SCBWI regions host a wide variety of affordable in-person events. From retreats to conferences, you'll find the perfect program for connecting with other creatives and improving your craft. Check here often to find a nearby event that fits your interests. You can also explore the Regional Virtual Events page and visit individual SCBWI Region pages for upcoming events and programming.
Be sure to follow your home region to keep up with the latest local news and activities near you. Go to your Member Home page, click the My Profile button, then the Edit My Profile button. Scroll down the page and click "Set your SCBWI home region," then click the arrow and choose your home region to add it to your profile.
Regional In-Person Events
SCBWI SoCal: Tahquitz MG-YA Writers Retreat
May 1-4, 2025 (registration closes April 28): Want to polish your middle grade or young adult novel? Join our four-day small-group intensive writer retreat in idyllic Idyllwild. You’ll be able to hone your craft and polish your manuscript with the guidance of industry professionals. This event includes four critique group sessions led by an agent or editor, a 1:1 coaching session, and optional paid written critiques. Our faculty include editors Alexa Pastor and Joy Peskin, and agents Hannah Andrade and Kathleen Rushall.
SCBWI New York Eastern Upstate: Revision - Changing Perspective and Gaining Perspective
May 3, 2025 (registration closes May 2): In this three-hour session, Emma Dryden, owner of drydenbks, will guide us through the exciting and multi-layered landscape of manuscript revision. She will share many techniques and tools that we can use to revise our manuscripts at the deepest level, and will supplement her discussion with hand-outs, writing prompts, and a couple of writing exercises. There will be one short break about halfway through the session, as well as some time at the end for Q&A. Please bring your tablets or laptops to access a manuscript you are revising, as well as notebooks and writing tools--we will be doing some writing and even some drawing. Location: Red Hook Community Center, 59 Fisk St #1713, Red Hook, New York.
SCBWI Arizona: The Picture Book Dummy - A Revision Tool for Kidlit Creators
May 3, 2025 (registration closes May 2): Program in Phoenix, Arizona includes the following segments: 1) The Picture Book Dummy for Dummies - The Foundation For Creating Better Picture Books presented by Michael Hale.Understanding the mechanics of the picture book as a medium for storytelling is essential to every writer or writer/illustrator. Knowing how to create, revise and edit a picture book dummy needs to be part of your process. Learn how to create one and how you can use this vital tool to improve your writing. 2) The Picture Book Dummy: The Writer’s Revision and Editing Friend presented by Tanja Bauerle. Picture book dummies are the domain of the illustrator. Not so! This workshop will guide you through how to use a dummy to ensure that your story will function properly within the picture book format. Learn about page turns, pacing, rhythm, language and more, in order to craft a manuscript that editors will love. Includes hands-on time to work on your dummy with Tanja and Michael.
SCBWI Illinois: Spring Thaw
May 9-10, 2025 (registration closes May 2): SCBWI Illinois welcomes you to wonderland at Spring Thaw, a hybrid pitch program for on-the-cusp authors, illustrators, and author-illustrators! Registration opens March 11th at noon CDT—limited attendance for maximum feedback opportunities. Select Through the Looking Glass Online Chat + In-Person Teacup Table at Barbara Belding Lodge in St. Charles, IL OR Through the Looking Glass Online Chat + Written Cozy Critiques. Each participant will have a chance to pitch three loglines and prune one, plus post-event submission opportunities to all faculty!
SCBWI New England: 2025 Spring Conference
May 16-18, 2025 (registration ends May 2): The NESCBWI Spring Conference has a new location and a new look! It will be held at UConn Stamford the weekend of May 16 - 18. Register now for this reimagined event!
SCBWI Minnesota: Persistence, Passion, and Picture Books: A 10-Year Journey
May 17, 2025 (registration closes May 16): Join debut picture book author Keenan Jones as he shares his decade-long journey to publishing SATURDAY MORNING AT THE 'SHOP. As a Black male educator-turned-author, he’ll discuss the challenges, lessons, and triumphs of breaking into the industry, the power of authentic storytelling, and what kept him going through the ups and downs. Whether you're just starting or deep in the process, this session will inspire you to stay the course and tell the stories that matter.
SCBWI Westchester: How Type Can Make or Break Your Book Dummy
June 24, 2025 (registration closes June 13): Our chapter is proud to host Scholastic's Executive Art Director Brian LaRossa as he debuts his presentation, "How Type Can Make or Break Your Book Dummy." Add-on dummy/portfolio critiques are available for this event.