Professor Emeritus
John Cech is an award-winning writer, teacher, scholar and critic who has been actively working in the field of children’s literature for the past three decades. The author of books for children and works for adults, he has also been a frequent contributor of articles, essays, and reviews to such publications as The New York Times Book Review, Washington Post Book World, The Christian Science Monitor, The Horn Book Magazine, Child, Children’s Literature, and USA Today.
John has served as president of the Children’s Literature Association and a member of its Executive Board. He has been a been a judge for the New York Times Best Illustrated Books of the Year, the Boston Globe/Horn Book Awards, and he has been a member of the nominating committee for the American nominees for the Hans Christian Andersen Medal. John has been a consultant for the MacArthur Foundation, the Heinz Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Chicago Humanities Festival. John is the recipient for the Chandler Award of Merit for his work in the field of children’s literature.
John’s commentaries on children’s cultures have been aired on National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered,” and he was the creator, producer, and host of the nationally distributed, daily public radio program about the cultures of childhood, “Recess!”
A frequent keynote speaker and lecturer, John has given public talks at venues that range from the local Rotary Club to the annual, international Harry Potter Conference. He has held seminars and workshops on the creative process and writing for children throughout the United States.
John is Professor of English and Children’s Literature at the University of Florida, where he currently formerly served as the Director of the University’s Center for Children’s Literature and Culture.
Contact Information
Email: jcech@ufl.edu
Phone: (352) 392-6650, ex. 285
Fax: (352) 392-0860