This directory lists SCBWI Tokyo Members who are available to speak to schools, libraries or other organizations. Interested parties should contact the authors and illustrators directly.

Honorarium fees for visits are to be negotiated directly with the author or illustrator, not via SCBWI Tokyo. Fees for SCBWI writers and authors generally start at 30,000 yen for a school visit of up to three classes for less published speakers, and can be 100,000 yen or more for more established big-name authors and illustrators.

Suzanne Kamata Writer

American writer Suzanne Kamata has lived in Tokushima Prefecture since 1988. She taught English as a foreign language in public schools for eleven years and is the author of Losing Kei, a novel for adults, and editor of two anthologies, The Broken Bridge: Fiction from Expatriates in Literary Japan, and Love You to Pieces: Creative Writers on Raising a Child with Special Needs, as well as the literary journal Yomimono. Kamata's stories for young people can be found in Cicada, Ladybug, Skipping Stones and the anthology Summer Shorts (Blooming Tree Press).

Playing for Papa, her first picture book for children, will be published in November, 2008, by Topka Press with illustrations by Yuka Hamano.

Programs available: Suzanne Kamata is happy to visit schools or other groups to discuss her life as a writer; how she writes a story (from inspiration to final revision); and/or to give readings and conduct workshops.
Contact: Email

John Shelley Illustrator

Born in Birmingham, UK, John Shelley studied illustration under Tony Ross in Manchester then began a career as an illustrator in London, co-founding Facade Art Studios and working extensively in editorial and publishing.

His first major picture book The Secret in the Matchbox was runner-up for the 1989 Mother Goose Award in the UK, and received a Parent's Choice Award in the US. Fascinated by Japanese art, Shelley moved to Tokyo in 1987 and quickly established himself in the commercial illustration market.

In addition he has continued to illustrate over 20 children's books for both the Western and Japanese markets. Recent releases include a 4 volume series of Hans Christian Andersen tales Anata no Shiranai Andersen for Hyoronsha. Shelley is a committee member of JAGDA (Japan Graphic Designers Association) and is the Illustrator Coordinator of SCBWI Tokyo. Visit John Shelley's website at www.jshelley.com

Programs available:
John Shelley does illustration presentations for libraries, schools, art organizations and universities. He will also do portfolio critiques.

Contact: Email

TERI SUZANNE Illustrator

With a BA in Graphic Design (UCLA) and Masters in Multi-Cultural Education/Bilingual Specialist Credential (USF), author/illustrator, Teri Suzanne, was the International Department Manager at the Children’s Castle for 15 years, initiating 150 Bilingual Family Theater productions in the Aoyama Round Theater.

Known for her Bilingual Advisor expertise in creating best-selling edutainment multi-media for kids, incorporating her original scissor art TERIGAMI© technology and kid’s songs, she is crafting books and media for children, parents and educators. She writes and illustrates two monthly magazines: “Teri Suzanne’s Super Bonding” , Akachan to Mama, and collaborates with her daughter for “Teri and Mayuka’s Paper World”, 2 pages of scissor art ideas for Japanese pre-K teachers. Her scissor art illustrations will appear in Fukuinkan’s Spring 2010 Ooki na Pocket magazine for elementary students. Teri welcomes school and library visits. As a bilingual educator, Teri has given over 750 speeches, Professional Development Workshops, and school visits throughout Japan, in Hong Kong, Korea and California. She conducts scissor art and holiday venues for children, parents and educators and does dramatic bilingual interpretations of kami shibai.

Website

Contact: Email

Kiyo Tanaka Illustrator

Born in Kanagawa in 1972, Kiyo Tanaka studied oil painting and print making at Tama Art University in Tokyo. Her first children's book Mizutama no Chihuahua (text by Areno Inoue) was published in 1997 (Fukuinkan Shoten). Since then she's enjoyed considerable success as a children's book author and illustrator while continuing to produce and exhibit print works throughout Japan.

She has participated twice in the illustrators' exhibition at Bologna Book Fair (Italy) in 1995 and 1996, as well as the Biennial of Illustrations in Bratislava (Slovakia) in 2001 and 2003. For her illustrations she uses a technique of copper plate printing on Japanese paper. Visit Kiyo Tanaka's website at www.oyi_kakanat.com.

Programs available:
Kiyo Tanaka will visit schools or other groups to talk about her books, read from her Japanese children's picture books, or conduct workshops for children (such as make your own planetarium in a cup).

Contact: Email

Holly Thompson Writer

Holly Thompson has an M.A. in fiction writing from New York University and currently teaches creative writing at Yokohama City University. Her picture book The Wakame Gatherers (Shen’s Books) about a bicultural girl in Japan who goes seaweed gathering with her American and Japanese grandmothers was published in 2007. Her first novel Ash (Stone Bridge Press, 2001), set in Kagoshima and Kyoto, was been recommended in Education About Asia for high school and university classes studying Asia and intercultural issues. Her short stories have been published in various magazines, as well as the anthology The Broken Bridge—Fiction from Expatriates in Literary Japan. Raised in New England, Thompson lived in Japan in the early 80s and has made it her home since 1998. She is working on a second novel and more children’s books and stories.

Website

Contact

Programs available:
Holly Thompson is happy to do school and library visits. Presentations relating to The Wakame Gatherers have been tied into units on Japan, seaweed, oceans, grandparents, imagination, and story writing, generally for grades 1 to 5. She also does presentations on the fiction writing process for middle and high schools, universities, libraries or writers' organizations; these focus on finding inspiration or story seeds, turning fact into fiction, writing intercultural fiction, and the experience of writing fiction in Japan. Thompson also leads poetry writing workshops for children.
Contact: Email

Patty Christiena Willis

Patty Christiena Willis’ MA in medieval French drew her to Japan to research Heian period literature 22 years ago. One of her first theater works was “When the Woman Who Loved Insects Hid”, a play performed with koto and shakuhachi at Noh theaters and festivals in Japan, the U.S. and Scotland.  A later work in Japanese, Yugetsu, won an Izumi Kyoka playwriting award.

Her first illustrated novel for children, The Village Above the Stars (published in 2005), was inspired by the farming village where she lives and is recommended by the National Library Association of Japan.

Publisher’s Website (Japanese)

Author’s Website (English)

Programs available:

She does readings from the book in Japanese or English with koto (played by composer/performer Mary Lou Prince) for libraries, cultural organizations and universities. These readings last around 45 minutes and can be accompanied by stories from her life in the farming village, an informative demonstration about the koto (Mary Lou Prince), or talks related to themes from The Village Above the Stars.
Contact Email

Ayano Imai Illustrator

Ayano Imai was born in England in 1980, and later spent some years in Connecticut and California in the USA.

After resettling to Japan, she studied Japanese painting at Musashino Art University in Tokyo.

A frequent participant in the Bologna Book Fair Illustrator's exhibition, The 108th Sheep is her first picture book.

Programs available:

Ayano Imai will visit schools or other groups to talk about her experience entering illustrations in the Bologna Illustrators Exhibition which led to publication of her first picture book, The 108th Sheep. She will also read from the book either in English or by translating it into Japanese.