Speakers

As a professional translator with extensive experience in children’s literature, Ana specialises in bridging cultural contexts to enhance educational content for young readers. Her work focuses on adapting texts to align with Chinese cultural values, ensuring that educational themes resonate authentically. 

Angela has over 20 years of experience as a technology educator and leader in international schools across Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Cairo. She is the Head of Digital Learning for K-12 at UWCSEA East campus here in Singapore. Committed to lifelong learning, Angela is deeply exploring the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence. She believes in a shared journey of discovery and growth for educators and students alike. Her focus is on not only harnessing the potential of AI in the learning process but also thoughtfully examining its impact and ethical considerations. She emphasises the importance of developing essential human skills alongside technological advancements. Angela is dedicated to empowering both educators and students, advocating for a human-centered approach to AI literacy that prioritizes ethics, digital citizenship, and the preservation of core human values in an increasingly tech-driven world.

Arif Rafhan is a comic artist, illustrator and pre-production artist. His work has been published in more than 20 books to date by MPH, Buku Fixi, Maple Comics, Marshall Cavendish, and Difference Engine. These include comics, content illustrations and cover illustrations. His most recent works include illustrating the comic book series Amazing Ash & Superhero Ah Ma.

Baek Jihye is a Korean painter who deeply cherishes the beauty and tradition of classical Korean art. She studied East Asian Painting at Ewha Womans University and specialized in traditional Jinchae painting at Hansung University’s graduate school, earning a Ph.D. in Fine Arts with her dissertation, ‘A Study on Portraiture Techniques Applied from Late Joseon Dynasty Portraits’.

Using traditional coloring techniques and materials, she creates portraits and floral paintings on silk, presenting her work through exhibitions, publications, and various media. She has held 17 solo exhibitions, including Garden of Consolation (Gallery Minjung, Seoul, 2022), Capturing People (Insa Art Center, Seoul, 2021), and Certain Times (Gallery Grimson, Seoul, 2018), and has also published three picture books.

Currently, she grows peonies and tree peonies in a small garden, drawing inspiration from the flowers she grew up with. Through her picture books, she hopes to introduce these cherished blossoms to young readers

Cam Anh Nguyen is an illustrator and visual storyteller from Vietnam. Cam Anh's works encompass various themes, but two consistently inspire her: the human connection to nature; and the heritages that link people to their communities. These themes are apparent and continue to show up in Cam Anh's collaboration with culture conservationists, animal protection organizations, and artisans. Her creative inspiration stems from childhood memories, especially her mother's diverse stamps brought home from work. These vibrance tiny pictures,  each telling a story, were her first encounter with visual storytelling. 

After majoring in economics at university, Cha Eunsil have worked as an illustrator for over ten years, engaging in various creative projects. Currently, she focuses on creating picture books.

She is particularly interested in exploring the meaning of living together and the value of small, seemingly insignificant things through her picture books. She views life as a continuous journey of curiosity and choices, and she seeks to capture the process of growth within relationships.

She approaches picture books as more than just simple stories—they are a window that can pose profound questions to readers and offer new perspectives on the world.

She actively participates in exhibitions and book festivals, valuing direct communication with readers. Moving forward, she hopes to continue connecting with more people through picture books and meaningful storytelling.

Chun-Liang Yeh grew up in Taiwan and founded the publishing house HongFei Cultures with Loïc Jacob in France in 2007. HongFei publishes about 10 new titles per year, most of which are picture books for children on three major themes : travelling, curiosity and relationships. “La Ballade de Mulan” with its outstanding illustration won the Chen Bochui Award in Shanghai in 2015. Chun-Liang Yeh, having been working with European partners for many years, is at ease in guiding creators so as to deliver picture books, including those with Asian cultural contents, that can be understood and appreciated by French readers.

Clémence Pollet, born in Paris and grown up in Belgium, studied at the École Estienne (Paris) and the École des Arts Décoratifs (Strasbourg) before a stay as guest student in Bologna (Italy) which inspired her creative work. Collaborating with HongFei Editions since 2012, she has worked on important texts and figures of the Chinese culture including La Ballade de Mulan (2015) which won the Chen Bochui International Award in Shanghai, and The Life of Confucius (2018) available in French and Chinese languages.

