I recently got home from the trip of a lifetime: ten days visiting three cities in Australia!! The kind and wonderful folks from the State Library of Victoria brought me down under as a guest of their bi-annual Reading Matters festival, a YA literature conference in Melbourne, with a satellite event in Brisbane! After that, Dave and I headed to Sydney for a few days, just as tourists.

Now. On to the photos.

BRISBANE!

We landed in Brisbane after 20 hours of travel, early in the morning on my 36th birthday. We intended to crash, but were too giddy to explore a new part of the world, and ended up having the most glorious, sunny, treat-filled day, complete with new friends and new experiences! For the next couple of days, Tim Sinclair and I were the authors on the roster at a mini-conference, a library workshop, and several schools. It was great.

MELBOURNE!

Melbourne is kind of Australia's Seattle. Everyone drinks coffee while walking around in the rain, there are bookstores and indoor/outdoor markets and alleyways with cute little cafes and museums and sweeping water views. The main Reading Matters conference happened in Melbourne, and I met SO MANY amazing people in our 4 days there. I also spent a lot of time on stage, introducing a whole new community to the joys of graphic novels. Graphic novels haven't quite "hit" in Australia the way they have in the states, but I think that's going to change soon, based on the reception me and my work received. I left Melbourne absolutely buzzing with enthusiasm and book love.

SYDNEY!

How could we go all the way to Australia and not see Sydney? Dave and I took ourselves there for a few days before heading back to the states. We saw a bit of rain and a lot of sun, the amazing VIVID installation happening all over town; went to the zoo and met a baby koala; took a cruise around the harbour, walked from Bondi Beach to Bronte Beach (where Garth Nix and his wonderful family hosted us for dinner), and wished we'd had more time to explore such an amazing, beautiful city. We ate a LOT of good food and got lost a few times and enjoyed the winter sunshine reflecting on Sydney's landmarks. Goodness. If you get a chance to go, GO!!!

My utmost thanks to the Centre for Youth Literature and State Library of Victoria's amazing staff: Adele Walsh, Anna Burkey, Jordi Kerr, Nicole Armstrong, Heath Graham, and the rest of your terrific colleagues. The awesome employees from Readings bookstore, event sponsor, who sold out of my books almost immediately! The librarians, teachers, school admins, and students of Brisbane, for welcoming me into their classrooms with open arms. The librarians and students from Melbourne and beyond who attended the conference, coming from as far away as New Zealand, Indonesia, and every Australian state!

I also LOVED meeting all of the authors at the festival. A small group allows everyone the chance to bond, and these folks are all top notch. Thanks, and "hope to see you again soon," to Garth Nix, Libba Bray, Gayle Forman, Tim Sinclair, Myke Bartlett, Paul Callaghan, John Flanagan, Morris Gleizman, Fiona Wood, Vikki Wakefield, Alison Croggan, Ambelin Kwaymullina, Keith Gray, Andrew McGahan, and Gabrielle Williams. You guys made the long trip feel like I was very close to home.

More photos:

BRISBANE MELBOURNE SYDNEY

I'm going on a tour of the Midwest! Hopefully you can make it to some of my events. These include Kids Read Comics (including a pre-conference for librarians and educators); signings at Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, MI and Challengers Comics + Conversation in Chicago, IL; and the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, IL. Here are the details: June 21 COMICS, COLLECTIONS AND THE COMMON CORE Hatcher Graduate Library Ann Arbor, MI A special KRC Pre-Conference for Librarians, Educators, and Cartoonists! Attendance is FREE, but you must register to attend.

June 22-23 KIDS READ COMICS CELEBRATION Ann Arbor District Library I'll have a table with fun stuff for sale in the Artist Alley, and will be participating in programs throughout the weekend! The full schedule of events is here.

Monday, June 24 2-5pm GREEN BRAIN COMICS 13210 Michigan Avenue East Downtown Dearborn, MI, 48126 (313) 582-9444 Event & signing with Dave Roman & John Green!

Thursday, June 27 6-8pm Challengers Comics + Conversation 1845 N Western Ave #2R Chicago, IL 60647 (773) 278-0155 An all-ages comics party! Also featuring Dave Roman, John Green, & Jerzy Drozd! Live drawing games! Book signing!

June 28-July 1 ALA ANNUAL Conference McCormick Place Convention Center Chicago, IL I'll have a table in the Cartoonist Artist Alley, and will be on several panels and programs!

