This summer, the Southampton Children’s Literature Conference is returning to its in-person format after being held virtually for the past two years in accordance with Covid-19 precautions. The conference is held on the Stony Brook Southampton campus, home to the Southampton Arts Creative Writing and Literature MFA program. Each July, a select group of budding children’s literature writers come together with world-renowned children’s book authors, editors, publishers, agents, and illustrators for a week of workshops, lectures, and discussion. Applications to attend the conference typically open early in the calendar year and close mid-June. Scholarships are available with an application deadline typically in mid-March.
In 1976, the Southampton Writers Conference was launched on what was then the campus of Southampton College. The conference consisted of mainly adult fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry workshops, with the occasional workshop in children’s literature. In 2011, the Southampton Children’s Literature Conference was established as a sub-conference separate from the Southampton Writers Conference. The conference has been directed by Emma Walton Hamilton since its conception. Walton Hamilton is an MFA program instructor at Stony Brook Southampton and the Executive Director of the Young Artists and Writers Project (YAWP). She has co-authored over thirty books for children and adults with her mother, Julie Andrews.
The Hamptons atmosphere lends itself to the conference and the creative process by virtue of both its beauty and its history. “Writers, artists, and entertainers have been summering here for over a century,” said Director Walton Hamilton. “The legacy of our area includes Kurt Vonnegut, Elizabeth Hardwick, Tennessee Williams, John Steinbeck, E.L. Doctorow, and many others. In fact, the windmill on campus is now a literary landmark due to the fact that Tennessee Williams spent a summer there while writing his play ‘The Day on Which a Man Dies.’”
The five-day workshop series is designed for writers to share their developing projects and receive feedback for revision under the guidance of an established writer in their particular area of children’s literature. Workshops meet for three hours each morning and attendance is capped at 12 writers. In addition to workshops, writers are free to explore and take part in various scheduled events including the five-day lecture series, open mics, and discussions with professionals in the field of children’s publishing.
Workshops are offered in two categories: Picture Book and Middle Grade/YA Fiction. This year, the picture book workshops will be run by Lesa Cline-Ransome. Cline-Ransome has written a myriad of picture book biographies centering around Black stories, including “Satchel Paige,” “Before She Was Harriet,” “The Power of her Pen,” and many more. She has also authored two middle grade novels, “Finding Langston” and its sequel “Leaving Lymon.” Her work has received a multitude of honors and awards, such as NAACP Awards, Kirkus Best Books, CBC Choice Awards, and many more.
The middle grade/young adult workshops will be run by Padma Venkatraman. Venkatraman is the Indian-American author of middle-grade novels “The Bridge Home,” “Island’s End,” “A Time to Dance,” “Climbing the Stairs,” and many more works that capture the poignant experiences of identity and resilience. Her work has received honors such as the Walter Award, the South Asia Book Award, Kirkus Best Book, Booklist Editor’s Choice, SLJ Best Book, and many more.
We asked Walton Hamilton, Cline-Ransome, and Venkatraman a few questions about their writing backgrounds, the conference, and the urgency of diverse representation in children’s literature in the midst of its increased censorship.
What drew you to writing children’s literature?
Walton Hamilton: I was an avid reader as a kid. My parents were divorced, we moved a lot, and I went to a number of different schools. Books were my refuge, my companions, my window into understanding the world and all its complications. I also wrote a great deal – stories, journals, poetry. Much of my early poetry was light verse inspired by the likes of Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein, Spike Milligan and A.A. Milne. When I had children of my own, I read to them all the time — in the bath, at dinner time, bedtime, while traveling. My son was passionate about trucks, and I was having trouble finding truck books that were character- or narrative-based — most were non-fiction. My mother had written two middle grade novels in the 1970s, and when her publisher asked her if she would consider writing a picture book for younger children, she asked me what kind of book I might wish to read with Sam. I told her about my dilemma in finding good truck stories, and she said, “Well, let’s write one together.” That was “Dumpy the Dump Truck,” and we have written over 30 books together since.
Cline-Ransome: Being a reader is what ultimately drew me to being a writer. And being a writer came when I discovered how much I loved storytelling both in the books I read and at the kitchen table with my family. As a young girl I spent much of my time in my local library and it was the books that I read, often about worlds very different from my own, that grew my imagination and helped me to better understand the world and myself at a time in my life when I felt so vulnerable. I believe that is what books can do and it is one of the many reasons I so enjoy finding stories that resonate with young readers.
Venkatraman: My novels always begin with a voice that I hear in my head – the voice of a character that I love. Then I begin to see the character. Then the character becomes a ghost that doesn’t just haunt me, but possesses my soul so that I dream from within that character’s self, as though I am that character. I could tell these characters’ stories to any audience I wish, but I choose young people because, among other things, I believe they are our future and I hope my work will help them create a world that is kinder and more peaceful than the one in which we now live.
What are the dominant topics/themes that you explore in your children’s writing?
Cline-Ransome: Many of the books I write are rooted in history. But as a child, history was not exactly my favorite subject. In part because I never saw much of my own ancestry represented. As I grew older, I discovered that history was less about battles and dates and more about stories of people who were often faced with challenging decisions or asking important questions or imagining a different future for themselves. But as a child, the lens through which history was presented was very narrow, limited to one viewpoint. So when writing, I like to explore periods in history through the lens of those whose stories haven’t often been told in history books, on monuments or in our understanding of the history of this country.
