37 John Street

They’re queens of contemporary YA. They’re friends. They’re delightful. Join these two expert craftswomen of romantic stories that will lift your spirits as they talk books, writing, and life in general.

37 John Street

If you’ve ever waited patiently for your Hogwarts letter, or dived deep into an old wardrobe, or even just suspected that your cat knows more than they let on, these stories about discovering the fantastic worlds that exist alongside our own are for you.
The first 200 attendees will get a free copy of A World Without Pants — the 2017 Storyball Story! Sponsored by CreateSpace / Kindle Direct Publishing.
Soman Chainani, Ally Condie, Brandon Mull, Brendan Reichs (Moderator), Jacqueline West

360 Meeting Street

We all feel a little stuck sometimes, but for these characters, the situation is a little more literal. Whether they are kept down by a powerful captor, or literally lost in a cave, these young women know what it is to be trapped—and to fight your way out again.
Claire Legrand (Moderator), Natasha Ngan, Laura Sebastian, Megan Shepherd, Kaitlin Ward, Kiersten White

446 King Street

From myths and magic to currency and clothes, making a new world, especially one that feels real and detailed, is no easy task. These authors will tell you how they took it on.
Dhonielle Clayton, Stephanie Garber (Moderator), Lisa Maxwell, Veronica Roth, Adrienne Young

446 King Street

Music, art, movies—they shape all of us in one way or another. But how do these authors make us feel the beats of a song, or watch a painting come to life, or experience a Bollywood dance number? (Our money’s on sorcery.)
Brandy Colbert, Sarah Enni (Moderator), Lamar Giles, Nisha Sharma, Ashley Woodfolk

37 John Street

Come in your best cosplay to hear these authors talk about what they’re fans of, and what it was like to discover they had fans of their own! Do they ever read fanfiction? Or write it? How many rom coms can they quote from memory? Were they Team Spike or Team Angel? Inquiring minds want to know!
Alexandra Bracken, Soman Chainani, Jenny Han, Brandon Mull, Beth Revis (Moderator), Kiersten White

360 Meeting Street

You know what it’s like: you’re just biding your time in a fantasy Viking world when your friend comes by when someone predicts via prophecy that you’ll rebel against an oppressive regime of silver-blooded people by assassinating the heir to Atlantis. Plus: spaceships. It’s just another day in the life of a YA protagonist.
Victoria Aveyard, Danielle Paige, Veronica Roth (Moderator), Destiny Soria, Adrienne Young

446 King Street

A handful of horror. A fragment of fantasy. A smidgen of supernatural. An armful of the absurd. These stories start out in the real world…and then go a little sideways. We are Here For It.
David Arnold (Moderator), Jimmy Cajoleas, David Levithan, Stephanie Perkins, Ronald L. Smith

446 King Street

Whether they’re messing with our heads, or taking us into the dark underground (literally!), or building a made-up fantasy world that’s actually a real fantasy world inside of a fictional fantasy world, there’s something not-so-straightforward about all of these stories. But when there’s no road map for what you’re writing, how do you find the way? These writers will guide us!
Melissa Albert, Tiffany Jackson, Kass Morgan (Moderator), Rebecca Schaeffer, Megan Shepherd, Kaitlin Ward

37 John Street

Powerhouse authors James Patterson and Natasha Ngan sit down to discuss publishing, characters, writing tips, living abroad, and other crafty topics in our popular midday spotlight. Moderated by Brendan Reichs. Presented by NOVL.
The first 300 people in line for the Spotlight will receive a wristband that will get them into the signing.

360 Meeting Street

They say you never forget your first love—yeah, fine, whatever. But what about the one that comes after? Second loves can be just as powerful as the first. These authors tell us why.
Jessica Brody, Brandy Colbert, Kami Garcia, David Levithan (Moderator), Nisha Sharma, Stephanie Kate Strohm

446 King Street

Funny. Ambitious. Honest. Determined. Smart. These stories show us that there’s more important things to be than “likable”—and that even if you’re not always easy to be around, your story is still worth telling.
Mary H.K. Choi, Spencer Hyde, Alex London, Kass Morgan, L.C. Rosen, Corrie Wang (Moderator)

446 King Street

Hearts in throats, twisting guts, and gasping, so much gasping– writing emotion that the reader can really feel, without leaning on clichés, can be tough! These writers let out breaths they didn’t know they were holding, and share their secrets for giving you the feels.
Deb Caletti, Sara Farizan, Anna Godbersen, Aminah Mae Safi (Moderator), Neal Shusterman, Ashley Woodfolk