Friday, June 28

6:00-6:45pm COMICS QUICKFIRE! Location: Graphic Novel Stage

Saturday, June 29

11:00-12:00pm Scholastic Booth Signing Booth#2505-2605

3:00-4:00pm Krosoczka! TenNapel! Telgemeier! Graphic Novels Your Kids Love By Names You Can’t Pronounce Room: S402b

Sunday, June 30

1:00-2:30pm Busting the Comics Code: Comics, Censorship, & Librarians Room N231

What a crazy month it has been! TCAF was amazing, MeCAF was amazing, and now I'm packing my bags for Australia! I'm heading down under for the Reading Matters YA conference, and some of my events are still open to attend, although you must register.

Monday, May 27: State Library of Queensland, Brisbane: Register here!

May 30-June 1: State Library of Victoria, Melbourne: Register here for READING MATTERS student day, unconference, and conference events!

I'm not doing any public signings or events beyond this, so if you want to say hello or hear my speak, you've got to sign up.

That's all for now! Gotta go catch my plane!

And then I blinked, and it was almost time for MECAF!

The Maine Comics Arts Festival Sunday, May 19 10am - 5pm Ocean Gateway Portland, ME $5 for adults; free for kids under 12

I'll have a table at the show on Sunday--come say hi and get a signed copy of my books! I will be tabling with John Green and Dave Roman, who is debuting his newest volume of Astronaut Academy at MeCAF!

I will also be giving a program on Saturday, May 18 at 3pm at the Portland Public Library in the Rines Auditorium. Hope to see you at one or both events!

Look out, Toronto: The Toronto Comic Arts Festival week is almost here!

I'll be doing a few events leading up to the festival during the weekend. Here's where you can find me in Toronto. Wednesday, May 8 Chapters Brampton 52 Quarry Edge Dr Bovaird/Hwy 10 Brampton, ON, Canada I'll be giving a short presentation, drawing, and signing books! 7pm

Friday, May 10 TCAF Librarian & Educator Day Librarians and Educators need to register for this one-day symposium, but it will be well worth it. I'm giving the morning keynote speech, speaking on a panel about LGBTQ comics, AND interviewing one of my cartooning idols, FoxTrot's Bill Amend, live on stage...and there are a host of other wonderful panels to choose from. The event is free to attend, with the option to purchase a Patron Pack (which includes a creator lunch, and a bunch of age-specific graphic novels! [REGISTER HERE]

May 11-12 Toronto Comic Arts Festival! The big event! TCAF is free to attend and draws huge crowds of comics fans, young and old to the Toronto Reference Library for the two-day celebration. I'm one of this year's featured guests! Come say hi and get signed books, t-shirts, original art, and more! (I am still waiting on my table number and location, so please check back here for that info before heading to TCAF!)

Here are my TCAF panels! Please note that some of them take place off-site--addresses and walking times are noted. At all other times, you can find me at my table!

SATURDAY MAY 11

11am-12pm Comics Adaptations In the past decade, graphic novels have become the hot new medium, the form that everyone seems to want video games, movies, and books adapted into. Four cartoonists who have done adaptation work along with their own personal creative projects discuss the challenges and rewards of both kinds of comics works. Featuring Svetlana Chmakova (Witch & Wizard), Hope Larson (A Wrinkle In Time), Raina Telgemeier (The Babysitter’s Club). Moderated by Scott Robins (A Parent’s Guide to The Best Kids Comics). Location: The Marriott, 90 Bloor Street East Forest Hill Ballroom, 6th Floor (10 mins walk from Library)

2:45 – 3:45pm Writing Life These four cartoonists tell the most personal kind of stories – stories from their own lives. This program explores what’s involved in memoir. How accurately can memory and representative artwork depict real life? And are there kinds of stories that cannot be told? Featuring Raina Telgemeier (Smile, Drama), Derf (My Friend Dahmer), Ulli Lust (Today is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life), and Lucy Knisley (Relish). Moderated by Robin Brenner. Location: The Pilot, 22 Cumberland Street, Second Floor (5 mins walk from Library)

SUNDAY MAY 12

1:30-2:15pm DRAMA Reader’s Theatre Can you bring the drama to DRAMA? Raina Telegemeier will lead a group of audience volunteers in a dramatic and interactive reading of her latest graphic novel. Get ready for some acting fun & laughs and afterwards Raina will show off her skills with some interactive drawing. Location: Novella Room (2nd floor, Toronto Reference Library)

3:30-4:15pm Kids Comics Quickfire, the sequel! A fun, interactive drawing game show! Location: Novella Room (2nd floor, Toronto Reference Library)

This month, I'm the Blogger-In-Residence at Inside A Dog, an Australian website dedicated to books for young people! I'm posting every Tuesday and Saturday through the month of April.

