
January Kickoff
January Kickoff
Available spots
Service Description
Mark your calendar for January 8, 2026 (6:30-8:30 pm, MST). We're so lucky to have Tim Wynne-Jones as one of our January Kickoff speakers, along with his wife, Amanda Lewis, who is also an award-winning author. This virtual celebration will kick us off and into a New Year of Writing. There will be giveaways, writing prompts and contests, and just a whole lotta fun. Tim Wynne-Jones will teach the Full Novel Morning Workshop at our Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers conference, June 15-19, 2026. Amanda West Lewis will teach the "When You Want to Do It All" Workshop. Attendees can focus on picture books, middle grade, YA or a little bit of all the genres! Seats are limited and registration begins on January 1, 2026. TIM WYNNE-JONES With a writing career spanning more than forty years and with thirty-eight books to date, Tim Wynne-Jones has published nine young adult novels, three middle-grade books, four short story collections, and "a whole lot of picture books." He's also written adult novels, radio dramas, songs for the CBC/Jim Henson production Fraggle Rock, as well as a children's musical, and an opera libretto. Tim taught for eighteen years at the Vermont College of Fine Arts in their master’s degree program: Writing for Children and Young Adults. He knows what a novel needs to make it shine and can help you understand how to strengthen your work. AMANDA WEST LEWIS Amanda West Lewis is a writer, theatre artist, and calligrapher. She is the author of eleven books, including the poetry collection A Planet is a Poem, and the semi-autobiographical novels Focus Click Wind, and These Are Not the Words. Her books have been recognized with a wide range of awards and nominations. Amanda has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, with a specialist certificate in Picture Books.






Upcoming Sessions
Cancellation Policy
LIVE EVENT: NO RECORDING This is a live community event and there will be NO RECORDING available. Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers values creating community and connecting our community for live virtual events. We do not record and distribute our online sessions. If you are unable to attend live, we encourage you to take a look at our WIFYR All Year calendar to attend a future gathering. REFUND POLICY Our online workshops are non-refundable. THERE ARE NO RECORDINGS AVAILABLE. Please only register if you are able to attend live. Note that all events are in Mountain Time and plan accordingly. FREE EVENTS If this is a free event, we still ask that if you are not able to attend after registering that you contact us at wifyrstaff@gmail.com. This allows us to make room for other attendees.
