Before Julie Hedlund founded The 12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge, she had neither an agent nor any published books. She started 12 x 12 as a way to motivate herself to write more in order to achieve her writing goals. The rest, as they say, is history. BUT if you’re interested in knowing more about her, read on.
Julie is an award-winning picture book author. Her books include OVER, BEAR! UNDER, WHERE? (Philomel, 2021), MY LOVE FOR YOU IS THE SUN (2014) and A TROOP IS A GROUP OF MONKEYS (2013), both published by Little Bahalia Publishing. Her next book, SONG AFTER SONG: THE MUSICAL LIFE OF JULIE ANDREWS, will release September, 2023 from Little Bee Books.
In addition to 12 x 12, Julie is also a co-founder of Picture Book Summit, an annual online conference, and the co-creator (with Emma Walton Hamilton) of The Complete Picture Book Submissions System.
Julie is undaunted by cold and snow, given that she grew up in Northern Michigan and now lives in Boulder, CO. She draws daily inspiration from her two (almost grown) children, her wacky whoodle puppy, and the view of Rocky Mountain National Park outside her office window.
