Moderators

Adan Jimenez is a writer, editor, and translator. He co-writes the bestselling children’s mystery series Sherlock Sam with his partner Felicia Low, which has been translated into Korean, Simplified Chinese, Arabic, and more. He is the proud son of Mexican immigrant parents and became an immigrant himself when he moved to Singapore. He loves comics, LEGO, books, games (analog and video), science fiction, and food.

Adia is the author and Illustrator of "What If the Wind Tears My Kite?", which was shortlisted for the Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award 2022. She is also the Illustrator of "2 Mothers in a HDB Playground". As a singer-songwriter, she released her EP 'Kintsugi' in 2028, and continues to perform music in Singapore at venues such as Marina Bay Sands, The Esplanade, and more. She dreams of travelling the entire world in a tiny house on wheels and loves Jesus. Poetry, truth and laughter are some of her favourite things.

Adib Kosnan is an actor, writer, director and educator who is passionate about creating platforms for communication and care through theatre. He was named Best Supporting Actor at the Life Theatre Awards in 2020. He co-directed Tanah*Air by Drama Box (2019) and wrote and directed the children’s play, The Story of Batu Bulat (2023) for the Esplanade. In 2021, he wrote and acted in Keluarga Besar En.Karim which was staged digitally by Checkpoint Theatre and the Esplanade. Adib was a co-lead artist for Both Sides Now: Mengukir Harapan (2020 - 2022), a community engagement project focusing on end-of-life issues in the Malay Muslim community. Adib is an NAC scholar and Associate Artist with Checkpoint Theatre.  

Aida is a Manager/Librarian under the National Library Board, Singapore. She manages the children and teens services of public libraries in the western region of Singapore, devising programmes that spread the love of reading among the younger generation

Alan John is a journalist, writer and editorial trainer. Alan has written three picture books, all illustrated by Quek Hong Shin. Their most recent book, Grandma’s Tiger, won the Best Picture Book award at the Singapore Book Awards 2023 and was also included in The White Ravens 2023 recommendation list by the International Youth Library. Like their earlier books, The One and Only Inuka and Ubin Elephant, Grandma's Tiger is based on true events and features an animal that made headlines in Singapore. 

Amanda Ruiqing Flynn is a visual artist, writer, literary translator and educator who has lived and worked in the United Kingdom, Taiwan and Singapore. She holds a BA in Chinese and Development Studies from SOAS, University of London and an MFA in Art and Design from National Donghwa University, Taiwan. Her art has been exhibited and collected internationally, and her writing has appeared in Alluvium, PEAK, This Is Southeast Asia and Sploosh. She was a winner of Singapore’s Writing the City Competition 2022 and a judge of the 8th Bai Meigui Translation Competition. On most days, she is chief storyteller to her son.

Andeasyand, creator of A Drip. A Drop. A Deluge: A Period Tragicomedy, discovered the world of illustration in an effort to use up old name cards. She finds ways to describe the beauty of the ordinary with doodles and scribbles, navigating difficult topics like menstruation, anxiety, marriage, weight, as well as silly daily musings. An acquaintance once described it as a risque tendency – she calls it an olive branch to a like-minded stranger.

Andrea Pasion-Flores is the publisher at Milflores Publishing, Inc. Before that, she was the general manager of a large trade publisher. She worked as a literary agent for a Singapore-based literary agency. She’s a copyright lawyer with a special interest in publishing.

A former English teacher, Angela is currently working as the secondary librarian at United World College. Her current research interests include reading as empathy training and didacticism in children's and young adult literature. When she is not matching books to readers, she likes exploring Singapore's green spaces and watching films at The Projector.

Charlene Shepherdson is a Business Development Manager at independent comics publisher Difference Engine, and an interdisciplinary writer based in Singapore. They create experiences using visual text, interactive narratives and historical archives.

The breadth of their practice spans poetry, creative nonfiction, visual art installations and social sculptures with a deep focus on the ideas that exist in the in-betweens. In this nebulous space, they facilitate communities and hold space for them to share their stories—to reclaim, reframe and reimagine their realities.