37 John Street

You can’t choose your family—but sometimes these characters wish they could. Join this array of talented authors as they talk about family ties: discovering them, strengthening them, and sometimes even breaking them.
Deb Caletti, Adib Khorram, Tiffany Jackson, Morgan Matson (Moderator), Courtney Summers

360 Meeting Street

Listen, sometimes people die. And sometimes you’re the one who made it happen! If we can’t talk about it here, where can we talk about it? I mean really.
Robin LaFevers (Moderator), Megan Miranda, Beth Revis, Rebecca Schaeffer, Neal Shusterman, Scott Westerfeld

446 King Street

Because sometimes you just can’t defeat evil alone!
J.C. Cervantes, Roshani Chokshi, Ally Condie (Moderator), Brendan Reichs, Destiny Soria

446 King Street

Everyone knows what it’s like to feel like they don’t fit in, but these characters have more of a reason to than most. So how do you get through high school when you’re on the outside looking in?
Sara Farizan (Moderator), Monica Hesse, Spencer Hyde, L.C. Rosen

37 John Street

If you could pick one superpower, what would it be? We’re gonna go ahead and guess it’s probably not lightning hands, turning into a monster, or mind control. Spontaneously developing special abilities isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and these authors will tell us all about it.
Victoria Aveyard, Alexandra Bracken, Dhonielle Clayton (Moderator), Claire Legrand, Emiko Jean, Scott Westerfeld

360 Meeting Street

Love interests come and go, but a good buddy is with you for life. These stories explore finding your BFFs in the tough world of teenagerdom—and keeping them even when it’s not easy.
David Arnold, Mary H.K. Choi, Adib Khorram, Aminah Mae Safi, Siobhan Vivian (Moderator), Nic Stone

446 King Street

All most middle schoolers want to do is blend in. But what if you can’t help but stand out? Our MG masters talk about how to deal with being different without losing your cool.
J.C. Cervantes, R.J. Palacio, Shane Pangburn (Moderator), Ronald L. Smith, Jacqueline West

446 King Street

Booksplosion is Back! BookTubers Christine Riccio (PolandBananasBooks), Jesse George (JesseTheReader) and Kat O’Keeffe (Katytastic) return to YALLFest to share their most memorable BookTube experiences during this highly interactive Q&A.
Jesse George, Kat O’Keeffe, Christine Riccio

37 John Street

Whether they’ve got a new take on ancient mythology, or they’ve invented myths of their very own, these authors talk about the stories that shape people, the gods that rule them, and the characters just trying to make it out in one piece.
Renée Ahdieh, Melissa Albert (Moderator), Jimmy Cajoleas, Roshani Chokshi, Stephanie Garber, Alex London

360 Meeting Street

Whether there’s a missing friend, a ruined reputation, or a killer on the loose, these stories have one thing in common: something’s not right, and these characters are going to find out what really happened. Hear these authors’ talk intrigue, misdirection, and how to keep us guessing until the very end.
Lamar Giles, Megan Miranda, Stephanie Perkins, Carrie Ryan (Moderator), Courtney Summers, Corrie Wang

446 King Street

Love stories: we’ve been telling them for as long as we’ve been living them. So how do you make them feel fresh and exciting? These authors of amorous adventures tell us their secrets.
Jessica Brody, Sarah Enni (Moderator), Kami Garcia, Stephanie Kate Strohm, Siobhan Vivian

37 John Street

Two titans of storytelling face off in a battle royale for the ages! Okay, not really but these acclaimed authors will discuss the great humanity that lies at the heart of all of their work. Moderated by Alex London. Presented by Underlined

360 Meeting Street

Heirs. Crowns. Queens. Courts. We can’t get enough of them, but what is it about fantastical royalty that fascinates and thrills us? (Answer: the capes. Definitely the capes.)
Renée Ahdieh (Moderator), Emiko Jean, Robin LaFevers, Danielle Paige, Laura Sebastian

446 King Street

Join an assortment of our authors in a safe space to discuss gender and sexuality, both on the page and off.
Sara Farizan, Adib Khorram, David Levithan (Moderator), Natasha Ngan, L.C. Rosen, Destiny Soria

446 King Street

Secret crushes, secret friendships, secret identities—you name it, these stories have got it. But whether you’re the one keeping the secret, or the one trying to unravel it, it’s all going to come out eventually. (We assume, anyway.)

Anna Godbersen, Monica Hesse, Lisa Maxwell, Carrie Ryan, Nic Stone (Moderator)

37 John Street

Presented by Let’s Talk YA

The grand finale hosted by Soman Chainani and Brendan Reichs features all your favorite YALLFest authors playing games, lip syncing and generally having a blast. A can’t-miss event.