Dardanelleis Balisi-Lizaso is an independent writer and early childhood educator whose 32 years of teaching have shaped not just young minds, but hearts as well. Based in Singapore and a mother of five, she draws from the richness of oral storytelling traditions to breathe new life into timeless tales, inviting children to discover the magic in words. With a deep love for physical books, Doli has ventured into self-publishing, sharing stories that kindle curiosity and keep wonder alive. She is passionate about helping children decode words and spurring them to become readers who are hungry for the flavors of words.

Debby Lukito Goeyardi is an author of children's and young adult literature, a literacy facilitator, speaker, yoga teacher and a national judge. Her literary repertoire includes dozens of published works, ranging from children's storybooks to documentary film scripts and educational comics. She has contributed to the Indonesia Ministry of Education, Culture, Research & Technology and the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection. 

Award winning children's author, Dimity Powell loves filling every spare moment with words. She is the Managing Editor for Kids' Book Review who writes and reviews exclusively for children with over 30 published stories and digital narratives including the award-winning, This is My Dad (2022), At the End of Holyrood Lane (2018) and the critically acclaimed, The Fix-It Man (2017). Several of her titles have been published in simplified Chinese, Polish, Spanish and Slovenian. She believes in the transformative power of storytelling, the restorative power of chocolate ice-cream and superheroes because she lives near one on the Gold Coast, Australia. 

Eugene Y. Evasco is a writer, editor, translator, and collector of children’s books. He is currently a Full Professor at the UP College of Arts and Letters. Some of his new books at Lampara are Ang Nag-iisa at Natatanging si Onyok, Ang Singsing-Pari sa Pisara, Ang Beybi naming Mamaw, and the Filipino translation of Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. In 2014, he won the UP Gawad sa Natatanging Publikasyon sa Filipino (Malikhaing Pagsulat category). He became a part of the Hall of Fame of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature in 2009 and is currently a Fellow of the UP Institute of Creative Writing. He was accepted as a Research Fellow to the International Youth Library in Munich, Germany.

Evelyn Sue Wong is author of the Just a Little Mynah series, the first multilingual picture books published in Singapore. She writes to spark children’s imagination, with hope for real change. Her stories have been performed in children’s theatre, schools and festivals. Evelyn grew up with her father’s love for flying. She earned her wings with a private pilot’s license when she was 19 and is still flying, with children and books.

Far’ain Jaafar is an educator, and a published children's book author. She is dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in her work and publications. She is an award-winning advocate and educational leader with more than 15 years of experience in the field of education and youth development. Her areas of advocacy revolve around children, women, youth, and families.

Han Ragyeong spent her childhood as a quiet observer, filled with thoughts. After studying Korean literature and child welfare in university, she began reading books to children in a reading class, which led her to fall deeply in love with picture books. Since then, she has been working in publishing for over than years, planning and editing children’s books.

Alongside editing others’ works, she also writes—giving form to the thoughts she had gathered since childhood. Her writing seeks to capture the warmth in life. Every day, she turns her gaze toward moments of hospitality, care, shared joy, and kindness.

Holly Thompson is author of three verse novels for young people: Falling into the Dragon's Mouth; The Language Inside; and Orchards--winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, and the picture books Listening to Trees: George Nakashima, Woodworker; The Wakame Gatherers, Twilight Chant and One Wave at a Time. A graduate of the NYU Creative Writing Program and Regional Advisor Emeritus of SCBWI Japan, Holly writes poetry, fiction and nonfiction for children, teens and adults; teaches writing at Yokohama City University and UC Berkeley Extension; and visits schools in Japan, the U.S. and places in between. 
Visit her at www.hatbooks.com

Heo Jeongyun majored in Child Studies in university and pursued graduate research in Early Childhood Education and Pedagogy. She is currently active as a picture book author, animation director, and university professor. In 2017, her book The Transparent Tree was selected for Germany’s White Ravens, and international recognition in children’s and young adults literature. In 2022 Can I Borrow Your Dad? was selected in THE BRAW AMAZING BOOKSHELF at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.

Her works are known for their unique perspectives and heartfelt sensitivity, leaving a deep impression on readers. Notably, The Hand Reached Out addresses the issue of refugees, emphasizing the importance of empathy and solidarity. Meanwhile, KimSugar and Donas explores themes of sacrifice, devotion, and love through the story of a stray dog and a pet dog.