Charles Santoso loves drawing little things in his little journal and dreams about funny, wondrous stories.

He is the creator of Happy Hippo and has illustrated many books, including I Will Read to You by Gideon Sterer, Dear Unicorn by Josh Funk, Finding Muchness by Kobi Yamada, the New York Times bestseller Odder, and Wishtree books by Katherine Applegate, Mighty Muddy Us, and Ida, Always by Caron Levis, which was mentioned in the New York Times as “an example of children’s books at their best”.

Cheeno Marlo M. Sayuno is an Associate Professor of Communication, Research, and Children’s Literature from the University of the Philippines (UP) Los Baños. He has received recognition from the prestigious Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, the Philippine Board on Books for Young People’s Salanga Prize, and the Normal Awards for Gender-Inclusive Literature by Philippine Normal University for his stories for children. He has published storybooks with Adarna House, Lampara Books, Anvil Publishing, Chikiting Books, and Save the Children Philippines, as well as various textbooks, research articles, and book chapters in children’s literature, media, and culture. 

Christine is the head of Tusitala, a Singapore-based digital storytelling studio that creates novel literary experiences. She has an MA in English Literature from the National University of Singapore, and a background in editorial and arts management. She currently serves on the executive committee of the Singapore Book Publishers Association.

Dai Yun is an author of children’s picture books.  Yun’s stories vary widely in theme and style, and some of her most acclaimed books include The Wandering Chicken, Sudan’s Horn, Where Can We Go and Have You Seen the Magpie. Her books have won some of the most important awards in China, including being listed among the Recommended Books by the National Library of China’s Wenjin Book Award. She is also the First Prize winner of the prestigious Feng Zikai Chinese Children’s Book Award in 2021. Her works have been published in other languages such as English, French, Danish and Arabic.

Dominic "Domz" Agsaway is a whimsically innovative children’s book illustrator from the Philippines who is behind the webtoon, Nibblings. Domz has won the  PBBY-Alcala Grand Prize (2013) and is a recipient of the National Children’s Book Award-Best Reads Citation for his illustrations in the book, Ngumiti Si Andoy. His debut picture book, Boy Kendeng (Dancing Boy), is his love letter to individuals who are very passionate about their interests and are trying to get to know themselves better. Find out more about Domz on IG: @domzagsaway.

Evangeline Alvarez-Encabo is a professorial lecturer at De La Salle University Manila and a textbook instructional product designer and editor. Her expertise is in formulating product concepts and strategies that will result in the development of effective instructional materials. She also has extensive experience teaching Filipino language and culture to Filipino and non-Filipino learners.

Faraha has been emceeing and presenting since 2019. She fell in love with the ability to put smiles on faces through words. She is known for her personability and ensures that every event is an unforgettable memory for everyone.

Lee-Ling (Stephanie) is a Singapore historian and author. She is a partner of The History Workroom LLP, researching and creating history-related content for exhibitions, workshops and publications. Her books, Habibah: Story of an Island Girl, and Adventures of Admiral Zheng He are inspired by Southeast Asian history.

Hu Wei 虎威 (Francis Wong Hooe Wai) is an architect, a writer, and an illustrator who grew up in Chinatown, Singapore and studied architecture at Cambridge University, United Kingdom.  Since 2016, he has published five picture books, of which The Little Bear’s New Clothes, part of a Chinatown Trilogy, received the White Ravens 2020 label. This label is given to children and youth literature of international interest.

Hwee Goh was classically trained at the Medill School of Journalism and spent 16 years at CNA before writing 12 fiction and non-fiction books for children. She is also a strategic communications and editorial specialist. Hwee is most appreciated for her experience as a journalist and her insights on reading and writing. Since 2014, she has been known for her bookish content, reviews and author interviews @hweezbooks.

