2023 Participating Mentors

Below is a list of mentors for the 2023 conference. Please note that this list, as in past years, is subject to change. All of our mentors are volunteers who offer their time and experience to aspiring writers and illustrators. There are sometimes unforeseeable last minute circumstances that may result in a mentor's cancellation.

NOTE: Some of our council members will also mentor at this year's conference.

Editors and Agents

  • Foyinsi Adegbonmire, Editor, Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan
  • Marilyn Brigham, Senior Editor, Amazon Publishing 
  • James Burns, Agent, Bright Agency
  • Andrea Cascardi, Agent, Transatlantic Media 
  • Stefanie Chin, Editorial Assistant, Union Square Press 
  • Jill Davis, Editorial Director, Hippo Park/Astra Books for Young Readers
  • Kade Dishmon, Editorial Assistant, Holiday House
  • Leyla Erkan, Assistant Editor, Little, Brown
  • Della Farrell, Associate Editor, Holiday House
  • Nicole Fox, Associate Editor, Penguin Workshop/Penguin Random House
  • Shannon Gallagher, Associate Agent, Wernick & Pratt
  • Arely Guzman, Assistant Editor, Levine Querido
  • Heather Kelly, Assistant Art Director, Abrams Books for Young Readers
  • Laura Kincaid, Assistant Editor, Holiday House 
  • Jeannette Larson, Editorial Consultant, Flyaway Books
  • Jessica Levine, Assistant Editor, Little, Brown
  • Olivia Luchini, Assistant Editor, Penguin Workshop/Penguin Random House
  • Sean McCarthy, Agent, Sean McCarthy Literary Agency 
  • Jennie Miller, Editorial Assistant, Clarion/HarperCollins
  • Lydia Nguyen, Editorial Assistant, Abrams Comic Arts
  • Anuoluwapo Ohioma, Associate Editor, Penguin Workshop/Penguin Random House
  • Rachel Orr, Agent, Prospect Agency
  • Annette Pollert-Morgan, Executive Editor, Sourcebooks
  • Linda Pratt, Agent, Wernick & Pratt Agency
  • Maria Russo, Minerva/Astra Books for Young Readers
  • Jamie Ryu, Editor, HarperCollins
  • Tova Seltzer, Editorial Assistant, Holiday House
  • Beth Terrill, Editor, NorthSouth
  • Amy Toth, Associate Art Director, Holiday House
  • Miloni Vora, Editorial Assistant, Atheneum/S&S 

Authors and Illustrators

If you are interested in volunteering to be a mentor at future conferences, click the button below to view our selection procedure.

Previous Participating Mentors

For conference photos, visit our Facebook page

Have a Question? Contact us at: ruccl.org1on1@gmail.com