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I had the great privilege to attend the SCBWI Winter Conference in chilly New York City in January 2026 with a scholarship attached to the Kate Dopirak Craft and Community Award (KDCC Award), a prize that I won in 2024 with my as-of-yet unpublished picture book manuscript, The Magic in Ming’s Hands. It was wonderful to be part of the kidlit community as well as to formally receive the award together with other talented and committed kidlit creators. Inspiring talks and sessions led by kidlit luminaries like Meg Medina, Jason Reynolds, Tiffany D. Jackson, Emma Dryden, Kate Messner and A.S. King were the highlights, as well as meeting up with old friends like Avery Fischer Udagawa, Debbie Ridpath Ohi and Christopher Cheng and making new ones like Silvia Rodriguez Sama, Jolie Stekley, Erika Quist and Susan Cabael. What a joy! Thank you to everyone at SCBWI and KDCC for making this wonderful opportunity a reality!
January 23, 2026
SCBWI Winter Conference 2026
If I can create a mirror for even one child in the world, I will have accomplished something meaningful
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"Maureen was agile, warm, brilliantly organized - a joy to speak with"
"I was stunned at how much time and thought she had put into preparing ...and then how spontaneous, fun and thoughtful she was as our conversations unfolded. Helping to organise the Hong Kong Literary Festival in 2023, Maureen was as professional, kind and engaging as any such host i've ever known, and as a writer herself - as well as so many other things - she brought more to our interactions than I had any reason to expect. "
Pico Iyer, Author
© Derek Shapton
"What Maureen did on our days was the first of its kind"
"She showed our senior elementary girls how refreshing it is to read stories where the contexts are relatable, and the characters look like them and carry some of the same emotions as they do. To be seen and heard in a diverse world is comforting.
Maureen’s hands-on techniques were engaging and facilitated meaningful interaction during the workshop. The girls thoroughly enjoyed the sessions.
English Dept. Head
"Thank you for telling us that we should put down our phones and not be imprisoned by our phones.
"Nowadays actually many people use their phones all the time and never put it down, also I am one. After listening to you, I think I would like to try a day without my phone, and I can already foresee many new experiences in my ‘daily’ life
Secondary School Student
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