Jamie is an illustrator, crafter, and picture book maker from Manila. She has worked on more than a dozen books, including Ang Dangkal ni Matmat (Tahanan Books, 2022) and Magtanim ay Di Biro (Adarna House, 2021) for which she received a National Children’s Book Award. Working with a range of materials, her work is inspired by childhood, nature, and everyday life with her two cats. For more of her work, visit www.jamiebauza.com.

Joyceline See Tully is a Singaporean children’s book author with a penchant for local wildlife. Singapore lore and glorious food. She has written several children’s books including Tiger Tales, Road Safety with Kay and Bear Bear, Attack at the Mall and The Runaway Car, and co-authored The Little Singapore Book. After working in publishing for more than 25 years as a journalist and magazine editor, she now teaches part-time at a local university and is working on her next children’s book.

Kate Brundage has been an Elementary School Librarian at the Singapore American School for the past 16 years. She is currently serving as the International School Libraries Network (ISLN) representative on the AFCC Teachers and Parents Programme Committee. 

Katie Day is an American teacher-librarian who has lived in Asia since 1997, including Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore. She is actively involved in the Red Dot Book Awards (Singapore), the Neev Book Awards (India) and the Global Literature in Libraries Initiative (GLLI) YA Translated Book Prize.

Kristine "Tin" Mandigma is the President and CEO of Vibal Group and President of IBBY Philippines.

Wen-yi Lee is a Clarion West Workshop alum from Singapore whose short fiction has appeared in venues like Lightspeed, Uncanny, and Strange Horizons, as well as in various anthologies, including Epigram Books' Fish Eats Lion Redux. She likes writing about girls with bite, feral nature, and ghosts. Her debut novel, The Dark We Know, is forthcoming from Gillian Flynn Books in August 2024. Find her on socials @wenyilee_ and otherwise at wenyileewrites.com.  

CT Lim writes about history and popular culture in Singapore. He is the country editor (Singapore) for the International Journal of Comic Art and also the co-editor of Liquid City Volume 2, an anthology of Southeast Asian comics published by Image Comics. His articles and book chapters have appeared in Southeast Asian Journal of Social Science, Journal of Popular Culture, Print Culture and various comics studies anthologies. His most recent creative non-fiction book is Drawn to Satire: Sketches of Cartoonists in Singapore. He reads too many comics.

Image drawn by Jonsuraya. 

Low Ying Ping is the author of two middle grade fantasy series, Mount Emily and Prophecy of the Underworld. She has also written a three-volume English adaptation of the Chinese classic, Journey to the West, for younger children. Her books have won the Singapore Book Awards and were shortlisted for the Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award and the Popular Readers’ Choice Award.

Luis Gatmaitan is a medical doctor and an author of more than 40 children's books, some of which have been translated into Nihongo, Thai, and Bahasa Indonesia. He is a member of the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) and now sits as Chair of the National Council for Children's Television (NCCT) as a child development specialist.

Known as Tito Dok to his readers and listeners, he hosts a weekly radio storytelling program, Wan Dey Isang Araw at 702 DZAS of the Far Eastern Broadcasting Company. In 2003, he was one of the recipients of The Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines (TOYM).

Melanie is an award-winning author of the graphic novel series Amazing Ash & Superhero Ah Ma, the picture book series, The Adventures of Squirky the Alien, and the travel guide series Out & About in Singapore. In addition, she has edited children’s books such as Hurry, Murry! and the How to be Human picture book series. She is also a part-time communications lecturer at the Singapore University of Social Sciences. 

Mignon ‘Migs’ Bravo Dutt is a writer and researcher who has published work in several countries, regions, and cultures. She is the author of the contemporary novel, The Rosales House, and the interlinked novella collection, Room 216, both from Penguin Random House SEA (PRHSEA).

Her short fiction was selected for 22 New Asian Short Stories, Kitaab’s The Best Asian Short Stories, and Growing Up Filipino 3. Migs has co-edited Get Lucky: An Anthology of Philippine and Singapore Writings (2015) and its sequel, Get Luckier: An Anthology of Philippine and Singapore Writings II (2022). She has co-authored Dreaming of the Divine Downstairs, a poetry collection.