Heo Jeongyun continues to create meaningful works, delivering stories that inspire and move readers.

Iryanti has been in the Early Childhood profession since 1995. Having spent long hours at the Centre with the children daily, she was determined to engage and involve the parents in their child’s learning journey. Project:READ! was one such initiative, which was a culmination of several programmes with the aim of heightening parental involvement and the children’s experiential learning in language usage and literacy development.She is now a lead lecturer at the National Institute of Early Childhood Development (NIEC).

Jui-Che Wu  is an image maker and graduate of the MA Visual Communication programme at the Royal College of Art (London), whose practice explores the interplay of poetry, storytelling and material translation. He blends the techniques of collaging and crafting with words, always mindful of the chosen medium's influence on the narrative. 

His work has been featured at the Bologna Illustrators Exhibition (Italy) and the Ilustrarte Biennale (Portugal), and distributed in Taiwan and Portugal. His recent publications include Dancing is to Make Movements (Taipei: Sīlōo Story, 2024), A Grasshopper Hops (Taipei: Locus Publishing, 2023), A Horse, A Boat and An Apple Tree (Lisbon: Stolen Books, 2020), and Le Défilé (London: Self-published, 2019). He received the Golden Tripod Award in 2024, and is the first prize winner of the Golden Butterfly Award in 2025.

Jumaini Ariff is a published author of 12 children’s picture books & began her foray into storytelling as a preschool educator over 20 yrs. ago. In 2015, her unique persona;  ‘Nek Selampit’ was born and she was invited to participate in numerous national language and cultural campaigns as well as local and international storytelling festivals. Jumaini who is a Malay Language Ambassador in Singapore, helms STORYSCRIBBLERS; an edutainment entity that provides literary based programs for schools and organizations. 

She is currently an associate lecturer with National Institute of Early Childhood Development (NIEC) and teaches storytelling to in-service teachers.

Justin is the Founder and CEO of VM Education, a leading education technology company headquartered in Singapore. Under his leadership, VM Education has collaborated with over 800 educational institutions across the region, delivering cutting-edge solutions that integrate technology and innovation in education. He is also the Founder and CEO of PlayFACTO School, Singapore’s largest provider of after-school care and STEM enrichment. A recognised leader in learning technologies and STEM education, Justin is dedicated to driving transformative advancements that harness AI to redefine the future of education.

While studying digital content design in graduate school in 2006, Kang Hyesook made her debut as a picture book author when the story Tail? Tail!—originally intended as a short animated film script—was turned into a picture book. She enjoys creating illustrations that blend vivid colors with symbolic patterns inspired by the Mandala style. Since launching the "Vacance Project", a picture book author collective, in 2019, she has been dedicated to creating picture books based on folktales and traditional motifs.

Kazumi Wilds is a picture book illustrator and a creator of Artist’s books who was born in Tokyo, Japan. She holds a bachelor’s degree in traditional Japanese painting, also an M.F.A. degree in Book Art from a university in the U.S. where she studied Papermaking, Letterpress, and Bookbinding. She has illustrated children’s books published in the US, Japan, and Singapore. She worked as a public schoolteacher for a long time in Japan, and also ran an art gallery in the U.S. and in Japan.  She is currently teaching art courses at Temple University Japan Campus in Tokyo.  

Kelly Zhang is a Chinese Canadian children’s book author, Chinese/English bidirectional translator, and co-editor of the World Kid Lit blog. Her writing and translations have appeared in Words Without Borders, the New York Times for Kids (China), Sine Theta Magazine, Read Paper Republic, Paddler Press, and Journey Planet. Her latest book translations include middle-grade novel Tilted Sky by Yao Emei and picture book Grandma’s Roof Garden by Tang Wei (Levine Querido 2024). She authored the picture book Take Me to Lăolao (HarperCollins 2024), and is probably dreaming up more Chinese mythology-inspired tales as we speak.

Kenneth is the Founder of Solve n+1, a Community-Based Management Consultancy (CBMC) that specialises in research, ideation, project management and corporate governance. Solve n+1 believes in changing the world by serving businesses, governments, and NGOs through strategic multi-sector collaborations. 

