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REIYL Spaces 2021 REIYL Spaces was a series of virtual conversations over the summer of 2021 about race and racism in depictions of museum spaces in youth literature in collaboration with the Manchester Museum's "Black History Month and Beyond" programme. We had three speakers: Zetta Elliott, Danielle Jawando, and Rita Faire. Watch a recording of Zeta Elliott's talk Read a blog post by REIYL co-founder B.J. McDaniel In Collaboration With

REIYL 2022 Call for Papers for REIYL 2022 REIYL 2022 Programme Renée Watson Closing Keynote Speaker Renée Watson is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, educator, and activist. Her young adult novel, Piecing Me Together (Bloomsbury, 2017) received a Coretta Scott King Award and Newbery Honor. Her poetry and fiction often center around the experiences of black girls and women, and explores themes of home, identity, and the intersections of race, class, and gender. Renée served as Founder and Executive Director of I, Too, Arts Collective, a nonprofit committed to nurturing underrepresented voices in the creative arts, from 2016-2019. Renée grew up in Portland, Oregon, and splits her time between Portland and New York City. ​ (Image credit © Shawnte Sims) Kalynn Bayron Kalynn Bayron is the bestselling author of Cinderella Is Dead and This Poison Heart , and is a classically trained vocalist. She grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. When she’s not writing, you can find her listening to Ella Fitzgerald on loop, attending the theatre, watching scary movies and spending time with her kids. She lives in Ithaca, New York, with her family. Maisie Chan Maisie Chan is a children's author whose debut novel DANNY CHUNG DOES NOT DO MATHS won the Jhalak Prize and the Branford Boase Award in 2022. ​ Her latest novel KEEP DANCING, LIZZIE CHU is out now with Piccadilly Press. She also writes the series TIGER WARRIOR under the name M. Chan. She has written early readers for Hachette and Big Cat Collins, and has a collection of myths and legends out with Scholastic. She runs the Bubble Tea Writers Network to support and encourage writers of East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) descent in the U.K. She has a dog called Miko who has big eyes. She lives in Glasgow with her family. Wade and Cheryl Hudson In 1988, keenly aware of the need for more books for young people that celebrate and center Black people, history, and experiences, Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson founded Just Us Books. Grounded in the belief that “good books make a difference” – Just Us Books set out to publish the kind of positive, affirming titles the couple wanted for their own children. Under the Hudsons’ leadership, Just Us Books has become an institution in the publishing industry and the Black community and remains one of the nation’s few Black-owned presses. In 2008, the Hudsons launched Marimba Books, an imprint that focuses on multicultural literature for children. As publishers, authors and editors, the Hudsons have helped bring to market hundreds of diverse children’s books that inspire, educate, entertain and allow children to see themselves reflected in stories. ​ Wade has written more than 30 books for young people including, AFRO-BETS Book of Black Heroes ; Jamal's Busy Day , and Powerful Words . He is co-editor with Cheryl of three anthologies published in partnership with Crown Books for Young Readers, including the latest: Recognize! An Anthology Honoring and Amplifying Black Life . His most recent book is the coming-of-age memoir, Defiant: Growing up in the Jim Crow South , which Kirkus Reviews called a “powerful testimony from a children’s literature legend.” An author, editor and art director, Cheryl has written over two dozen children's books, including AFRO-BETS® ABC Book ; Bright Eyes, Brown Skin ; My Friend Maya Loves to Dance ; and her collaboration with the National Museum of African American History & Culture: Brave Black First, 50+ Women Who Changed the World . She is co-editor with Wade of three anthologies including the award-winning We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices. ​ Wade and Cheryl have received many honors including induction into the International Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent