Children's Literature Lecture at the Asian Festival of Children's Content

Noted Children's Book historian, author and critic Leonard Marcus will be presenting the Singapore Children's Literature Lecture at the Asian Festival of Children's Content and guess whose book has been selected to be dramatised there...mine!! I am truly humbled, honored and grateful that something that came out of my teeny mind has been selected to be part of such a prestigious event. To say that I am very, very, very, very grateful would be an understatement of monumental proportions.

Ok.  Been feeling a bit blah about things..so I decided to post the text of my book Blow A Kiss here for those who may be feeling the same way. So here it is. Hope it makes you feel better. If you would like to order a copy of the book please head to the 'Buy' tab on this page.

Blow A Kiss

By David Seow

© David Seow, 2010

Can you blow a kiss?

Get ready, get set, blow

Now let's see where 

your little kiss will go

It will ride on the wings

 of sweet gentle dreams

skip by babbling brooks 

and splash in crystal streams

Weave through gold-quilted valleys

and rainbow painted plains

sweep by cities and towns,

cars, ships and trains...

Cross the biggest, bluest oceans;

brave the stormiest of seven seas...

Soar over soft, snow-capped mountains

drift through forests of a thousand trees

Pass swirling hills 

of blazing desert sands; 

fly to faraway places,

fly to farway lands.

From lands of peace

to lands at war,

to children who have barely seen a smile

or heard a laugh before,

Where people fight when they are different,

where people fight when they're the same,

but the all have families who love them

and know them by name,

Your kiss 

will brush each tear-stained cheek,

bring joy to the sad and the lonely

the hungry and the weak.

Soon your one kiss will turn into two,

two into three and three into four;

then it will grow and grow

from now till forevermore,

You see,

this is what your little kiss can do:

spread a love so goo,

so pure, so true.

For a kiss can turn any foe 

into a loving friend.

A kiss can bring any woe

to a happy end.

Now go tell everyone

just what you know

Then with a prayer and a kiss

get, ready, get set, blow.

First Looks, First Pages at AFCC

Have you ever dreamt of being discovered and getting a publlsihing contract, having your books hit multiple best seller lists, having your creations turned into mega blockbuster movies which spawn a merchandising empire which reaps billions of dollars for you?  If you say no--that's a big fat lie!!! I know I have. Aspiring authors and inspired illustrators, here's your chance to be discovered  as the next JK Rowling or Neill Gaiman... (or just as plain you) at the Asian Festival of Children's Content.  All you have to do is sign up for the festival here AFCC and then just submit the first 100 words of your manuscript for review by an international panel of editors and publishers. You won't get an opportunity like this elsewhere-EVER!! unless, of course, you're willing to pay thousands of $$$ on a plane ticket, hotel accomodations, and spend days waiting outside a publishing house only to have the rotating doors hit you in the face on the way in and on your behind on the way out. So grab this opportunity while you can. Register for the AFCC today!! Check out the terms and conditions below.

Asian Festival of Children's Content 2012 -Book Launch

What a difference a year makes,  last year Sarah Mounsey was an attendee at the Asian Festival of Children's Content and this year she's attending again, but as a published author!! Yes, Sarah is launching her charming book Purple Paw Prints at this year's AFCC.


So if you've got aspirations to be a children's book author or an illustrator, the AFCC is the event of the year, and one you cannot afford to miss. For workshops, keynote talks and a chance to get discovered...head down to the Asian Festival of Children's Content. To register click on this link...AFCC REGISTRATION tickets are going fast!

Writing for Kids

I've had some people ask me about the process of writing kids' books.  Well, I would say it is pretty much like a pregnancy. Yeah, what would I know about being pregnant, right? But think about it - you start by  conceiving the idea, then you get cravings during the gestation -for me it's usually potato chips or cheetos. Then you go through mood swings and finally you suffer intense labor pains  to bring your story into the world and without the benefit of a literary epidural!

So how do you figure out what kids like or want to read? It helps if you're around kids a lot so you can observe them - watch what they do, how they talk, what they talk about, and what they like to read or watch on TV. When you get signed to a publisher, a lot of your ideas may get thrown out the window. it's happened to me and others as well, but it's something you have to put up with if you want to see your story in print.

Having said that,  I believe that everyone has a story in them, be it a kids story or an adult one and it deserves to be shared in one form or another. So if you have any questions about writing for kids, please let me know and I'll try to answer them.