about the event
“In-person opportunities to mingle with authors, editors, and agents have sharply declined since the pandemic—we editors have missed the energizing connections and inspiration they offer. And then—huzzah!—this retreat invitation came along, and I immediately jumped on board. This retreat seems both carefully planned AND spontaneous, with an overall casual, comfortable vibe, and plenty of free time for writing and conversation. Can’t wait!”
—Meredith Mundy, Editorial Director (Abrams Appleseed)
Are you ready
to take your writing career
to the next level?
Your Publishing Industry Experts
Meredith Mundy (she/her) is Editorial Director of Abrams Appleseed and the Abrams preschool program. She has been editing books for young readers for more than 25 years and hopes to continue doing so for 25 more!
She joined Abrams in 2018 and has been busily acquiring new projects for her target audience of ages 0 to 5 ever since. Meredith is seeking board books, novelty projects, and very young picture books with minimal word counts but maximum heart, humor, and hooks.
Some recent projects: Too Much by Jolene Gutiérrez and Angel Chang, Hair Like Obama’s, Hands Like LeBron’s by Carole Boston Weatherford and Savanna Durr, ABCs for a Peaceful Me by Shelly Becker and Dan Yaccarino, Onomatopanda by Janik Coat, Eidtale by Aaliya Jaleel, and We’re Having a Party (for Everyone!) by Katie Vernon.
Meredith lives in the Hudson Valley with her husband, Richard, a graphic designer and artist, and their tuxedo cat, Mina, a proficient napper.
Jill Davis is a 32-year veteran of children’s books and is currently the Editorial Director of Hippo Park, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers.
Since its first list debuted in Fall 2022 Hippo Park has published dozens of titles, including books for toddlers, picture books, graphic chapter books, and middle-grade graphic novels.
Jill’s editorial focus is on humor, voice, and delightful illustration. She tends to stay away from books that are too focused on teaching readers serious lessons in favor of teaching them silly ones.
Jill has held editorial positions at Crown, Knopf, Viking, Bloomsbury, FSG, and HarperCollins.
She took a break from publishing from 2009 until 2013 and did the MFA in Writing for Children and Teens at Hamline University in St. Paul, where she wrote a horrible middle-grade novel.
Some recent projects: A Delicious Story by Barney Saltzberg; A Bear, a Bee, and a Honey Tree by Daniel Bernstrom and Brandon James Scott; How to Draw a Happy Cat by Ethan T. Berlin and Jimbo Matison; Pepper & Me by Beatrice Alemagna; and Mermaids’ Song to the Sea by Dianna Hutts Aston and Renee Kurilla, and Itty Bitty Betty Blob by Constance Lombardo and Micah Player.
Her favorite books are The Pushcart War, The Book Thief, Yucka Drucka Droni, Office Buckle and Gloria, and everything by Babeette Cole, James Marshall, and William Steig. She lives on the Upper West Side of New York City and on Long Island, has two adult sons (an electrical engineer and the bass player for the band, Laundry Day), two ridiculous dogs, and one lovely husband who can fix any computer problem on earth.
Your Weekend
Friday
- Meal: Dinner
- Afternoon arrival
- Time to walk, swim, canoe, talk
- Orientation, learning games
- Informal gatherings
- Evening chat with Jill and Meredith (1 hour): “Favorite Picture Books”
Saturday
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Group critique* with Jill Davis or Meredith Mundy (90 minutes before/after lunch, the sole requirement of the weekend)
- Morning session with Jen Swanson (45 minutes): “Nuts and Bolts of Writing Nonfiction Proposals, Photo Research, and Working with Experts”
- Afternoon session with Jen Swanson (45 minutes): “Podcasts: What Are They? How Do I Get on One? Should I Create My Own?
- Time to write (x2 minimum)
- Time to walk, swim, canoe, talk
- Informal gatherings
- Evening session with Jill Davis (90 minutes): “Picture-Book Dummies for Smarties: A Hands-on Workshop for Pacing Your Own Story”
Sunday
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch
- Morning session with Meredith Mundy (90 minutes): “An Interactive First-Lines Workshop”
- Time to walk, swim, canoe, talk
- Takeaways and Q&A
*Group critique in a nutshell: We learn from each other. You’ll share a picture-book draft within your small group–one of the expert editors and four other published writers. Expect to participate in lively, professional discussions of each work. Our industry experts are NOT dispensing submission coupons and praise sandwiches; all feedback will be oral/aural in real time. Come prepared to take good notes and give thoughtful comments on the work of your peers.
Your Refuge in the Woods
The center is easily accessible by car, conveniently located only minutes away from I-75. It is also served by two nearby airports: Sarasota (SRQ) and Tampa (TPA).
February 28 – March 2, 2025
Dayspring Episcopal Conference Center
8411 25th Street East
Parrish, FL 34219
