Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators

Organization History The organization was founded in 1971 as the Society of Children's Book Writers by a group of Los Angeles-based writers, including the group's president Stephen Mooser and executive director Lin Oliver. Authors Judy Blume and Jane Yolen sat on the original board and continue to be involved today. In 1991, illustrator and board member Tomie dePaola lobbied to officially include illustrators in the organization. and the name was changed to the current: Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Today, translators are also recognized as part of the children's-literature professions supported by SCBWI. Further milestones: In 1993, Sue Alexander opened the first office in West Hills, California. In 1996, SCBWI launched its first website. In 1999, in Paris, France, SCBWI held its first conference outside the United States. Also in 1999, in New York City, SCBWI added an annual Winter International Conference. Today, the Winter Conference is held in-person annually in New York City. The former Summer Conference, which was held in-person in Los Angeles, is now a virtual conference only. Capping off a tumultuous several years, in 2022, Lin Oliver retired as executive director and was succeeded by her daughter-in-law, Sarah Baker. Controversy, diversity initiatives, and the Israel–Palestine conflict Coming under scrutiny during the "Me Too" movement, SCBWI experienced some leadership turnover. On June 3, 2020, SCBWI Executive Director Lin Oliver announced that April Powers had joined the organization as its inaugural Chief Equity & Inclusion Officer. In June 2020, SCBWI appointed April Powers as its inaugural Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer, reflecting a broader expansion of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) roles within U.S. cultural and nonprofit organizations. The role was created as part of the organization’s efforts to address representation and inclusion within the children’s publishing community. In 2021, SCBWI became involved in further controversy after Powers issued a public statement condemning a rise in antisemitic violence during renewed conflict between Israel and Hamas. The statement affirmed that Jewish people have “the right to life, safety and freedom from scapegoating and fear.” That year, organizations tracking antisemitism reported significant increases in antisemitic incidents in the United States. At the time, SCBWI had also issued statements addressing anti-Black racism and anti-Asian violence. Some members criticized the antisemitism statement for not also addressing Islamophobia or expressing solidarity with Palestinians. The dispute intensified on social media after Powers stated that SCBWI’s statements were issued in response to surges in hate crimes and would likewise address anti-Muslim violence if warranted. Critics also circulated a prior interview with SCBWI Israel in which Powers had described herself as “pro-Israel.” Following sustained online criticism, SCBWI executive director Lin Oliver issued an apology to members of the Palestinian and Muslim community who felt “unrepresented, silenced, or marginalized." Amid a torrent of online abuse including death threats, Powers, who is Black and Jewish, resigned from her position. During the controversy, Palestinian-American writer Razan Abdin-Adnani publicly challenged SCBWI and its representatives on social media. The episode drew attention beyond the children’s publishing community and prompted discussion about institutional neutrality, antisemitism, and political expression in cultural organizations. Several prominent authors associated with SCBWI, including Laurie Halse Anderson, Meg Medina, and Linda Sue Park later stepped down from their advisory board amid internal restructuring and ongoing member debate. In 2023, following the Hamas invasion of southern Israel and Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel, many Jewish and Israeli SCBWI members called on the organization to condemn the invasion, as SCBWI had for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. To date, the organization has never unilaterally condemned those attacks. Member responses reflected differing views about whether and how a professional literary organization should address the conflict. Debate over Israel-Palestine continued to affect SCBWI in subsequent years. In March 2024, more than 500 children’s and young adult authors and illustrators signed an open letter urging the organization to call for an Israeli ceasefire in Gaza and to establish a Palestinian regional chapter. The letter described the war as “genocide” and cited humanitarian concerns raised by international organizations. SCBWI responded with a public statement acknowledging the “ongoing war and humanitarian crisis impacting Palestinians and Israelis,” describing the death of children as “unbearable and unacceptable,” while stating that the petition contained “inaccuracies and insensitivities.” That statement also welcomed the creation of a Palestine chapter of the organization. Reactions among members were mixed, with some praising the response and others criticizing it as insufficient. Amid that incident, in December 2024, SCBWI forcibly removed the volunteer regional advisor of its Israel region, despite a track record of vocally defending SCBWI within the Jewish community, The controversy surrounding SCBWI and its response to global events has been cited within broader debates in the publishing industry concerning Jewish representation, Israel-related themes, and the role of advocacy in literary organizations. Jewish and Israeli children's authors remain concerned about a growing cultural boycott of Israel in children's literature, as evidenced by the 2026 banning of an Israeli literary organization from participating in the Bologna Children's Book Fair, the world's largest and most important professional event dedicated to children's literature. ==Publications==