So far I've written about some of the things that come up over and over again during Q&A sessions: where I get my inspiration; writing about my own life; and how graphic novels are made. Every post is illustrated with photos and drawings.

I hope you enjoy them!

COMICS FEST is happening Saturday, April 20 in Durham, NC! I'm one of several awesome artists leading workshops, talks, and presentations throughout the day. I hope you'll join us--it's free! Durham County 2013 COMICS FEST Southwest Regional Library 3605 Shannon Road Durham, North Carolina 27707 Saturday, April 20 10-5:30pm

WORKSHOP 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. In this workshop Raina will talk about making comics and writing stories, followed by everyone in the group writing and drawing their own short comic. She'll discuss thumbnails, layouts, balloon placement, panel variation, and the mechanics of sequential art. For ages 8-14. REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

PRESENTATION & SLIDESHOW 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. Audio-visual presentation by Raina Telgemeier, all about her process, inspiration, and love of comics! No registration required. Open to all ages! (Meeting Room)

SIGNING 3:30 - 4 p.m. Raina book signing and sale (Café Area)

View the full schedule of events here!

Just back from an amazing weekend in Montreal! Here are some of the highlights:

Librairie D+Q's storefront signage...

Book club superstar Arwen, giving me an amazing intro.

Sunday afternoon event at Chapters Pointe-Claire.

A great turn-out!

Dave and I also walked all over the place and ate a bunch of food and took a bunch of pictures; you can see all of those here.

Super thanks to Scholastic Canada, Librairie D+Q, and Chapters Pointe-Claire for making this trip possible! I had a wonderful time!

Montreal! I'll be in town in March for some events. Join me! The first event takes place on Saturday, March 23 at Librairie D + Q in Montreal.

(English-language D+Q poster)

(French-language D+Q poster)

DRAMA event & signing! Librairie D + Q Montreal, Quebec Saturday, March 23 3-5pm Full audio-visual presentation about my influences, early works, and Scholastic graphic novels! I'll be presenting in English, but both English and French-Canadian editions of my books will be available.

The second event takes place Sunday, March 24 at the Pointe-Claire Chapters store.

DRAMA event & signing! Chapters Pointe-Claire Pointe-Claire, Quebec Sunday, March 24 12-2pm I'll be speaking, drawing, and signing books! English-language presentation.

BIG news! Today, Publishers Weekly broke the story:

My next book will be called SISTERS!

From the press release:

Raina Telgemeier has signed a two-book deal with Scholastic’s Graphix imprint....The first book, Sisters, will be a companion to the author’s 2010 Eisner Award winner, Smile (also published by Graphix). Sisters, which is set for 2014, will look at “the inner workings of [Telgemeier’s] family,” focusing on her relationship with her younger sister. The second book in the deal, which is currently untitled, will also be a graphic work.

SISTERS will be in stores on September 1, 2014. I'm working on the art as we speak! Enjoy a sneak peak, above, at a couple of my penciled panels.

I'm pretty excited about this book, and even more excited now that I'm able to share the title with all of you! Of course I'll share more information here on my site when I've got it. Till then...hope you're all staying warm!

~raina

Hey, Seattle! I'm coming your way soon!

March 1-3, I'll be exhibiting at Emerald City Comicon!

I have a table in Artist Alley! That table number is...

ARTIST ALLEY TABLE # B-10

I'll be selling books, t-shirts, and original art! If you want to meet me and get something signed, this is the place to find me most of the weekend.

I'm also participating in some programming! Both of these happen on Saturday, March 2.

RAISING A READER Saturday, March 2 Start: 12:00PM Room: ECCC KIDS! - ROOM 201 CBLDF Presents: Newbery Award winning Children's book author and graphic novelist Jenni Holm (Babymouse series) discusses ways to get children excited about reading, encouraging creativity, and cultivating a love of literature and art, with a focus on great graphic novels and comics for younger readers. Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman will join Jenni on the panel!

COMICS QUICKFIRE! Saturday, March 2 Start: 3:00PM Room: ECCC KIDS! - ROOM 201 Comics Quickfire! A fast-paced game show where volunteers are paired off with (or against) professional cartoonists in a series of fun-filled drawing challenges! Audience members will provide suggestions and add to the creation of totally improvised epic drawings! Featuring host Dave Roman (Astronaut Academy), Raina Telgemeier (Smile), Skottie Young (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz), Katie Cook (My Little Pony), John Green (Teen Boat), & more! Great for all ages!

Emerald City Comicon will be my ONLY Seattle appearance in 2013, so if you want to say hi, buy your show tickets soon! See you there!

