Imaginarium 2026 is proud to announce the addition of one new Panel and one new Workshop to our programming! There will be over 135 panels and workshops hosted in our 13th year, so make sure to check back regularly on our official site to see all new additions!
The titles, presenters, and descriptions for these new programming additions are as follows:
New Panel Added
Slushfest: Moderator – Barbara V. Evers. Writers anonymously submit the first page, double-spaced, of a work in progress. It’s read aloud, and panelists (agents, publishers, editors, authors) raise their hands at the point when they would stop reading. Once half the hands are raised, we will stop and give feedback. (90 min)
New Workshop Added:
Crafting Critters: Presenter – Barbara V. Evers. Animals make great characters in books, but how do you pull this off effectively? From children’s books like Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz to cozy mysteries like Spencer Quinn’s Chet and Bernie Mysteries to the quirky dog, Six-Thirty, in Bonnie Garmus’ Lessons in Chemistry, amazing animals leap off the page in wonderful narratives. This workshop will delve into how and why you might add animals as characters instead of props. We will look at examples in various genres and discuss:
What must the author do to ensure the animal’s point of view represents an animal instead of a human personality with an animal’s body?
Why do you need animal characters in your story?
How do you decide the role of the animal(s) in your story?
What should you consider when choosing the type/breed of animal?
How will the genre and the protagonist’s role affect the way the animal is portrayed?
What relationships do we see between animal characters and human characters? How do those relationships impact the story?