Korean children's and young adult literature author Lee Geumyi began her writing career in 1984, during a period of new exploration in Korean children's literature. Over the next 40 years, she produced more than 50 works, capturing the hearts of readers and critics alike, spanning from children to adults, and leading the growth of children's literature and the emergence and expansion of young adult literature.

Notable works include the Bamtee Village Story quartet, which continued due to long-standing requests from young readers; the full-length fairy tale You Too Are a Twilight Lily, which elevated the literary quality of Korean children's literature; and Yujin and Yujin, which resonated deeply with the wounds carried by contemporary youth and marked the beginning of serious young adult literature. These works have consistently received much love from children, teens, and adults.

She is also expanding her literary world with historical novels such as Can't I go instead? and The Picture Bride. Recently, she has been revising some of her earlier works to align with the changed sensibilities of the times.

In 2024, she was selected as a finalist for the Hans Christan Andersen Award in the Author category.

Le Phuong Thao is a K-12 educator, children's book author, and illustrator with a passion for nurturing creativity in children. In 2024, Thao was honored with 1st prize at the Scholastic Picture Book Awards, a meaningful milestone in her creative journey. She believes that children's books are a blend of art and narrative, offering young readers inspiration and joy through carefully crafted visuals and heartfelt stories. Her love for art, particularly her unique use of traditional paper and materials in illustrations, infuses her work with a touch of cultural richness, creating immersive worlds that captivate young minds and celebrate heritage. 

Lianne Ong is a children’s author and has published 18 children’s picture books, four of which have won awards. She is best known for her Stacey & The Museums series, a 5-title series about museums in Singapore, and A Place for Us, a 6-title picture book series about persons with disabilities. Her latest title, The Uncle Downstairs is about homelessness in Singapore. Lianne works as an editor and resides in Singapore with her family. 

Liu Qingyan is an award-winning author and a recipient of the Feng Zikai Picture Book Award. He always hopes to make a small impact through stories—giving a voice to more children, bringing attention to important issues, and fostering care and awareness, all while wishing for a better world. Although he studied journalism, his true passion lies in children's literature. In addition to creating and translating children's books, he conducts storytelling sessions for children and frequently gives lectures on children's books. 

Louisa is a children’s author of the Go, Go, Green Gavin series. She is a Professional Storyteller and has many years of experience conducting classes and workshops for children and adults in the Communication Arts field. She holds a Licentiate in both Speech & Drama and Public Speaking from Guildhall School of Music & Drama, UK & a Licentiate in Speech & Drama from London College of Music, UK. 

Lynn Ang is a Senior Librarian with the Collection & Planning Development (Chinese Language) department in National Library Board (NLB). She leads a team of librarians in the selection and development of Chinese children's collection in the Public Libraries, providing readers with a diverse and enriching array of reading resources. She is also involved in planning and execution of initiatives aimed at promoting the love for reading in Mother Tongue Languages.

Lynn Wong is the visionary founder of heritage consultancy Bridging Generations delivering impactful work that respects the past, moves the present and inspires the future. An award-winning documentary filmmaker, she is also author of Reviving Qixi: Singapore’s Forgotten Seven Sisters’ Festival which is shortlisted for the prestigious NUS Singapore History Prize. Her latest children's book Finding Qiqi piques young minds to uncover forgotten traditions while igniting a sense of discovery, with beautiful illustrations in the book coming to life through interactive experiences such as hands-on Qiao Guo pastry workshops and other customs.

Maha Sripathy works in the area of literacy and language education across the grades. Facilitating teacher understanding of students' language and literacy learning processes and applying pedagogic approaches to meet the different needs and abilities have been the focus of her passionate involvement in promoting critical literacy. She has provided language and communication consultancy services to multi-national corporations and curriculum development services, for schools and non-profit organizations in Singapore and the region.

Mark is a professional actor, photographer and international children’s author. His first book, Crazy Crab, published in the US earned a dozen international awards. With his second book, a graphic novel, Scarlet Hood, he travelled to Italy where it was launched at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. He was the first Australian author to be invited to present on stage at the Orange County Children’s Book Fair, the largest one day book fair in the US. 