Wow, I have a lot to catch up on! This has been a good winter for me so far. I've gotten a TON of work done (35 pages into drawing my new book!), and I have a bunch of neat things to share with you. Without further ado: Photo by Lizette Serrano...look at my shiny sticker, and all my stars!

• At this year's ALA Youth Media Awards, DRAMA received a Stonewall Book Award Honor! This is for a book with "exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender experience." I'm so pleased and proud. Very many thanks to the Stonewall committee for this honor!

• ALA also released their yearly best-of and notables lists, and DRAMA was featured on a few of these, including YALSA's Great Graphic Novels for Teens (Top Ten!), Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, and the Rainbow Project List. It was also selected as an ALSC Notable Children's Book!

• A couple of weeks ago, Drama quietly slipped up to the #1 spot on the New York Times Graphic Books Bestseller list. Yow!! I have a feeling that had something to do with...

• This super-sweet audio piece on NPR, which not only recommends DRAMA, but even recorded voice actors performing some of the scenes in the book!! This is maybe the coolest thing ever.

• Oh, wait, no--THIS is the coolest thing. I got invited to be a guest at Reading Matters, a festival in Melbourne, Australia!!! That happens May 31-June 1 [ticket info is here], and I'll be doing some events there and in Brisbane, too. I'll post my full schedule here when I have it, but I look forward to meeting some Aussie readers in a few months!

• Finally, my first event of 2013 is coming right up. I'll be at Emerald City Comicon in Seattle, March 1-3, in the Artist Alley. Seattle fans, I hope to see you! I'll have books, t-shirts, and artwork on hand!

Whew! That's all for me tonight! Hope you are all doing well!

My friend Marion Vitus took some wonderful photos at Bergen Street Comics last month during my Drama book event.

You can see the rest of them here!

Happy new year, everyone.

When I ran the DRAMAday contest back in September, one of the prizes was a chance to interview me live on the air on the show Comics Are Great--and the winner of this prize was 13-year-old Cassie! We recorded this a couple of weeks ago, and now you can watch the interview.

Cassie, Jerzy (the show's host) and I talked about many things related to DRAMA--so if you've been curious about the characters, how the story ties into my own life, or what I think about when I'm writing, this may answer some of your questions!

For complete show notes (including links to all of the books, movies, and everything else we discuss, see the Comics Are Great website!

Enjoy!

Oh MAN!! Kidsbooks in Vancouver is known for their amazing window displays...check out their holiday display for 2012! The whole store was decorated to resemble a bookshelf...with a certain familiar book included. ;-) Thanks, Kidsbooks! If you're in Vancouver and get a chance to stop by the store, tell them I said hello. They are second to none.

My final event of my tour was a smashing success! Friends and fans packed Bergen Street Comics to the gills, and I had a fabulous time signing books and spending time with everyone who came. Thanks for braving a chilly Saturday evening to hang out with me!

Signing signing signing

Loooong line inside the store

The windows of Bergen Street Comics, foggy with condensation!

The goodie table. Concession candies, "Callie" cupcakes (pink and purple!), note-shaped cookies...

...and heart-shaped cookies! What to do with those?...

Ah, yes. Reenact the cover of DRAMA, of course! Here's my awesome editor, Cassandra, posing with a cookie.

Some of my readers get in on the action.

It was all the rage.

The crowd patiently awaiting the start of my presentation...

Awash in the light of comics on the screen.

Thank you again to everyone who came to Bergen Street Comics, as well as everyone I met over the last three months. These were some of the best times I've ever had, and I appreciate every single one of you!

I'm taking a break from events until March, but I still have some leftover photos, bits of news, and more coming between now and then. Hope to see you around! Here's to a happy holiday season!

My rescheduled DRAMA signing at Bergen Street Comics is happening THIS Saturday, December 1, at 7pm! Come one, come all.

DRAMA HOMECOMING PARTY & BOOKS SIGNING! Saturday, December 1 7pm Bergen Street Comics 470 Bergen Street (near Flatbush Avenue) Brooklyn, New York 11217 (718) 230-5600

Kids and adults are welcome. Please feel free to bring your friends! There will be snacks, beverages, prizes, live readings, music, and shenanigans! And books, of course. In fact, the store is generously offering a 20% discount on ALL kids’ comics and graphic novels on Saturday!

Bergen Street Comics is accessible by subway, bus, and LIRR. Check the store’s website for transportation info and maps! See you soon!

