SCBWI SoCal Tahquitz Writers Retreat Faculty

As Senior Executive Editor at Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, Joy Peskin edits a range of books for children and teenagers. Books she has edited for FSG BYR include The 57 Bus, by Dashka Slater, New York Times Bestseller and recipient of many honors including the Stonewall Book Award (winner), YALSA-ALA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction (finalist), Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Nonfiction (honor); Speak: The Graphic Novel, written by Laurie Halse Anderson with art by Emily Carroll, recipient of five starred reviews; and For Black Girls Like Me and Stonewall Honor book In the Key of Us, by Mariama Lockington, each the recipient of five starred reviews. At Macmillan, Joy is a leader of the MCPG Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee; a part of the mentorship program; and she teaches a company-wide course on Author Care. Other roles Joy has occupied at Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers since joining the group in February, 2012, include Editorial Director and Executive Editorial Director. A graduate of Vassar College and the Radcliffe Publishing Program, Joy has taught writing to aspiring authors, youth experiencing homelessness, women experiencing incarceration, and teens in a juvenile detention center. Her own essays have been published in Salon, Glamour, The Huffington Post, Parents magazine, Publishers Weekly, and Lilith magazine and she is the recipient of the Award for Excellence in Writing about Seniors, Simon Rockower Awards for Excellence in Jewish Journalism. Dear Hope, a play she wrote, was produced by the Hangar Theater in Ithaca, New York, in November, 2020. She has mentored and tutored children in New York City and New Jersey since 1997, and she is now a CASA (court appointed special advocate) within the foster care system in Essex County, New Jersey. Joy has served on the boards of Every Child a Reader and Literacy for Incarcerated Teens.

Hannah Andrade (she/her) started as an agency assistant before moving on to acquire her own clients. She’s been with Bradford Literary Agency since 2017 and has had the privilege to work with a number of bestselling authors across a variety of genres. She likes to think of herself as an editorial-focused agent and is particularly eager to acquire BIPOC/underrepresented voices. She is prioritizing stories of joy where identity isn’t the focus and is especially excited about stories rooted in history, mythology, and legends, particularly those that are lesser-known or underrepresented in traditional publishing. Hannah is very interested in stories that explore the intricacies of multicultural identities. She loves stories of immigration (not relegated to America) and of first/second generation Americans who struggle balancing the values of their country with the culture and heritage of their parents (as in the tv shows Ramy or Gentefied). As a Mexican-American, she would particularly love to see the stories that she grew up with showcased in new and creative ways. For more details on what she’s looking for, please check out her Manuscript Wish List.

Kathleen represents a wide range of children’s literature. She represents NYT bestselling and award-winning authors for picture books, chapter books, middle grade, YA, and adult novels. When it comes to novels, Kathleen loves both contemporary and fantasy as well as the spooky and unexpected. She loves multi-generational stories, matrilineal magic, and is always happy to see high-concept contemporary romance. She also enjoys darker suspenseful reads and loves atmospheric settings that feel like a character. Kathleen gravitates to smart character-driven YA no matter the genre. She is always seeking stories written by diverse creators and underrepresented voices. For picture books, she works on both fiction and nonfiction. For nonfiction, she’s drawn to environmental and STEM themes. She loves animals and books about their welfare and science. She's always interested in picture books that inspire emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and empathy. She loves to laugh, and sweet younger stories and board books are also of interest. She loves the whimsical, and would love to find a fairy-focused chapter book series or picture book. Kathleen’s list includes a wide range of middle grade and YA from rom-coms by Ann Liang such as the NYT Bestselling I HOPE THIS DOESN’T FIND YOU, to captivating fantasy like Lisa Maxwell’s NYT bestselling THE LAST MAGICIAN series and Isabel Sterling’s THESE WITCHES DON’T BURN to whip-smart contemporary novels like Gloria Chao’s AMERICAN PANDA, Supriya Kelkar’s AMERICAN AS PANEER PIE, and Aimee Lucido’s EMMY IN THE KEY OF CODE. Kathleen also represents select adult fiction titles, such as Ann Liang’s NYT Bestselling A SONG TO DROWN RIVERS (INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER, A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK, An October 2024 Indie Next Pick and An October 2024 Library Reads Pick). In addition to novels, Kathleen represents inspiring picture books such as Carole Lindstrom’s NYT Bestselling WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS (for which the illustrator won The Caldecott Medal), OCEAN SPEAKS by Jess Keating (Jane Addams Peace Award Honor), and ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP: How One Girl’s Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything by Annette Bay Pimentel (Schneider Family Award Honor).

Alexa Pastor enthusiastically began her career at Simon & Schuster in August of 2014. Since that time, she has edited rewarding stories across all age ranges, including National Book Award Longlist selection Forget Me Not; Target’s inaugural YA Book of the Year Their Vicious Games; bestsellers Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice, She Gets the Girl, All This Time, If I See You Again Tomorrow, and Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh; and #1 New York Times bestseller Five Feet Apart. Prior to landing her dream job, Alexa graduated summa cum laude from Villanova University (Go ‘Cats!) and completed her master’s degree in children’s and young adult publishing at Rosemont College. She is acquiring picture books, middle grade, and YA that have strong commercial hooks, led by a standout voice, and a unique approach to storytelling either in structure or trope. She is most drawn to stories with a surprising twist (thrillers welcome, but twisty picture books too!), nonfiction that elevates marginalized events and voices, and contemporary love stories in all their forms including swoony romance (both rom-coms and rom-drams!), friendship makeups rather than breakups, and celebrating family love in every shape and form it takes. When not reading and editing, Alexa is voraciously consuming bad reality TV or Nancy Myers movies, listening to pop culture podcasts, or exercising the eternal optimism that comes with being a Mets and Giants fan. You can follow her on X/Twitter @Alexa_Pastor926.