This page will be updated as more faculty members are confirmed
for the 2024 Philadelphia Writing Workshop.
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Marlo Berliner is a former literary agent (The Jennifer De Chiara Agency in NY).
At the 2024 PWW, she is teaching a class and offering add-on critiques for attendees.
She is also the award-winning, Amazon #1 bestselling author of THE GHOST CHRONICLES, her debut book which was released in November 2015 to critical acclaim. The book won the 2016 NJRW Golden Leaf Award for Best First Book, was named FINALIST in the National Indie Excellence Awards for Young Adult Fiction, received the Literary Classics Seal of Approval, was awarded a B.R.A.G. Medallion, and was named one of the “best indie YA books we have seen in the past year, from both self-publishers and small presses” by IPPY Magazine. (Find all Marlo’s books here.)
Her second book in the series, THE GHOST CHRONICLES 2, was released in October 2017 and also garnered several awards and accolades. Marlo writes young adult, women’s fiction, and short stories.
She is an active member of The Authors Guild, SCBWI, and a former member of RWA. Marlo has been involved in publishing in various capacities since 2007—as a writer, bestselling author, freelance editor, children’s lead bookseller at Barnes & Noble, and literary agent. Prior to her career in the publishing world, Marlo was an accounting manager for a Fortune 500 company. She holds B.S. degrees in Economics and Industrial Management from Carnegie Mellon University.
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Brittany J. Thurman writes award-winning books for kids. At the 2024 PWW, she is offering virtual add-on critiques for attendees.
She is the author of Fly, (Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text) and Fearless: Boulevard of Dreams. Her upcoming works include Forever and Always, illustrated by Shamar Knight Justice (2024), Fearless: The Takeover (2024), The First Library: The True Story of the First Library by and For Black America, illustrated by Cozbi Cabrera (2025) and Come Catch a Dream, illustrated by Islenia Mil (2025). (Find all her books here.)
She holds an MFA in Dramatic Writing from Carnegie Mellon University, and a Bachelor of Art in Theater from Kingston University, London, England. Her plays have been produced in Aspen, Colorado, and in New York City. Brittany is a former children’s early literacy specialist. She lives in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, where she holds tight to her elders, roots, and her childhood home.
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Yvonne Ventresca writes suspenseful novels and short stories for teen, tween, and adult readers. Her psychological thriller, BLACK FLOWERS, WHITE LIES. won a National IPPY Gold Medal for best young adult fiction. Her YA debut novel, PANDEMIC, won a Crystal Kite Award from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and continues to be a timely read about surviving a widespread deadly virus.
Her other work includes two nonfiction books and multiple short stories for kids and adults published in magazines or selected for anthologies: “The Third Ghost” in Voyagers: The Third Ghost, “Justice for Jaynie” in The Second Black Beacon Book of Mystery, “The Art of Remaining Bitter” in Hero Lost: Mysteries of Death and Life, “Escape to Orange Blossom” in Prep for Doom. (See all Yvonne’s books here.)
Yvonne holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) and frequently presents about the craft of writing. She’s a long-time member of Mystery Writers of America (MWA), Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, International Thriller Writers (ITW), and Sisters of Crime. She’s served as a mentor through VCFA, MWA, and AWP, and judged for ITW’s annual Thriller Awards (short story category). At the 2024 PWW, Yvonne is teaching two workshops and offering add-on manuscript critiques for attendees.
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Award-winning author Nancy Viau specializes in fiction for children ages 2-12. (Find all her books here.)
Her picture books include Splish, Splash First to Last (2024), Pruett and Soo, Today Is a Beach Day!, First Snow (2019 IPPY/Independent Publisher Book Award), Storm Song, City Street Beat, and Look What I Can Do!
She is also the author of the middle-grade novels Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head, Something Is Bugging Samantha Hansen (2020 Skipping Stones Honor Award for Nature and Ecology), Beauty and Bernice (2018 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Finalist), and Just One Thing! (2016 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Gold Award).
