Meet the faculty of the 2021 Austin SCBWI Writers & Illustrators Working Conference. We’ve asked all our faculty members to answer 4 quick questions so we can get to know them better.
Crystal Allen, Author
Crystal Allen is the author of five middle-grade books, all published by Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins. Her accolades include the 2018 SCBWI Sid Fleischman Humor Award for The Magnificent Mya Tibbs: The Wall of Fame Game; starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and School Library Journal; inclusion on Kirkus Best Books and Chicago Public Library Best Books; and books on multiple summer reading and state book award lists, including the Texas Bluebonnet. She is a committee member of The Brown Bookshelf, Co-Director of Kindling Words East, and a speaker for numerous conferences, workshops and retreats. Her forthcoming book, Between Two Brothers, will release in the Fall of 2022. Crystal lives in Sugar Land, Texas, with her husband, Reggie, and two sons, Phillip and Joshua.
Author Crystal Allen
What attracted you to children’s books?
The ability to create a story that will resonate with girls and boys who’ve been labeled as non-readers or ‘reluctant.’
What’s the best part of your job?
Writing and author visits.
What’s the most challenging part of your job?
Writing and author visits.
What’s the best piece of advice you were given that helped drive your career?
There will always be a voice that tells you “you can’t.” Recognize it early and dismiss it. Only listen to the voice of truth. “You can.”
Come see Crystal Allen at the 2021 Austin SCBWI conference, May 1-2, 2021.