Tuesday, June 3, 2025 at 6 pm

Award winners and participants are honored at a ceremony and reception, with writing advice and inspiration from the author judges.

Friday, June 6, 7 - 9 pm

Interested in trying your hand at creative writing? Do you need tips to take your stories to the next level? Experienced teen writers and newcomers are all welcome to join this workshop with author Charlene Allen on how you can draw inspiration from your life to create compelling stories.

Sunday, June 22, 2025

More information to come!

June 24, 2025 at 2:30 pm

Language Matters: Exploring the Role of Discourse and Communication in Restorative Justice in Education

2025 RJE Conference, Harrison, VA

This interactive session will explore how fiction, poetry, and artist-led advocacy & reports can be effectively used to teach and explore restorative justice language and concepts, and to build skills in communities, classrooms, and organizations. For example, restorative practitioners have learned that healing survivors of harm, combined with healing and accountability for harm-doers, can be far more effective tools in achieving safety than simply punishing harm-doers. While practitioners have seen this proven true, it can be difficult for people to understand. Authors Charlene Allen and Purvi Shah, both restorative practitioners, researchers, and activists, will share short readings from their creative works and policy tools to bring these concepts to life. Attendees will leave ready to integrate fiction, poetry, and art approaches into community activities and curricula, including specific teaching tools to help deepen learning.

Tuesday, January 14, 2025 at 6 pm

A summer in the city unearths many surprising secrets! Come discuss My Fairy God Somebody with the author and be inspired to write haiku poetry based on your own experiences.

Join us at Newtonville Books for a conversation about what restorative justice is and the many forms it can take, including how three authors, Lindsey Pointer, Dayna Lorentz, and Charlene Allen, used restorative justice practices and principles to structure three very different works of fiction for young readers. Two of the authors are also restorative justice practitioners. The authors will be in conversation with Yael Yaaloz from local restorative justice program Communities for Restorative Justice (C4RJ).

Saturday, November 23, 1:15 to 2:30 pm

Room 254 A (Level 2)

Using Fiction to Develop Student Engagement with and Understanding of Restorative Justice Programs in Schools

Authors Charlene Allen, Dayna Lorentz, and Lindsey Pointer with aducator Karen Bowman

Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, 415 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210

Join Charlene in celebrating the launch of her highly anticipated new novel, My Fairy God Somebody at Liz’s Book Bar! RSVP at the Eventbrite link below.

Wednesday, May 29th, 2024 at 3 pm ET

This webinar will highlight how practitioners, writers, artists, and other creatives advance restorative justice advocacy and education efforts through storytelling. Examples discussed will include novels, films, case studies, theatre, and more. Attendees will consider how media and stories influence the public’s perception of justice issues and can expand public imagination.

From Picture Books to Young Adult Novels: Using Fiction to Teach Restorative Justice in Schools

July 29 - August 1, 2024

(Session date and time TBD)

Tuesday, April 16th, 2024

Switching POVs: A YA Author Panel & Discussion (Suggested Audience: 9-12) Shannon Rogers, NYSAIS, Associate Director for Evaluation and Accreditation and Author, Charlene Allen, Author, Don Hooper, Author, Carolyn Tara O'Neil, Author

April 17, 2024

For the 2nd year in a row, Charlene met with students from OBT to discuss writing and storytelling.

Saturday, December 9, 2023, 10 AM – 12 PM

YA fiction leads with voice: the narrative voice of the novel, as well as each character’s unique sound, style, and perspective, from protagonist to supporting cast. Whatever the plot, YA books embrace the keen energy of coming of age and draw the reader into an intimate reading experience. In this Zoom workshop with Charlene, designed for beginners as well as seasoned writers, we’ll explore what it takes to establish the voice and mood of your story.

Brattleboro, Vermont / October 13-15, 2023

Charlene’s schedule TBD

Wednesday, September 27, 2023 @ 6:00 p.m.

Albany Public Library - Pine Hills Branch, Large Meeting Room, 517 Western Avenue, Albany

Presented by the Albany Public Library and the New York State Writers Institute

What is the power of fiction in introducing young people to restorative justice? In this webinar, you will hear from authors Charlene Allen (Play the Game, a young adult novel), Dayna Lorentz (Wayward Creatures, a middle grade novel), and Lindsey Pointer (Wally and Freya, a picture book) about how restorative justice centers in their narratives, and the power of storytelling for reimagining justice in schools, communities, families, and beyond. This webinar will be of interest to restorative practitioners working in schools and communities, restorative parents, and lovers of stories and justice.