Melanie Lee is the writer of the comic book series, Amazing Ash & Superhero Ah Ma. She is also the author of the picture book series, The Adventures of Squirky the Alien, which picked up the Crystal Kite Award (Middle East/India/Asia division) in 2016. She has also published Imaginary Friends: 26 Whimsical Fables for Getting on in a Crazy World, a collection of illustrated short stories together with Arif Rafhan.

Melissa is a dedicated early childhood professional and mother of two, with significant experience supporting children and their families from birth to age six. Her work spans across international and local educational settings, providing a diverse perspective to her work. Melissa applies her training in Theraplay principles, integrating the practical applications of her Advanced Certification in Six Bricks, to create holistic and engaging learning experiences for all. Committed to shaping the future of early childhood education, she delivers pre and in-service training to youths and adults as a lecturer at the National Institute of Early Childhood Development.

Michelle Chan's research includes Victorian Literature, Fantasy, and Children’s Literature, with a recent focus on healing and picture books, fairy tales, translating visual narratives, and transmedia presentation of children’s literature. Most of her works concern how children’s texts are received and reinterpreted in contemporary society. She has recently received funding to promote Asian children’s literature, including Korean picture books and Hong Kong children’s literary history, respectively. 

Moniza Hossain is a Singaporean author of Bengali descent who writes children’s books inspired by her South Asian heritage. She has a Bachelor of Arts with Honours from the National University of Singapore, and a Masters in English Literature from King’s College London. Her debut picture book, Ritu in The Sun, is being published by Random House Children’s Books. Her short story The Mermaid’s Sister is featured in the anthology Being Ace, which is a finalist in the 2024 Lambda Literary Awards.

Namita Moolani Mehra is the author of Veena & The Red Roti, Superfoods for Superheroes, Anni Dreams of Biryani, The Light within You, and The Magic Spicebox. She is also the founder of Indian Spicebox, a social impact business with a mission to help fund meals for underprivileged children. Namita grew up in Nigeria, England, and India, studied at Northwestern University, and worked in New York for over a decade. She now lives in Singapore with her husband and children.

Ngo Ha Thu has been a literary translator since 2012. While her works span a variety of genres Thu is most notably associated with children’s literature. Some of her significant English – Vietnamese translations include Wendelin Van Draanen’s Flipped, Beatrix Potter’s A Very Naughty Rabbit, Benji Davies’s The Storm Whale, Oliver Jeffers’s Here We Are and works by Dr. Seuss. With a Master’s in Cultural Studies (Sydney), she taught translation and interpretation at the University of Languages and International Studies, VNU Hanoi until 2018. She is also an active speaker and trainer, sharing her translation expertise through public events and publications.

Nur Khairiah is a distinguished author, multidisciplinary artist, and educator with over 20 years in Malay Language education and a decade of writing experience. Her works, published in Singapore and Malaysia, include children's picture books, young adult novels, educational comics, and short fiction anthologies in English and Malay. Notably, her Malay picture book Batu Belah Batu Bertangkup is listed among the 50 Best Malaysian Titles for International Rights in 2024. She has received multiple awards for her contributions to blogging, children's literature, and poetry competitions. As the founder of Widz Studio, she merges visual arts into innovative content creation.

Oh Migyung began her career as a children’s writer in 1998 when her middle-grade novella The Shoe Ghost Tree won a competition hosted by the Farmers Newspaper. In 2012, her full-length children's novel Family in Adolescence received the Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award of the Year.

She finds great joy in writing stories that deeply explore the hearts of children and in becoming their friend through her books. Throughout her career, she has written picture books, children's stories, and young adult novels that explore themes such as the environment, dreams, the love and meaning of family, death, and Haenyeo (female divers). She hopes to continue writing engaging and heartfelt stories that inspire children to grow up healthy, bright, and confident.

Her picture book A Granny Diver intertwines the legend of the selkie, a seal fairy from Northern European folklore, with the story of Jeju Island’s Haenyeo. It depicts the ever-changing sea, a grandmother who bravely and skillfully dives like a seal, and her granddaughter, who anxiously watches over her, fearing the loss of her beloved grandmother.

