2014 Conference personalities: Authors, Illustrators, & Keynote Speakers
Latina Literary Agent
Adriana Dominguez has
15 years experience in publishing, most recently as Executive Editor at
HarperCollins Children's Books, where she managed the children's
division of their groundbraking Latino imprint, Rayo. Prior to that, she
was Children's Reviews Editor at Criticas magazine, published by
Library Journal. She has performed editorial work for many children's
and adult publishers on English and Spanish language books. She is a
member of the Brooklyn Literary Council that organizes the Brooklyn Book
Festival, and one of the founders of the Comadres and Compadres
Writers Conference in New York City. Adriana joined Full Circle
Literary as an agent in 2009, where she continues her long trajectory
of helping Latino authors and illustrators get published. Her client
list includes seasoned authors such as National Book Critic Circle
Finalist Reyna Grande, best selling author/illustrator Lorena
Siminovich, beloved award-winning author/illustrator George Ancona, and
Pura-Belpré winning illustrator Rafael López, as well as newcomers
such as author Angela Cervantes, and author/illustrator Lila
Quintero-Weaver.
Latina Author & Poet
photo credit: Marshall W. Johnson
Margarita Engle is the Cuban-American award-winning author of verse novels about Latin America, including The Surrender Tree (Henry Holt), a Newbery Honor book and Pura Belpré Medal winner. The Poet Slave of Cuba received a Pura Belpré Medal, and both The Firefly Letters and Hurricane Dancers are Pura Belpré Honor books. Margarita’s books for younger readers include Summer Birds, When You Wander, and a middle grade verse novel, Mountain Dog. Silver People, Voices From the Panama Canal, and a re-told Cuban folktale called Tiny Rabbit’s Big Wish, will both be published by Harcourt in March, 2014. Margarita lives in central California, where she enjoys helping her husband train his wilderness search and rescue dogs. She loves hiding in the forest, so the dogs can practice finding a lost hiker.
Latina Author & Illustrator
Laura Lacámara, a Cuban-born artist and writer, is the award-winning author of Floating on Mama’s Song/Flotando en la canción de mamá (HarperCollins 2010), a Junior Library Guild Selection for Fall 2010 and a Tejas Star Book Award Finalist for 2011 - 2012. The picturebook was inspired by Laura’s mother, who was an opera singer in Havana. Laura has illustrated two bilingual books for Piñata Books, an imprint of Arte Público Press. The Runaway Piggy/El cochinito fugitivo, written by James Luna, won the Tejas Star Book Award for 2011 – 2012.
Alicia's Fruity Drinks/ Las aguas frescas de Alicia, written by Lupe Ruiz-Flores, was published in May 2012. She is both author and illustrator of her newest bilingual picture book with Piñata, Dalia’s Wondrous Hair, which will be released in 2014. Laura lives in Venice, California, with her husband, their daughter, and a doggie.
Latina Author
Meg Medina is an award-winning Cuban American author and the first American citizen in her family. Meg was raised in Queens New York by her mother – and a clan of tios, primos, and abuelos who arrived from Cuba over the years. She was the fortunate victim of their storytelling, and credits them with her passion for tales. Meg’s work examines how cultures intersect through the eyes of young people, and she brings to audiences stories that speak to both what is unique in Latino culture and to the qualities that are universal. Her books include Milagros Girl from Away (Henry Holt); Tia Isa Wants a Car (Candlewick), which earned numerous distinctions including the 2012 Ezra Jack Keats New Writers Award; The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind, A Bank Street Best Book for Young Adults 2013 and a Best Children's Book Ireland 2012, and most recently,Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, a Junior Library Guild Selection and 2014 Pura Belpré Medal winner. When she is not writing, Meg works on community projects that support girls, Latino youth and/or literacy. She lives with her extended family in Richmond, Virginia.
Latina Publishing Consultant
Teresa Mlawer, a native of Cuba, is one of the most recognized and respected women in the Latino publishing industry. For 38 years she was the President of Lectorum Publications, the oldest and largest distributor of Spanish language books in the United States (later acquired by Scholastic). After her retirement, she started Mlawer Publishing Solutions, a consultant company to help publishing companies enter the Hispanic Book Market. Teresa has translated over 300 children's books and is a passionate spokesperson Latino children's publishing. She is an advocate of cultural and early literacy prorgrams such as Scholastic's Lee y serás, a national literacy initiative targeting Latino children and families.
Latina Librarian, Storyteller, Author, & Music Performer
Irania Macías Patterson, a native of Venezuela, is the Bilingual Children’s Specialist for the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. She is also a children’s author and a Master Teaching Artist for the Kennedy Center and Wolftrap for the Performing Arts. Irania holds a Master’s degree in Children’s Literature from La Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona in Spain and Banco del Libro in Venezuela. Her book Chipi Chipis, Small Shells of the Sea was a recipient of the International Reading Association’s Children’s Choice for 2006. Irania has also published Wings and Dreams: The Legend of Angel Falls and co-produced an engaging bilingual children’s musical CD entitled “Cross Cross Mangosauce.” She lives with her family in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Latina Author & Illustrator
Photo Credit: David Smith
Lila Quintero Weaver is the author-illustrator of the graphic novel Darkroom: A Memoir in Black & White, named a finalist for the Small Press Expo’s 2012 Ignatz Award for Promising New Talent and a finalist for the graphic-novel category in the 2012 Cybils. Darkroom was also selected for the International Reading Association’s 2013 Notable Books for a Global Society. Lila was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and immigrated to the United States with her family in 1961. She’s a self-taught visual artist with a degree from the University of Alabama. Lila currently lives with her husband in Northport, Alabama.