and the 2019 Children’s Book Council’s Diversity Achievement Award. Leading advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion in kidlit, and mentors to aspiring and established authors and illustrators, the Hudsons and their pioneering efforts have helped to change the landscape of the industry and enrich readers everywhere. Danielle Jawando Danielle Jawando is an author and screenwriter. Her debut YA novel, And the Stars Were Burning Brightly , won best senior novel in the Great Reads Award, and was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, the YA Book Prize, the Jhalak Children’s & YA Prize, the Branford Boase Award and was longlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal, the UKLA Book Awards and the Amazing Book Awards. Her previous publications include the non-fiction children’s book Maya Angelou (Little Guides to Great Lives), the short stories Paradise 703 (long-listed for the Finishing Line Press Award ) and The Deerstalker (selected as one of six finalists for the We Need Diverse Books short story competition), as well as several short plays performed in Manchester and London. Danielle has also worked on Coronation Street as a storyline writer. Her second YA novel, When Our Worlds Collided , was published in March this year. Leila Rasheed Leila Rasheed is the author of several books for children and teenagers, including EMPIRE’S END (Scholastic, 2020, shortlisted for the Tower Hamlets book award) and the AT SOMERTON historical YA romance series (Hyperion, 2021). She has an MA with distinction in Writing from the University of Warwick, where she also taught for several years, and an MA in Children’s Literature from the University of Surrey (Roehampton). In 2015, responding to the absence of people of colour in British children’s literature, she created the Megaphone Writer Development Scheme which recently became Megaphone Writers C.i.c. . The scheme provides writer development and mentoring for people of colour writing for children and teenagers. She grew up in Benghazi, and currently lives in Birmingham. Carole Boston Weatherford New York Times best-selling author Carole Boston Weatherford recently released Beauty Mark: A Verse Novel of Marilyn Monroe and R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul . Her 50-plus books include the Caldecott Honor winners Freedom in Congo Square , Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement , and Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom . She won a Coretta Scott King Author Honor for Becoming Billie Holiday , NAACP Image Awards for Moses and for Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America , the Arnold Adoff Poetry Award for The Legendary Miss Lena Horne , and an SCBWI Golden Kite and WNDB Walter Award for Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library . Among her most popular titles are Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-ins and The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip Hop . Baltimore-born, Weatherford teaches at Fayetteville State University In North Carolina. Carole Boston Weatherford Nadine Aisha Jassat is the author of the poetry collection Let Me Tell You This ; described as a ‘beautifully written, immense and full of passion’ by Nikita Gill, and ‘a joy both live and on the page’ by Hollie McNish. She has been published widely; including in popular anthologies such as Picador’s It’s Not About the Burqa (Shortlisted for Foyles Non-Fiction Book of the Year) and Bloodaxe Books’ Staying Human. Nadine has performed her work internationally, including as part of Edinburgh International Book Festival’s Outriders Africa, and has appeared across media, including BBC’s The Big Scottish Book Club. As a creative practitioner, she delivers projects connecting themes of storytelling and social justice, and has taught creative writing across the UK and internationally, including for BBC Words First and The Arvon Foundation. Her recent adventures have included working with the Scottish Book Trust and University of Glasgow as an author in residence in a local school, being selected for Moniack Mhor’s International Writers’ Residency, in partnership with Lagos International Poetry Festival, and reading - and writing - as much as she can. Find out more at nadineaishaj.com . Photocredit Danielle Watt