Walton Hamilton: Most of our books revolve around a few recurring themes – the wonders of nature, the value of the arts, and the inherent worth and intelligence of children… specifically, “no matter how small you are, you can still make a big difference.”
Venkatraman: My five novels are all set in India; but the topics vary – from the contribution of India to the WWII allied effort and issues of peace and nonviolence (in my historical fiction debut “Climbing the Stairs”), dance and disability in my verse novel “A Time to Dance,” to the power of laughter and love and friendship and courage in the face of poverty in “The Bridge Home,” to the importance of courage in the face of systemic injustice in “Born Behind Bars.”
As a workshop instructor, what stands out to you about the conference and the experience that it offers to up-and-coming children’s book writers?
Cline-Ransome: Having the opportunity to focus solely on craft is one of the best ways to grow your writing. At the Southampton Conference, writers have the opportunity to share work using a model that encourages feedback and discovery of an authentic writing voice while elevating the art of storytelling alongside the fundamentals of publishing and picture book making. Building a writing community is critical in the life of any writer and here there is ample opportunity to do that while being inspired by the works of others, each at various points on their own writing journeys.
Venkatraman: I love the space for one-on-one interaction that the small group size allows and the opportunity to mentor, raise, and amplify other voices and discuss issues of craft in an intimate setting.
Recently, there has been an increase in book banning in K-12 schools, targeting topics of race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender idenity. Books featuring characters that represent young readers of diverse backgrounds and identities are being kept out of their hands. As a children’s book writer, what are your thoughts on this? How can parents, teachers, and librarians advocate for their children and students in the face of this censorship?
Venkatraman: I’m a parent of a teen. It’s terrifying to raise a young person in today’s world. I completely understand that and sympathize with parents’ desires to protect their children. However, there’s a quote in my latest novel, “Born Behind Bars,” which I think is pertinent to the issue of censorship: “Fear is a lock. Courage is a key.” We must have the courage to look at current and historical problems, because this knowledge inspires us to act intelligently and think inclusively. Much of the desire to censor books comes from our fear of people we think are different from us, people we don’t know and disrespect. If we agree and understand that it’s vital to embrace everyone’s equality, we need to acknowledge that we need to hear the stories and songs of those whose voices have historically been underrepresented. It’s very important to accept and celebrate our differences and increase our knowledge and understanding of those who have been and are being marginalized.
As recently as last week, I received an email calling me a n- (N-word) because I am a vocal advocate of compassion and equality. I’ve received violent threats in the past. It makes me sad, but it will not stop me from continuing to set my course according to the compass of compassion. If I have to die because of my belief that our universality lies in our uniqueness, so be it. I am not afraid; I’m just very sad we live in an age during which many have lost the ability to distinguish truth from conspiracy theories rooted in racism and other kinds of hatred. If compassion, courage, and celebrating equality don’t seem to be convincing arguments, then here’s a very basic reason that it’s wrong to pressure people to challenge books or pull them off shelves. If we are proud Americans who believe in democracy, we need to stop trying to tell other parents and other people’s children what books they can or cannot read. If you are worried about books that promote multicultural and mutual acceptance, then you can forbid your children from reading them; but you may not, so long as you live in a democracy, take away someone else’s right to read them.
Walton Hamilton: The best place for children to learn about our diverse world is from books, and in my view there is no more responsible or trusted tour guide than a librarian or teacher. I would much rather that my children learn about the complexities of our world from a library book than from surfing the internet. Moreover, making certain topics taboo only turns them into forbidden fruit. Children are not dumb – they know these issues exist and will seek out the information they need one way or another. And more often than not, reading a book about a subject or issue can help a young person grappling with that issue feel seen, or realize they are not alone for the first time. Fortunately, organizations such as PEN America, the ACLU, and the American Library Association support freedom of expression and advocate against censorship in numerous ways. Anyone who is interested in taking an active stand against censorship can and should explore these organizations and take advantage of the numerous resources they offer.
Cline-Ransome: Vigilance is a word I return to now more than ever before. I am a mother of four, and of the things I feel most strongly about as a parent is the responsibility to help my children understand and navigate a world beyond their own. Stories allow us to connect with others, see ourselves, and feel affirmed. We need that now more than ever. As I said at the start, books help people to understand their place in the world, answer questions they are struggling with but may be too afraid to ask an adult. And they help us make sense of a complicated world providing readers with characters they can empathize with in language they can understand. I return to history when I say that throughout our past people have had lived experiences that have impacted the world in which we live and yet those who want to ban books believe that those truthful, lived accounts shouldn’t even be read by students for fear of the damage they might cause.
If I had to find a bright spot in all of this, it would be that banning generally draws readers [closer] to banned works and affirms the fact that words and stories have so much power that the mere act of reading them can inspire imagination and change lives. Book creators need to pay attention to politics on every level, particularly on the local level in their communities, school boards, library boards. Get and stay involved. Show up at meetings, write letters, donate, be a voice demanding change. I believe this is an attempt to hide the truth of history, because without that truth of history’s errors, there is no roadmap to prevent them in the future.