Author Talk Training at Planet Word – Summer 2026

In June 2026, Shout Mouse Press youth authors gathered for our annual Author Talk Training at Planet Word – the second time our friends at this incredible museum in downtown DC have hosted us for a full  day of professional development, appreciation of literature, and community.

Every year, we host a guest author to speak with Shout Mouse youth authors – and this year we owe a huge thank you to Glory Edim. Edim is the founder of Well-Read Black Girl and the author of Gather Me: A Memoir in Praise of the Books That Saved Me and the book Well-Read Black Girl. We are grateful to An Open Book Foundation for providing copies of Well-Read Black Girl for authors to get signed and take home. Edim gave a presentation to authors about her own process of having written three books while cultivating a community of readers, and the authors were incredibly receptive to her, responding with thoughtful questions, including how she handles the archival materials she works with. 

Following her presentation, Edim offered tips and best practices to the authors for giving their own talks, from the importance of practicing on voice notes or with family and friends, to being kind with one's self when stumbling over a word or losing a train of thought. Edim stressed that, ultimately, we and those in our audience are human, and people better remember how you made them feel over anything else. 

As with every Author Talk Training, authors are led through exercises that help them strengthen their public speaking skills when giving Author Talks. This year, we established the Author Talk Captain initiative; this initiative allows for authors who have attended three or more Author Talk Trainings to adopt a leadership role during the training. We had three Author Talk Captains this year and we look forward to evolving this opportunity for experienced authors to cultivate their leadership abilities. 

At Shout Mouse, we believe that as youth authors grow more confident in their voices, they grow more determined to use them — advocating for equity for themselves, their peers, and their communities. Every practice talk helps move this bold group of authors closer toward that larger goal.

2026's Author Talk Training was a huge success, and we look forward to next year's!