REIYL Lite 2022 Find out more about the speakers

Past Events Aug 8-10, 2019 REIYL 2019 Glasgow, UK

Welcome! Welcome to REIYL! We’re glad to have you here. Our purpose is to bring together folks - including academics, teachers, librarians, writers, illustrators, and publishers - working in and with inclusive youth literature. We organise a series of events and conferences, both in-person and online, aimed at exchanging ideas and fostering community. More about us 12-13 AUGUST 2022 | Virtual and In Person | GLASGOW, SCOTLAND REIYL 2022 More about REIYL 2022 To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Our Core Programmes REIYL Our flagship conference takes place biennially to bring together folks working in and with inclusive young literature. COMING INTO VIEW A programme that focuses on the experiences of readers and advocates for their inclusion and participation in research on inclusive youth literature. REIYL LITE A biennial programme that focuses on promoting equitable experiences for new researchers and publishing professionals. Contact Email us at REIYL.Community@gmail.com Follow and engage with us on Twitter Find us on Facebook

REIYL 2019 Call for Papers Panel Bios Programme CfP The Lion and the Unicorn Special Issue Sponsors Civic Reception courtesy of The Rt Hon The Lord Provost and Glasgow

Upcoming Events TBC

REIYL PROGRAMME 2022

​ Registration for REIYL 2022 Our flagship conference brings together folks working in inclusive youth literature. Key themes: trauma recovery and community restoration. ​ About this event ​ "Safe Passage: Trauma Recovery and Community Restoration in Inclusive Youth Literature and Beyond" ​ Join us in person in Glasgow, Scotland, and/or online for the return of the biennial REIYL conference! We are delighted to be back with a programme of speaker events featuring outstanding academics, authors and activists, as well as panel presentations addressing issues around trauma recovery and community restoration in youth literature from around the world. ​ Recognising the multiple challenges faced by different communities, we have decided to offer a tiered "pay what you can" model to all conference participants. ​ Virtual participants will receive information on how to access the programme a few days before the start of the event. VIRTUAL CONFERENCE: Friday, 12 August ​ Panel presentations Vanguard Panel* with Professor Carole Boston Weatherford, Cheryl and Wade Hudson, Leila Rasheed, and Maisie Chan ​ ONE DAY SYMPOSIUM: Saturday, 13 August ​ Kalynn Bayron and Nadine Aisha Jassat in Conversation Researcher Reflections Panel Closing Keynote with Renée Watson ​ For the symposium children are welcome and we will have book giveaways for all attendees! ​ All in-person events will be socially distanced. Out of consideration for our community, we request that you wear a suitable face covering if possible (e.g. FFP2 mask) and take a rapid lateral flow test before attending. Please do not attend in-person events if you feel at all unwell. ​ Please note this programme is subject to change due to changing circumstances around health, travel and climate conditions. ​ About the conference theme: Trauma recovery and community restoration is not just a theme for this conference; it is also an essential form of care necessitated by our collective experiences over the last three years. With ongoing political and civil unrest, a worldwide pandemic, economic uncertainty and environmental crises, we have to take a breath – even for just a minute – to lay down our tools and to take stock of what it means to move through and from tragedy and violence. ​ This is a time to listen and to learn from the experiences of those who came before us. To be considerate of the needs of those around us. To form systems of protection, solidarity, support and joy. This conference is an invitation for us to listen, learn, gather and heal as a community, with compassion for ourselves and others, so that we can reflect on this journey in our research philosophies, interests and practices. ​ We look forward to meeting with you, online and/or in Glasgow! ​ * Our Vanguard Panel is funded with generous support from the Joint BME Events and Activities scheme administered by the Social History Society in partnership with Economic History Society, History UK, History of Education Society (UK), History Workshop Journal, Royal Historical Society, Society for the Study of Labour History and Women's History Network. Registration Participants for both virtual and in-person sessions must register by using the Crowdcast link AND Eventbrite link below. If folks plan on *only* attending the in-person sessions, they only have to register using the Eventbrite link. Friday, 12 August 2022, Crowdcast Link: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/reiyl-2022/1 Saturday, 13 August 2022, (In-Person) Eventbrite Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reiyl-2022-safe-passage-in-inclusive-youth-literature-and-beyond-tickets-380615159187