With the holiday season officially in gear, I wanted to let you guys know about some neat items in my web store! If you're looking for a unique gift, may I suggest a page of original comic art from my books--signed, sealed, and ready for framing! I've got hundreds of original pages of artwork from the BSC Graphix series available. Each page is on 11" x 14" Bristol board, created with blue colored pencil, graphite pencil, and India ink. Each page will be signed. If you'd like me to write anything extra, like a dedication or a "To...", please let me know. I ship all pages flat, packed in cardboard, via Ground rate. (And yes, I take international orders!) I only accept PayPal for payments. You must submit your order by December 14, 2012 in order to ship in time for Christmas.

You have two options for page purchases:

OPTION 1:

Specially-priced, NON-REQUEST pages. You get to choose the book, but I get to choose the page - for a flat rate of $30 USD, plus shipping. These are still full-sized, published, original pages of art. It might not be your favorite page, or the most exciting page. It might not have all of the main characters on it (but I promise it will have at least one!). But since you get to choose which book your page comes from, you get to narrow down your options a tiny bit! Either way, it's a surprise! These are quick and easy to purchase, using the PayPal button below.

Specially-priced, Non-Request Pages - $30 USD, Plus shipping:

From which book?

Kristy's Great Idea The Truth About Stacey Mary Anne Saves the Day Claudia and Mean Janine

OPTION 2:

If you're interested in a specific page, you can email me directly (goRaina@gmail.com) with your request. Typically, these pages range from $50 - $150 (most are in the $60 - $80 range). If the page is still available, I will let you know the price. Discounts always given if you buy two pages or more! I accept payments via PayPal. Please note that I am NOT selling pages from Smile or Drama. The only pages available at this time are those included in The Baby-sitters Club graphic novels: Kristy's Great Idea, The Truth About Stacey, Mary Anne Saves the Day, and Claudia and Mean Janine. Thank you!

For every page of art sold through my website, I will make a $5 donation to First Book, which provides brand new books to children in need. On all page orders made between now and December 14, I will also donate $5 to the Red Cross in support of Hurricane Sandy victims.

And don't forget, I have SMILE t-shirts available in the store as well!

Hope you all have a happy, healthy, safe and warm holiday season!

Hi, everyone! How are you? I'm doing great, except for the fact that Hurricane Sandy wiped out the cable in my area...that means I haven't had TV or internet in over a week. I'm able to see emails and info over my smartphone, but replying and keeping on top of things has been kind of tricky. I'm hopeful things will be back up to speed soon, but in the meantime, here is the info for my upcoming trip to the Miami Book Fair! Miami Book Fair International

Thursday, November 15 Teacher Fun Day Mini-Conference I'll be the keynote speaker at this mini-conference, which you need to register to attend. The registration form and more information are on this page. From the site: this special event at Miami Book Fair International brings together teachers, librarians and educators, including homeschooling parents, for an informative and inspirational day of workshops and special presentations with well-known authors.

Saturday, November 17 Presentation: “Girls Lives” 2:30-4:00 PM Rm 1164 (Bldg 1, 1st Fl) Joint presentation with Sonia Manzano & Meg Haston! Book signing to follow.

After that, I'm heading to Las Vegas for ALAN, an all-YA offshoot conference at NCTE. I'll be on one panel at ALAN, on Tuesday morning--this isn't open to the public, you need to be registered for the conference to attend. Hoping to see some of my teacher friends in Las Vegas!

ALAN

Tuesday, November 20 ALAN Las Vegas, NV 8:45-9:20am​ Graphic Novels Panel with Faith Erin Hicks, Mark Siegel, Dave Roman & Raina Telgemeier

And then, I come home in time for Thanksgiving--and my one, final tour event, the re-secheduled Bergen Street Comics DRAMA Homecoming Party! Here's all the info:

DRAMA HOMECOMING PARTY & BOOKS SIGNING! Saturday, December 1 7pm Bergen Street Comics 470 Bergen Street (near Flatbush Avenue) Brooklyn, New York 11217 (718) 230-5600

Kids and adults are welcome. Please feel free to bring your friends! There will be snacks, beverages, prizes, live readings, music, and shenanigans! And books, of course. In fact, the store is generously offering a 20% discount on ALL kids’ comics and graphic novels on Saturday!

Bergen Street Comics is accessible by subway, bus, and LIRR. Check the store's website for transportation info and maps! See you then!

Sorry, everyone--Bergen Street Comics and I have decided to postpone my DRAMA Homecoming Party. We apologize for waiting till the last minute to make a final call, but the truth is that most of Brooklyn is still a mess, the subways aren't up to speed yet, and it's hard to want to have a celebration when there are so many others in need so close by. The good news is, we're going to have the party on Saturday, December 1 instead! So please join me on Saturday, December 1, 7pm at Bergen Street Comics, for the belated DRAMA book party!