Mohd Fuad Salim has been involved in the field of education for more than two decades. He has extensive experience teaching Malay Language and Literature at secondary school, junior college and tertiary levels. In 2021, he was awarded the Arif Budiman (Role Model) Malay Language Teacher Award.

Fuad has also contributed to the development of the TV quiz program "Kuiz Cepat Tepat" organised by the Malay Language Learning and Promotion Committee (MLLPC) and Mediacorp, as well as the bilingual children's television program "Junction Tree," which is aimed at preschoolers.

Pippa Chorley, award-winning children’s author of Counting Sheep, Out of the Box and Stuffed!, grew up in a picturesque village in England. Trained as a primary school teacher, Pippa loves to write in rhyme to encourage children’s natural curiosity for words and explore the rhythm of language. Pippa’s stories inspire 'out of the box' thinking and lead children on adventures into imaginary worlds filled with possibilities.

Priti Sharma Devata is the Managing Editor at Epigram Books. She also edits fiction and nonfiction picture books, early readers and middle-grade novels. She has more than 21 years of experience teaching and developing language and literary courses at the tertiary level. Her areas of focus have been children’s literature and postcolonial literature.

Priyanka, a social entrepreneur, founded social enterprises One With Earth, Swapaholic, and DinoStaury, advocating for social and environmental consciousness in fashion, education and lifestyle. She serves as a board member and educator across non-profit initiatives supporting community welfare. Her passionate work in the realm of sustainable living has provided her the opportunities to speak at institutions, corporates, and initiatives, including TEDx.

Under DinoStaury, Priyanka has authored and curated numerous children's books, meticulously crafted to nurture conscious, mindful children and, consequently, communities. Her profound belief in the transformative power of storytelling has inspired enrichment workshops tailored for children aged 2 to 12. These sessions are designed to seamlessly integrate value-based messages into daily life through impactful storytelling and hands-on activities that reinforce the message.

Vivian Teo is the author of middle-grade book series, My BFF Is an Alien, published by Epigram Books. Books in her series have been shortlisted in the Hedwig Anuar Children's Book Award, Singapore Book Awards and POPULAR Readers’ Choice Awards. The series’ first book won third place in the latter’s English (Children) category in 2020.

Vivian is also a freelance writer whose work has been featured in CNA. She enjoys writing about parenting, education, social and financial issues and blogging on her parenting/lifestyle website, The Stuff Childhoods Are Made Of, at vivianteo.com. 

Dr Woo Yen Yen is an innovative educator and cultural designer who bridges creative methods and pedagogy. With a wealth of experience across various mediums including print, film, mobile technology, and stage, she specializes in crafting dynamic learning experiences that are both captivating and educational. Yen Yen’s work has been published or screened in multiple venues, including Netflix, HBO, the App Store, Google Play Store, Singapore Airlines, Tokyo International Film Festival, San Sebastian International Film Festival, Smithsonian Institution, Brooklyn Museum of Art, and National Museum of Singapore. She holds a doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University and has taught in New York, Taiwan and Singapore. She is currently Programme Leader, MA Arts Pedagogy and Practice at LASALLE | University of the Arts Singapore. Follow Yen Yen on IG @yenyendimsumwarriors

Xu Haina is a children's book author and a reading promoter. She moved to Singapore in 2017 and is engaged in special education, children's books and painting creations. She published eight picture books in the series of children’s mental growth in Singapore from 2022 to 2023. Among them, Why Didn't They Listen to Me and The Day the Cell Phone Disappeared won the Popular Readers' Choice Book Award in 2022 and 2023 respectively in Singapore. 

Zed Yeo (Benedict Yeo) likes writing stories. He is a bestselling writer and a recipient of the National Arts Council’s Presentation and Participation Grant. He has written fifteen books, which include the picture books of Saurus Series, the How to be Human series, as well as YA novel Half Ghost. He has had the privilege of participating as a speaker and judge at notable literature events including the Asian Festival of Children’s Content, Young Writers Festival and National Schools Literature Festival.