Park Hyunmin was born in Seoul in 1986. Park made his debut with So Much Snow, a book inspired by Bruno Munari’s and Remy Charlip’s work in which white paper stands in for white snow. He is most interested in frames, and the physicality of the book itself, and his work tends to focus on a book's physical properties. Park likes to present his readers with negative space (the background) in his books, inviting them to fill in the empty space, and rejoices in the playfulness and insight that result from breaking up the framework.

Rafidah Jalil is the founder and director of STEAMSEL Edutainment, an social enterprise born from her experience as a mother to three young children. Recognizing a gap in high-quality STEM and bilingual content that aligns with Singapore's MOE syllabus, she set out to create engaging, educational material tailored to young learners. This passion led to the creation of the Kak Fifi and Mimi series, which focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM), making learning both fun and meaningful. 

Sabrina Shah is a British Pakistani author who writes across children’s book genres. With a degree in Media practice, screenwriting and over twelve years of experience working in the UK publishing houses, she now focuses on creating stories of her own. Her debut picture book Music of the Mountains is due to publish in April 2025 with Barefoot Books. Her middle-grade horror story won The Golden Egg Academy award in 2022 and was also a finalist in the 2024 WriteMentor Novel awards. She has also adapted works with Penguin Random House Children’s UK for the BBC Studios licence ‘HEY DUGGEE’.  

Sarah Ang is a children’s book illustrator and author. From young she has grown her passion for drawing and painting. She began her career illustrating Christian children’s books and started writing to “create books that I wanted my children to read”. Her wish list includes books that nurture eco-consciousness in children. Sarah’s first book The River that Brings Us Life journeys through the historical Singapore River’s clean-up story.

Sharon Ngoi is Chief Learning Officer of a preschool chain, an educator for over 35 years, former HOD Science in a primary school, former principal of a leading kindergarten, education entrepreneur, lecturer, author, and speaker.

Shawn Seah is a published author and speaker. He wrote the non-fiction children’s book series Our Amazing Heroes (2025) and Our Amazing Pioneers (2023). He also published several history books, including Seah Eu Chin: His Life and Times; Leader and Legislator: Seah Liang Seah; and My Father’s Kampung: A History of Aukang and Punggol. Shawn was part of the Singapore Heritage Festival and Baba-Nyonya Literary Festival. He also won the National University of Singapore’s Outstanding Young Alumni Award for his contributions to historical storytelling.  

Sonia Wadhwa is an experienced academic leader, Technology Integration Specialist, and Head of  School in New Delhi, India with 27 years of expertise in educational technology. She has taught diverse curricula including CBSE, CISCE, and Cambridge. A certified Microsoft Trainer and Fellow, Adobe Education Leader, Wakelet and Flip ambassador. She is also an author, storyteller, poet, content creator, and AI enthusiast. She has trained over 15,000 educators and 8,000 students in educational technology, with accolades such as the Outstanding Educationist Award. 

So Yunkyoung has worked as both a children's book illustrator and a picture book author for over 20 years. In Korea, she is known for creating unique fantasy picture books. She explores a wide range of themes not typically found in children's literature, such as humanity’s cruelty toward life on Earth, the hidden side of human pleasures, dazzling depictions of the underworld, as well as war and death. She willingly brings forth dark emotions like conflict and sorrow, aiming to inspire readers with the courage to confront fear.

To her, picture books are “books that embody art”. She integrates various visual art genres—including painting, fantasy, horror, and graphic novels—to craft picture books with new narrative structures.

Additionally, she expands picture books into artistic content across various fields, such as film, animation, performance, and exhibitions. Her goal is to cultivate a picture book culture that can be enjoyed not only by children and young adults but by people of all ages.

Sun Chao specialises in picture book and illustration creation. His works have been selected for the First China Illustration Art Exhibition and other professional exhibitions. He has published many picture books in cooperation with the People's Education Publishing House and other national publishing institutions. In 2019, he co-founded Kaihui Culture, focusing on the creation of children's books and content development. Since then, he has led the team in completing several significant book projects.

An adjunct lecturer, Suriati's passion for the education of young children, has led her to leave public school teaching to be involved in the early childhood sector. In the last two decades, her work has enabled her to design programmes for infants, develop research studies on preschool children and lecture trainee preschool teachers as well as train pre- and in-service preschool teachers. She continues to advocate for children in the community as one of the founders of MAPP (MENDAKI Alliance for Preschool Professionals) and her current work focuses on literacy building for the young especially from low-income families. 
  

