This week’s featured program for the Young Adult Literature Symposium’ is Commercial Success and Diversity: Are Both Possible, or Are They A Contradiction in Terms?
Presenter Neesha Meminger kindly answered my questions.
KH: Can you share one interesting or thought provoking fact from your presentation?
NM:’ According to the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, “There is no single definition of the term ‘multicultural literature’ as it is applied to books for children and young adults. At the CCBC, we use the term to mean books by and about people of color.” And according to their stats, in 2009, out of an estimated 5000 books published for children, less than 5% were authored by people of color.
KH: Who will be presenting with you?
NM:’ Cynthea Liu, Paula Chase Hyman, and Alisa Valdes
**The complete interview can be found at the YA Lit Symposium Online Community.
The YA Literature Symposium is November 5-7 in Albuquerque, NM. To give everyone a sneak peek into the presentations I be posting portions of interviews with program presenters weekly until the symposium. Full interviews will be available at the YA Lit Symposium Online Community.