Nancy is the founder of the KidLit Authors Club, a group of 22 children’s book authors who band together to appear at bookstores, libraries, festivals, and conferences. A former teacher and kid-at-heart, she often visits elementary schools across the country to share her journey to publication and the writing process.
At the 2024 in-person PWW, Nancy is teaching a class. She is also offering add-on manuscript critiques for attendees.
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Kimiko Nakamura is a literary agent with Dee Mura Literary, representing YA and adult titles within the genres of contemporary, literary, historical, and women’s fiction. In the categories of non-fiction she specializes in cookbooks and memoir.
At the 2024 PWW, Kimiko is offering add-on virtual manuscript critiques for attendees. (She is not taking pitches.)
A graduate of Boston University’s Book Publishing program and Skidmore College, Kimiko has called the publishing industry home since 2006. From production to sales she’s worked within publishing houses to release new titles and foster backlist profits. As an agent, she uses this diverse background to assist her clients with all stages of publication, and well beyond.
Kimiko works with aspiring and established authors alike. She loves projects that reimagine what’s possible, characters with something (or nothing) to lose, unique viewpoints, trailblazing heroines, and cookbooks she can read like the Sunday morning paper.
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Kelly Peterson (she/her) is a literary agent with Rees Literary.
Kelly is a West Chester University graduate with a B.S.Ed in English and Literature. She worked as a Junior Literary Agent for two years before moving to Rees Literary Agency, continuing to champion her authors and the manuscripts she loves. Kelly seeks books in various genres within Middle Grade, Young Adult, and Adult age ranges. She is very interested in representing authors with marginalized own voices stories, witty and unique characters, pirates, witches, and dark fantasies.
At the 2024 in-person PWW, Kelly is teaching a class. She is also meeting with writers for one-on-one pitch meetings.
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Wesley Chu is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twelve published novels, including Time Salvager, The Rise of Io, and The Walking Dead: Typhoon. He won the Astounding Award for Best New Writer. His debut, The Lives of Tao, won the Young Adult Library Services Association Alex Award.
Chu is an accomplished martial artist and a former member of the Screen Actors Guild. He has acted in film and television, worked as a model and stuntman, and summited Kilimanjaro. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Paula, and two boys, Hunter and River.
At the 2024 PWW, Wesley is offering add-on virtual manuscript critiques for attendees.
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Amberly Finarelli is a former agent with Andrea Hurst & Associates.
At the 2024 PWW, Amberly is offering add-on virtual manuscript critiques for attendees.
Amberly has a B.A. in English with a concentration in career writing and has worked in the publishing industry since 2006 as a literary agent, manuscript evaluator, copy editor, proofreader, and writer. She has been a featured speaker at UC Davis, has taught for Sacramento Public Library, and Truckee Meadows Writers Conference, and has been a judge for the Rose City Romance Writers writing contest.
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Matty Dalrymple (DAL-rim-ple) is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with THE SENSE OF DEATH; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including CLOSE THESE EYES.
She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.
Matty also podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors, and her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine. She is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors.
At the 2024 PWW, she is teaching a class.
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Chuck Sambuchino (@chucksambuchino) is a freelance editor, bestselling book author, and former longtime staffer for Writer’s Digest Books. For many years he edited the GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS and the CHILDREN’S WRITER’S & ILLUSTRATOR’S MARKET. His Guide to Literary Agents Blog was one of the largest blogs in publishing, and he wrote the platform guidebook CREATE YOUR WRITER PLATFORM.
He is the co-director of Writing Day Workshops writers conferences, and he has taught at more than 175 writers conferences throughout his career. At the 2024 PWW, Chuck is teaching and also offering add-on query critiques for attendees.
His humor book, HOW TO SURVIVE A GARDEN GNOME ATTACK, was optioned by Sony Pictures. Chuck’s books have been mentioned in Reader’s Digest, USA Today, the New York Times, The Huffington Post, Variety, New York Magazine, Buzzfeed, Mental Floss, New York magazine, and many more media outlets.
He is a successful freelance editor of queries, synopses, and manuscripts—seeing dozens of clients get agents or book deals following his consultations/edits. He loves meeting new writers.