Suzy Lee studied painting and book art in both Korea and the UK and have published picture books in various countries around the world. She focuses on works that use the physicality of books and the format of wordless picture books to capture children’s play and energy. She runs Hintoki Press, which publishes new independent books based on Korean folktales.

In 2022, she received the Hans Christian Andersen Award in the Illustrator category, and she has also been honored with several prestigious awards, including the Bologna Ragazzi Award Special Mention in Fiction, the Korean Publishing Culture Award, the New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books Award, and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor.

Some of her representative works include Danced Away, Summer, River, the Black Dog, Lines, Wave, Shadow, and Mirror.

TableMinis is a Singapore-based creative studio founded by Dennet K, Farez Najid, and Jodie, specializing in tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) such as Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). The studio leverages TTRPGs as an educational and creative platform to inspire storytelling, teamwork, and literacy development in children. Through interactive workshops, events, and custom campaigns, TableMinis engages participants in immersive experiences that spark imagination and emotional growth. With a focus on cultural discovery, the studio incorporates Southeast Asian myths and folklore into its games, fostering a love for diverse narratives and enriching the storytelling experience.

Tanya Lloyd Kyi is the author of more than thirty books for children and young adults. Tanya has worked in the past as a graphic designer, an editor and a dishwasher. (She considers herself entirely qualified for that last one.) Her favorite color is blue, her favorite food is cheese and her favorite book is A Wrinkle in Time. Tanya teaches at the UBC School of Creative Writing in Vancouver, BC.

Thejaswi Shivanand is an educator, independent researcher and education consultant. He works at Champaca Bookstore and Library in Bangalore as a curator for books for adults and children, and as an educator who interacts with children and adults in the library to support the growth of communities of readers. He consults with organizations across India that work in school and undergraduate education, children's literature and libraries, while teaching in professional development programmes in the library space. He has conceptualized and developed professional development programmes for rural school and community libraries in south and east India.  

Hui-Chun Tseng is the Director of Taichung Public Library in Taiwan. She is dedicated to developing Taichung's reading blueprint, believing that strong reading skills enhance the city's competitiveness. Through the creation of high-quality reading environments and services for readers of all ages, she is shaping Taichung Public Library into a people-oriented reading platform that fosters communication and social participation.

Varsha Varghese holds a Master's degree in Development Studies, where her academic training fostered a strong interest in gender studies. Her writing portfolio includes two picture books and a children's reader, drawing on research into the impact of male migration and single-parent household structures. In 2023, she won the Scholastic Asian Book Award for her middle-grade novel, The Summer Avisha Turned Detective, which is set to be published by Scholastic Asia in 2025. Her work-in-progress middle-grade historical fiction, set in 1930s Travancore, earned her a place on the shortlists for both the Neev Literature Festival (NLF) Fellowship for Book Creators 2023 and the HWR Emerging Writer's Residency 2024. 

Bingjie is an experienced early childhood educator with extensive teaching experience. She holds an Advanced Bilingual Picture Book Reading Instructor Certificate and has successfully conducted numerous parent-child reading workshops. She specializes in using Chinese picture books to enhance children's language skills and cultural understanding. Bingjie also holds a Master’s degree in Education and a Master’s degree in Teaching Chinese as an International Language. With a strong background in curriculum development and teacher training, she excels in integrating innovative teaching strategies into her lessons to enrich learning experiences and inspire children's interest in learning.

Yukako Kawaguchi is an early childhood educator and mother of three, with over 11 years of experience in international settings. She is passionate about asking meaningful questions to challenge the thinking of both children and educators, helping them see the world from diverse perspectives. Yukako cherishes the spontaneous stories children share, believing they serve as essential elements in deepening learning. She also supports parents globally through workshops and coaching, helping them build confidence in their parenting skills and understanding child development. 

Zhang Mingming holds a PhD in Literature and is a fairy tale writer and an associate professor at Nanjing Communication University. Her primary research areas include children's literature and contemporary Chinese ecological literature, alongside her work in fairy tale creation. She has published over 200 original fairy tales in various children's literature magazines in Mainland China and has authored several picture books