Two nationally recognized, award-winning writers, Brian Selznick and Linda Sue Park, will be the featured guests at a local biennial conference focusing on children’s literature that starts Thursday.

Selznick’s Caldecott Award-winning illustrated novel, "The Invention of Hugo Cabret," is being made into a movie by Martin Scorsese set for release in December 2011 and starring Sacha Baron Cohen and Ben Kingsley.

Park is best known for her novels and picture books about Koreans and Korean Americans—including her 2002 Newbery Award-winning novel "A Single Shard"—and will be contributing to the popular 39 Clues youth mystery novel series.

Both authors will participate in Thursday’s opening festivities at the University of Hawaii-Manoa from 7 to 9 p.m., which will include a performance by the Young Women’s Korean Drum Dancers and adaptations of the guests’ works by Nyla Fujii-Babb, Yuki Shiroma and Vicky Dworkin.

"Inventing Worlds, Imaginary and Real" is the theme of this year’s conference. The three-day event focuses on interpreting, using and creating literature for children.

Parents, teachers, librarians, writers, illustrators and the general public are welcome to attend conference presentations, discussions and workshops. (With the exception of the special professional sessions with Park and Selznick, all sessions are free.)

Authors like Selznick, Park and local writer Shan Correa, whose new novel for middle-school readers, "Gaff," is now available, will take part in autograph sessions from 4:15 to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Park and Selznick will be doing special workshops with aspiring teenage writers and artists and participate in a "story magic" creative activity from 1:15 to 5 p.m. Saturday.