Code of Conduct REIYL is committed to providing a harassment-free environment for everyone. Attendees of events are therefore asked to frame discussions as openly and inclusively as possible and to be aware of how language or images may be perceived by others. Attendees seek to learn, network, and have fun. Please do so responsibly and with respect for the right of others to do likewise. ​ All participants are expected to observe this code of conduct in all venues, including online venues and social events. Participants asked to stop a hostile or harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. Please note that, because everyone is expected to show good judgment and use common sense at all times, not all kinds of misconduct or behavioral standards are codified here. Inappropriate behaviour - harassment, aggression, and intimidation While healthy, participatory discourse is encouraged, we will not tolerate abusive, badgering, or baiting arguments. Be considerate and respectful when asking questions of panelists and speaking to attendees. Anyone violating these rules may be asked to leave the event without a refund at the sole discretion of the organizers. Harassment, aggression, and intimidation are hurtful and interfere with other people’s experience and participation in our community. These behaviors are inappropriate and unacceptable, and can be related, but not limited, to race, color, creed, gender (including pregnancy, perceived pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender identity, religion (including religious dress and grooming), marital status, domestic partner status, genetic information, age, national origin or ancestry, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, or any other basis protected by law. Critical examination of beliefs and viewpoints does not, by itself, constitute hostile conduct or harassment. Similarly, use of sexual imagery and/or language in the context of a professional discussion might not constitute hostile conduct or harassment. Inappropriate behavior can take many forms such as slurs; jokes; derogatory statements; foul or obscene language; offensive clothing; leering; stalking; staring; gestures; pictures, drawings, or cartoons; violating personal space by impeding or blocking another person's movement or otherwise physically interfering with them; harassing photography or recordings; unwanted or offensive letters or poems; offensive email, voicemail, or other messages; and social media postings. Contact information If you have been harassed or believe that a harassment problem exists, please see ‘How to Report Incidents’ below. You can also email the organizers directly at reiyl.community@gmail.com . How to report incidents Report the harassment incident (preferably in writing) to one of the organizers. All reports are confidential. Try to include as much information as available, including: Any identifying information of the person doing the harassing The behavior that was in violation The approximate time of the behavior The circumstances surrounding the incident Other people involved in the incident

The Story of REIYL The idea for Researchers Exploring Inclusive Youth Literature (REIYL) began in January of 2018 when doctoral students Breanna J. McDaniel at the University of Cambridge and Joshua Simpson at Strathclyde University began a conversation about justice and equity-focused research on inclusive representation in children’s literature in the UK. From this came the idea of bringing together like-minded students and established academics dedicated to the study and analysis of current research, in the UK and abroad, to form a network through this first conference. We facilitate teaching and knowledge exchange with the hopes of building a more engaged and interconnected community, so that gains made in one space can reach other spaces in a timely and even manner.

The Steering Committee DARREN CHETTY Advisory Board Member Darren Chetty's You Cant' Say That! Stories Have To Be About White People appeared in The Good Immigrant (2016). He co-writes, with Karen Sands O'Connor, a regular column for Books for Keeps examining representations of Black Asian and Minority Ethnic people in British children's literature. Darren is a member of the steering group for the Reflecting Realities project at the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE). In 2019 he co-authored, with Adam Ferner, How to Disagree: Negotiate Difference in a Divided World and with Jeffrey Boakye, What Is Masculinity? Why does it Matter? And Other Big Questions . Darren taught in primary schools for twenty years and is currently a Teaching Fellow at UCL. RITA FAIRE Advisory Board Member & Programmes Rita Faire is a PhD candidate and Associate Lecturer in Publishing at the Scottish Centre of the Book in Edinburgh Napier University. Her current research examines the implications of conglomeration and co-editions on the periphery picturebook publishing environments of Europe – specifically Scotland, Ireland and Sweden. Rita is also a writer, editor and graphic designer who has worked with several award-winning publishers including dyslexia-friendly children’s publisher Barrington Stoke. SARAH HARDSTAFF Advisory Board Member & Fundraising Sarah Hardstaff recently completed a PhD at the University of Cambridge, specialising in children's lite­rature and the works of Mildred Taylor and Cynthia Voigt. Her background includes work in autism support and advocacy, and educational publishing and e-learning. Sarah is currently developing two research projects: one on representation and identity in football fiction for young people, and one on conceptualisations of 'growth' in children's literature. Other research interests include eco-criticism, economic criticism, representations of healthcare, and food studies. ​ÉLODIE MALANDA Advisory Board Member Élodie Malanda received her PhD from the Université Sorbonne Nouvelle (Paris, France) in 2017. She has worked as a script doctor and screen writer and as a dancer. She’s also been blogging about creative ways to deal with cancer. She now works at the International Youth Library in Munich, where she is responsible for the educational projects. Her book about the pitfalls of good intentions in children’s and youth novels about Africa has been published in France (Honoré Champion) in July 2019. BREANNA J. (B.J.) MCDANIEL Co-Founder & Co-Coordinator Breanna (B.J.) McDaniel (she/her/hers) is the co-founder of REIYL and an emerging scholar and author. She’s published in myriad academic journals and anthologies and her debut picture book Hands Up! was published with Dial Books in 2019. She has two forthcoming picture books, one with Dial and Denene Millner Books, plus a series of chapter books that she’s writing when she’s not agonizing over her dissertation. Bre’s academic research is focused on surveillance and respectability politics in representations of Black children as food in contemporary picture books. A proud alumna of Emory University and Simmons University, she is currently a PhD researcher at the University of Cambridge in England. PHIL NEL Advisory Board Member Philip Nel is University Distinguished Professor of English at Kansas State University (in Kansas, U.S.A). He is the author or co-editor of eleven books, including Was the Cat in the Hat Black?: The Hidden Racism of Children’s Literature , and the N eed for Diverse Books (2017). ​ Photo credit: Michael Henry MELANIE RAMDARSHAN BOLD Advisory Board Member & Fundraising Melanie Ramdarshan Bold is an Associate Professor at University College London. She has published widely on inclusive youth literature; alongside numerous publications about contemporary book culture. Her books include: Inclusive Young Adult Fiction: Authors of Colour in the United Kingdom , 2006-2016 (Palgrave, 2019) and Book Trade Activism and Anthologies: Advocating for Change in the UKYA Market (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming 2020). Melanie works in collaboration with the BookTrust to examine the representation of children’s authors and illustrators of colour and explore ways of better supporting them. Additionally, Melanie is currently working on an interdisciplinary research project, Adolescent Identities , which investigates the impact of inclusive YA on minoritised readers. Melanie's connection to inclusive youth literature extends beyond academia, for example she was a judge on the UKYA book prize, and is on the Advisory Boards for the CLPE Reflecting Realities project and the Pop-up Pathways into Children’s Publishing project . EMMA REAY Advisory Board Member & Social Media Emma Reay is a PhD researcher based in the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge. Her current project combines close readings with census-style surveys to examine the representation of children in contemporary video games. She is also an associate lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University, where she teaches a course in Theorising Children’s Literature and another in Critical Approaches to Video Games. FARRAH SERROUKH Advisory Board Member ​​Farrah Serroukh is a Learning Programme Leader at the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE). Throughout her career, Farrah has always worked hard to centre marginalised voices and keenly advocated for inclusive practices both within and outside of the education sector. Before joining the CLPE, she taught across the primary school age range and held several leadership posts. Her area of specialism and expertise is teaching children whose first language is not English. As well as sharing responsibility for leading on the design, development and delivery of the charity’s professional development programme, she co-leads on the research and development strand of the CLPE’s work. She is the author of CLPE’s Reflecting Realities Survey and leads the ground breaking and award winning work in this area. PARINITA SHETTY Advisory Board Member & Programmes Parinita Shetty is a writer and enthusiast of children’s books. She has worked with books and young people in India in different ways – as an author, a bookseller, a reading programme developer, and a children’s literature festival coordinator. She has an M.Ed in Children’s Literature and Literacies from the University of Glasgow. She is currently a doctoral researcher at the University of Leeds studying intersectionality and critical literacy in fandom, specifically in Harry Potter and Doctor Who fan podcasts. She should be writing but she’s probably looking for cake. JOSHUA SIMPSON Co-Founder and Co-Coordinator Josh Simpson is the co-founder of REIYL. After a decade of practicing law, he left the US to pursue a PhD in Scotland, his adopted home. His research focuses on Section 28 and LGBT+ youth literature. He has taught at the university-level, is an Associate Fellow of Advance HE (the Higher Education Academy), and Executive Editor of International Research in Children’s Literature . He studied Creative Writing at the University of Edinburgh and spends his spare time writing fiction for young people.